I've been so tired and have so much to do that I forgot to come back here and decompress. 

I have Colorectal Cancer, Stage 3, which means it has spread to a few surrounding lymph nodes.

Radiation will fry my ovaries so the past 2+ weeks I've been doing IVF treatments to freeze some of my eggs before the rest are decimated. 

They found 23 follicles at the start of this cycle, and so far 12 have matured enough to be collected as eggs. We're waiting to do the egg retrieval on Monday, and I have another ultrasound scheduled tomorrow to see how many more have matured. Due to my age, not all of the eggs retrieved will be viable, but hopefully at least 60% will be. 

The eggs have to be frozen for a minimum of two years, and then I can use them.  My doctors have all been so great and have sent me different links for financial assistance programs, but I'm still spending so much money to do this. So I'm not wasting this.  If I don't get the romantic partner I've been waiting for by then, that will just have to be fine and okay.  Because I'm not going to let this experience escape me.  

Meanwhile I've been waiting over two weeks for the results to my genetic testing. If I have any of the genetic mutations linked to colon cancer then my doctors will be adjusting my treatment plan based on previous studies of those mutations. 

The cats have been all over me, but Gemma is confused.  Animals can smell cancer, one new friend's horse started sniffing his butt before they found his tumor and then she started sniffing it again right before the found out the tumor was back.  Quintus has me on constant purr therapy, and Winston won't let me go to the bathroom alone.  Fitz has been purring more than normal, but he's mostly been my rock, wanting to be with me all the time, and sleeping in his crate when I'm not around.

Labels: cancer, cats, Fertility Treatment, purr therapy