The Results Are In...

Well, I got my CT scan results in today, otherwise known as Test Number 3. And...

I passed!!! 

The idiotic cancer has not moved a muscle. No spread to any organ or anywhere else, and no measurable growth where it is. We've stopped it in its tracks, and now I can go forward with the same chemo regimen and surgery with Dr. Sugarbaker. Cancer is going down so hard, and today we confirmed that it is, indeed, running scared.

I wasn't nervous about the CT scan results -- really, I promise. What I was, though, was incredibly aware of how important this milestone was. Today's results, in my mind, would determine if this battle was truly going to be a clash of the titans. And now, I know the truth. It's not. I've said it from the beginning, and I believe it now more than ever.

I'm going to win this battle, and I'm going to win big.

Chemo Round 4 was awesome, partially because I was riding the high of those CT scan results, partially because I had the most excellent (utterly competent + super nice + fun) nurse ever (Erlinda, I love you!), and partially because two of my best friends from high school (Erin and Megan) came to visit. Chemo is flying by these days, and I'm feeling as strong and healthy as ever. 

Bared my teeth at cancer by hitting the gym hours later and getting worked out hard with a challenging legs routine. 

I love competition. And even more, I love winning. Today was a beautiful day. 

To top it off, I'm cleared for Disneyland. So now you'll know my answer if you ask me, "WunderGlo, you and Dr. Lenz and your family and friends successfully stopped idiotic cancer in its tracks and won a major battle in the war against Stage IV colon cancer -- what are you going to do next?"  

Yes, I'm going to Disneyland.

Week in Review/Week in Preview

The weeks just keep getting better and better. Time to review (I think I'll be reflecting on this past week for a long, long time) and preview (because the cancer-killing train just keeps on moving).

Week in Review

• Successfully prepped for and completed my CT scan on Monday
• Successfully got back to normal in the bowels department after the CT scan prep, which really threw things off (laxative + 36 ounces of freakish white barium drink = interesting bathroom experiences)
• Kicked in to party planning mode -- visited two venues (hotel and zoo), chose one (hotel), sent out my invites, and monitored the head count for my soiree (hint hint to those who have yet to RSVP)
• Spent time with my mom as she cooked and baked her way to a very delicious, healthy Thanksgiving 
• Flew to Portland for the Duke/Oregon game!! Spent Friday soaking in downtown Portland and spent Saturday watching my Blue Devils from behind Duke's bench. Also spent Saturday meeting Coach K and Mrs. K and having my heart filled with joy.
• Met one of my heroes, Coach K. This needed its own bullet point, don't you agree? 
• Flew back home to L.A. on Sunday, enjoyed some Thanksgiving leftovers, and fully caught up on Mad Men and The Office
• Finished Anatomy of an Illness book -- very empowering and insightful. The author claims that laughter, among other things, is essential to recovery. I think I've got that covered.
• Pumped iron at Educogym on Monday-Wednesday -- definitely feeling the burn. 
• Watched my Blue Devils go 6-0 after defeating a very good Kansas State team and a very spirited University of Oregon team. By the way, I LOVE Oregon's mascot (the Duck) and I really have a newfound respect for their fans, who were extremely sportsmanlike. 
• Took all my vitamins, got all my Lovenox shots, drank a good amount of water (though I wouldn't call it lots), and...met Coach K. It deserved another mention.

Week in Preview

• Chemo Round 4: blood draw, pee in a cup, meet with Dr. Lenz, results from CT scan, 4.5 hours of chemo-absorbing fun, get attached to my bag o', then -- of course -- the gym...just to give cancer another knockout punch. Just to show it that chemo doesn't stop me for a second. Just to scare the hell out of it.
• Continue pumping iron for the rest of the week -- I've got a consult with my trainer, Wayne, on Friday so I can measure my muscle and watch it grow. 
• Continue working on the blog and the book.
• Acupuncture with Mary Ellen on Wednesday to make sure all systems are go -- maybe I'll visit my favorite swans at the Self-Realization Center down the street afterwards.
• Keep cranking out the "Love Life" paintings -- Christmas is coming and people need presents!
• Hang out with my friend and one of my college roommates, Tope, who is visiting from Boston.
• Trip to Santa Barbara for the weekend for some ocean-gazing and inspiration
• Take all my vitamins, get all my Lovenox shots, drink tons of water, give thanks to my Duke family for making last week so unforgettable.
• Keep terrifying cancer.

Have an awesome week, everyone! Much love to you.

This Devil's In Heaven

It's still sinking in, but I'm fairly certain that today was one of the most exciting days of my life. I'll start from the beginning.

We got ready, took the elevator down to the lobby, and were greeted by a massive bus. The Duke bus. In front of our hotel. The team had already left for the Rose Garden arena, but I quickly realized that the Duke team and yours truly had been staying at the same hotel for the last couple of days. Pretty cool, right? It gets a lot better.

We hopped on the light rail, crossed the Willamette River, and were at our stop moments later. The Rose Garden -- home of the Portland Trailblazers and a pretty impressive arena. I excitedly picked up our VIP tickets from Will Call and joined the throngs of fans waiting in line for the doors to open. There were TONS of Duke fans there, which was surprising considering Duke was playing the University of Oregon in Portland, Oregon. I know it can't be true, but it almost felt like there were more Duke fans in this game than in the National Championship game in Indianapolis. Probably because the Oregon fans were really pleasant and not at all obnoxious like some of the Butler fans I had to contend with last April. Also, probably because we never gave Oregon fans an opportunity to get excited -- Duke dominated the game and won by 27 points.

Our seats were awesome. We sat about 7 rows behind the Duke bench, along with the parents of the players and other folks that seemed to be in the "inner circle" of the Duke Basketball family. I would've been totally content to have just watched the game from those killer seats, howl with joy at Nolan Smith's half court alley-oop pass to a reverse-dunking Miles Plumlee, and witness the beautiful 30-point game performance put in by Oregon-native Kyle Singler. 

But there was much more. 

At the end of the game, I found Coach K's assistant, Gerry Brown, and introduced myself. As I thanked her for the tickets, she told me to grab my "other three" (I think this could be a great new nickname for my parents and Will) and wait for her, because she was going to take me to see Coach K. I managed to squeak out a "great!" but I was freaking out inside. I summoned my "other three" and told them the ridiculously good news, and then waited for Gerry, trying to think of coherent things to say to Coach K and reminding myself to stay cool. 

A few minutes later, we were all venturing to the bowels of the Rose Garden and among the Duke players and their families. When a security guard questioned us, Gerry told him that we were "personal guests of Coach K" (I had to take a deep breath when I heard that) and no more needed to be said. After waiting around a little longer and watching most of the Blue Devils emerge from the locker room, it was time. Gerry led us down the hall, and soon, we were face to face with Coach K and his wife, Mickey. 

Coach didn't hesitate when he hugged me hello, and mentioned how great I looked. (Of course I looked great! I was meeting one of the great heroes of my life.) 

There was no small talk between the six of us. Coach and Mrs. K wanted to know about my treatment, my next steps, the specifics about my chemo, etc. We talked about the game, and the road trip for the Blue Devils, and I told him about my Dr. Sugarbaker Halloween costume. Coach reminded me about our "date" in April in Houston and I told him that I hadn't forgotten. We took a few pictures together, and Coach sort of took me and Will aside (Mrs. K was talking to my parents) and told me that I really looked great. I told him that a lot of it had to do with getting back to the gym and pumping that iron. 

Then, Will said one of the most brilliant things he's ever said.

"Show him your muscles, sweetie!" So I did. I flexed my arm and said, "Alright, Coach, check out this gun." He grabbed my arm and was visibly impressed. "Wow, that is impressive!" Then he remarked that I should lend some of my muscles to one of our players (who shall remain nameless) who "played like he had no guns tonight." This man is not only a world-famous coach and a wonderful human being, he is hilarious. 

We capped off our visit with another big hug and a promise to keep in touch.

And I spent the rest of the night with a huge smile on my face.

Greetings from Portland!!

We touched down in Portland at around 11pm last night after enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Before I start in on Portland, though, let me tell you about a special email I received during that wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. No, not another email from Coach K, but one from his assistant. She informed me that my sweet tickets to the Duke/Oregon game were going to be upgraded. On Saturday, I will now be sitting directly behind Duke's bench instead of across from it. Yes, this is ridiculously awesome news. I give thanks for Duke hoops, that's for sure.

So we landed, hopped on the light rail, and were in downtown Portland by around midnight. We had an impromptu dance party in our hotel room (the stereo has a port for the iPod, so I channeled my inner DJ) and I finally settled down and got to bed around 3am. I realize that 3am is a very late bedtime, but I just wasn't tired. Over the last week or two, I've noticed that my energy levels are incredibly high and they don't taper off like they used to. And they don't spike or crash like a sugar or caffeine high -- they are just UP from the minute I wake up. I force myself to sleep a solid 8 hours regardless of my bedtime, but man, sometimes it's hard to get sleepy. I'm taking my freakishly high energy levels as a sign of good things.

Our time in Portland has been awesome and chock full of activity. A little stroll along the Willamette River (was it cold? yes, it was), breakfast at the Three Degrees Restaurant (home of "The Elvis" -- french toast, bacon, peanut butter, and banana), browsing at the famous Powell's Bookstore, shopping at REI (the quintessential outdoorsy Oregon-esque retail store), lunch at Rogue Brewery (did I sip a bit of beer? yes, I did), and a star-sighting of NBA player Greg Oden.

We're resting and reloading back at the hotel now. Winston is happy we're back since he spent the whole day snoozing in solitude -- he'd much rather snooze while resting his head on one of our legs.

Living life in super-HDTV in Portland has been excellent, and I haven't seen a second of Duke basketball yet, so you know it's going to get even better. I'm feeling fantastic and I'm having a blast. I'm a lucky, lucky kid. And I have a cool new hat!

So Thankful It's Not Even Funny

Ever since my diagnosis, I've been thinking about all the incredible people and things in my life and how truly, deeply thankful I am. 

I'm thankful for my family -- a wonderful, supportive group of people that I'd normally choose to be in my life but, luckily, I inherited since birth. From the minute I heard about The Big C in my gut, they have had unwavering confidence in my ability to beat it. They are the foundation of my strength and confidence, and I can't really express how grateful I am to have them in my life.

I'm thankful for my friends -- a brilliant and loyal bunch that make me laugh out loud and make me proud. I didn't mean for that last part to rhyme, by the way. Evidently, my friends even inspire me to write in rhyming verse. You are my extended family, and I love you guys. 

I'm thankful for O'Melveny -- my wonderful colleagues and the amazing experiences that have shaped my three years as an attorney. From my mentors to my teammates to the people I run into in the hallways, I have nothing but love and gratitude for all of you for being a part of my life. Long live OMM.

I'm thankful for the readers of this blog -- getting your wonderful feedback and knowing that you enjoy the blog so much fills me with joy. You inspire me to keep writing, to keep reflecting on my life, and to keep giving thanks. 

I'm thankful for my doctors -- the skilled, compassionate men that work their magic:

For Dr. Ramos, who was pretty much my favorite person to see during those two weeks at Good Samaritan, and who deftly disposed of the tumor in my colon and left me with a brilliantly functioning GI tract. Even more than that, though, Dr. Ramos cared about me and still does, checking in with me via text and rooting for me all the way. Love you, doc.

For Dr. Lenz, for making chemo incredibly fun and being the mastermind of Project Stop Idiotic Cancer In Its Tracks. I chose Dr. Lenz for his reputation as one of the most brilliant GI oncologists in the world, and not because I thought I'd love him just as much as Dr. Ramos -- but I do. What a great bonus.

And for Dr. Sugarbaker, for getting it all out and restoring me back to cancer-free kick-ass status. I can't wait for you to slice me open and do your thing. It's going to be sweet.

Finally, for my three nurses -- Mom, Dad, and Will. I couldn't be who I am without you, and I depend on your love and support more than any three people in the world. You are the best, and I love you so much it brings a WunderTear to my eye. I couldn't pick three better people to go on this adventure with and I'm incredibly grateful for you.

I've always been aware of seemingly ridiculous amount of blessings and good fortune in my life, but cancer really brought it into focus, and brought with it even more wonderful things (let's not forget about my new friend, Coach K). It's crazy, but facing down cancer has filled my heart with even more love for my loved ones, courage to achieve all the goals I set out for myself, and appreciation for the beauty that is my life. 

Don't get comfortable though, cancer -- you've done your job and your time is over.  

Have a wonderful, beautiful Thanksgiving everyone!! Much, much love to you.