Here's to being unremarkable!

I saw my MO and got back the results of my PET/CT today.  "There has been complete interval resolution of the prior metabolic focus in the left jugulodigastric region.  The soft tissues and nodal regions of the head and neck are currently unremarkable with no abnormal metabolic foci appreciated."  In layman's terms, the cancerous spots from before are completely gone and there are no signs of any more cancerous areas in my entire head and neck.  Horay!

Unfortunately, every coin has two sides and I have bad news to report, as well (not cancer-related).  It all started last weekend when my good buddy Daniel was visiting.  Jake, Daniel, and I were driving to the top of a mountain just outside of Tucson to see the Kitt Peak National Observatory. On our way there we were coasting to a stop at an upcoming red light.  It turned green, we pushed the gas pedal, but nothing happened!  We pulled over, turned off and restarted the car, and everything was fine aside from the check engine light that was on.  I was leery to drive up a mountain with the gas pedal stopping, so we turned around and took my car to Midas (only because that's where I had work done most recently - rotating/balancing my tires).  They took a look at it and said it had something to do with my Throttle Position Sensor, but they wouldn't be able to have enough time to do the extensive diagnostic work or get replacement parts until Monday.  So, I took my car home and brought it back Tuesday morning.  They suggested that I also get my AC recharged as supposedly everyone in Tucson does this for the upcoming summer months.  I don't know what I was thinking considering I didn't have any issues with my AC, but I told them to go ahead and do that as well.  Anyway... 8.5 hours later they call me back to say they just finished all the diagnosis and that it was the actual throttle position sensor and they would have to order the part (which would take 3 days to get) and that it would cost $1300+ to fix.  What?!  THEN they said that while they were doing the AC recharge they found that my expansion valve and condenser were both so clogged that they would have to be replaced and that currently my AC was continually cycling between 100psi and 300psi and if I didn't have this fixed ASAP my condenser would probably go out.  What?!  To fix the AC issue would cost me over $1100.  What, what, what???!!!!  I wasn't even having any problems with my AC prior to going to see them.  This didn't make any sense.  Also, the total cost for the repairs just seemed ridiculous.  I spoke to a coworker who had a friend who worked for the Nissan dealership.  That guy said that the AC thing seemed fishy and that even without knowing all the details about the throttle position sensor issue, they could fix the entire throttle position panel for $900.  So....  I went to pick up my car Tuesday afternoon with the intention of taking to the Nissan dealership this weekend.  Fast forward to Wednesday (yesterday) when I was driving home from work (it was ~90 degress outside) and my AC started blowing hot air.  When I got home I popped open my hood and noticed that the spare coolant tank was completely empty.  Did Midas forget to fill it????  I got some antifreeze and filled that up and called it a night.  This morning I tried the AC again and it worked all the way to work.  I assumed it must have been the coolant and was very pleased with myself.  Then, when I left work during the hottest part of the day for my doctor appointment (It was 102!) my AC decided to start blowing hot air again.  It is a 45+ drive from my office to the doctors and it was completely miserable.  On the 45+ drive home, I swung by the Nissan dealership and they scheduled me to stop by in the morning and said they'd even have a shuttle service available that could take me to work.  So... the whole situation sucks, but at least I seem to finally be getting the help I need.

Anyway, sorry for the long rant...  I am doing so well physically I just had to find something else to complain about.  I'm even beginning to enjoy chocolate again. :)

A bloody mess...

It's been a long time since I posted and I honestly don't have much to say, but for starters I wanted to let you all know I am still alive and well.  My taste is still coming back a little bit each day, I seem less and less fatigued, and I'm beginning to work around my dry mouth issues.  My next big appointment is May 21st, when I will be having my PET/CT.  These scans are the way in which the doctors judge whether or not I am truly in remission.  I should get the results of the scan the following week....  so come back to this site some time around then for some real news.

But.. as long as I have your attention, I thought I'd share a funny thing that happened today.  I went in for my monthly bloodwork, and as I'm laying in the chair with the nurse putting in the saline and drawing out the first syringe, an infusion machine nearby starts beeping.  My nurse looked up for just a second to tell another nurse to go change some setting on it.... when all of a sudden, the syringe didn't seal properly at the end, and the back of the thing shoots out and a vile of my blood goes EVERYWHERE!  I was covered in my own blood, as was the chair I was in and some of the floor.  It was all a big mess.  After many apologies and towels, the nurse finished drawing my blood and put on a bandage.  I then went to the bathroom and changed into a hospital gown and washed all the blood out of my shirt.  Luckily the folks there had a washer/dryer and after 15 minutes in the dryer, my shirt was as good as new!  I guess I should just be thankful that I had today off of work, otherwise it would have been more annoying than a funny story.

Well, I suppose that's all for now.  I hope things are well with everyone.  Goodnight! :)