Stephanie Joyce Cole
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Cancer Land Chronicles, 4

1/12/2015

11 Comments

 
Picture
Time Warp in Cancer Land

It’s good news.  

Today, when Mark’s cancer doc came into the treatment room, she was all smiles.  Dr. C is dark-haired and graceful, and quite entrancing under any circumstances.  She always speaks precisely, her flutey voice lilting with a slight Romanian accent.  Mark’s CAT scan, she told us, shows that his tumors have been reduced by about 20 percent, including tumors that are very difficult to reach and treat.  The blood tests indicate that the tumor markers have decreased by half.  The chemotherapy is working. 

These changes, Dr. C said,  are indicative of a likelihood of survival of longer than one year.

We are elated.

We recently watched the movie Interstellar.  I puzzled over the plot elements, supposedly based on Einstein’s theory of time and space.  You'll remember the theory of relativity from physics classes:  Time isn’t an absolute.  Clocks run more slowly in deep gravitational wells.  In the movie, because some of the characters are traveling in space, in different gravitational fields, time passes more slowly for some of them than for others.  Heady stuff to wrap your brain around.

The physics of time fluctuation may be elusive, but I’ve experienced another kind of time warp firsthand.  If six months ago, before Mark’s diagnosis, I had been told that Mark might only live another year, I would have been devastated.  A year, such a tiny bit of time.  Why, we expected years and years, decades even, to live the rest of our lives.

But this fall, when Mark was first diagnosed, the first doctor tossed out terrible numbers:  six months to live, maybe just three months.  Hardly time to even catch our breath.

So with those awful predictions as a starting point, a year is a blessed long period.  Time to celebrate another birthday, another Thanksgiving, another Christmas.  Time for walks on the beach, laughter with friends, silly road trips.  Time to hold each other’s hands and to keep our son close, time to drink champagne and watch sunsets.  A luxury of time. An exuberance of time.  Days and weeks and months of it.

Of course, I want the whole miracle of remission.  I want years and years and years.  But a year is a darned good place to start.











11 Comments
Kelle Murphy-Logue
1/12/2015 07:31:03 am

Hi Stephanie, Mark and Chris

So happy to read this post. Have been following these updates and am thinking of you often.

Sending good thoughts your way
Kelle

Reply
Stephanie link
1/12/2015 09:32:46 am

Thinking of you, too, Kelle. Love to you and thanks for the good thoughts. Stephanie

Reply
Richard Hacker link
1/12/2015 09:45:38 am

I'd like to say something deep and philosophical here, but I think I'll go with sharing in the joy of your good news. Each present moment is definitely precious.

Reply
Carolyn Bobryk
1/12/2015 10:10:08 am

Hi Stephanie,

Peter and I are happy to hear your good news and wishing for more. Candace keeps us updated. Thinking of you and Mark.

Carolyn

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Stephanie link
1/14/2015 12:29:35 am

Carolyn and Peter: Thank you for your kind thoughts.

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teri
1/12/2015 10:46:00 am

You are in good hands at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Great news. You're buying time, and here's hoping you continue to do such a fine job of amassing more of it.

Glad to hear about the house too -- may you enjoy every minute of it.

Reply
Carol Bryner link
1/12/2015 01:35:43 pm

Not sure who said this, but it's something like "The only moment is this moment." I'm thinking of you both and wishing you many and infinite good moments.

Reply
Maureen Ose
1/13/2015 03:10:41 am

Thank you for sharing your wonderful news, as well as being so open and fluent about the entire experience. I agree: time is so curious, so elastic; I am always fascinated by its many personas or representaiions, I guess. Enjoy this day, this moment.

Reply
Jan Bouch
1/14/2015 06:13:37 am

Stephanie and Mark,

We are so happy with your news. Thank you for keeping us included in this unanticipated road change of life. We think of you daily and send good NE karma.

Reply
Colleen Murphy
1/16/2015 08:46:35 pm

When do we organize a Turnagain get together? Time to celebrate. Good stuff. My twin says "the past is passed, the future a mystery, all we have is now, that's why it is called the "present"". :-)

Reply
Paul and Leslie Ann
1/26/2015 09:16:06 am

Stephanie and Mark
Many thanks for sharing your most difficult journey with us. We are in awe of your skill in bringing vivid images of your daily challenges to us. You touch our hearts.
We are elated with the recent news. You are in our thoughts and prayers every day. Much Love

Reply



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