The Girl Who Lived (apologies to J.K. Rowling)

I am now three weeks out from surgery to remove a progressing tumor and its necrotic neighbor. TIL therapy killed six other tumors, but one remained that did not fully respond to the cell therapy. Instead, it was surgically removed via lung lobectomy.

This inpatient stay lasted one week. On the day I was discharged from the hospital, I asked my doctor to "say the words." He understood exactly what I meant. He obliged by saying the happiest phrase there is for me right now:  "No Evaluable Disease." Hearing those words--from him, especially--filled me with a joy I can't begin to describe.

No
Evaluable
Disease

It is almost incredible to me. Not very many months earlier other doctors--several of them--described my diagnosis as terminal. Yet, a couple of days ago, a written discharge summary arrived via USPS from the NIH which told a better story. As I slowly read the report, my mind absorbed every word, recalling each scene as I had experienced it. My cancer riot was all there--years of uncertainty, painful treatments, and now success--distilled into a few short paragraphs on a couple of sheets of ordinary paper. It was written by the doctor who, to my great benefit,  had seen me through the rigors of the clinical trial, on-going follow-ups, and this most-recent lobectomy. It is this doctor's voice that I hear when I read the report.

COURSE IN HOSPITAL
Ms. Ryan is a 50 year-old female with a history of colon cancer who after undergoing standard therapy, self-referred to the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute
.
.
.
She received 148 billion cells
.
.
.
(she underwent) a left lower lobe resection.
.
.
.
CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS:
Colon cancer metastatic to the lungs, now without evaluable disease.

I read it over and over. I marvel at all that has happened to me:  surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and countless needles, transfusions and bone-crushingly painful neupogen injections...the nausea, the fatigue, the waiting--waiting for acceptance onto the trial (2 no's before a yes), waiting to know whether my cells would grow, waiting to know whether they would work... All of it leading up to this one amazing report; this one phenomenal result: Restored Health. No evaluable disease. I cry tears of joy and relief, but then a wave of sorrow hits me as I think of friends who passed away in this same space of time.

I thank God for this life. Always. Always. I thank God for the men and women at the NIH, and for all of the people who prayed for me.

What's Next:
I am scheduled to undergo apheresis again early in May, to facilitate another TIL treatment (one that I may never need).  I had hoped for begged for the shorter apheresis procedure, but no. It will be the longer one, where they circulate my blood volume five times. They say they need more dendritic cells. They also need more "feeders." Bleargh!

"Feeders?!" The word conjurs unpleasant thoughts. I am too squeamish. Instead, I will dwell on the phrase, "No evaluable disease."

I am dreading the 5-1/2 hour apheresis procedure but I will try not to complain.

LIFE IS GOOD!