I had a new PET Scan yesterday (Friday). This is important because it has been more than twelve weeks and four rounds of chemotherapy since the last one. The PET Scan can discern the difference between active cells and dead cells. This new scan will be able to show us precisely how much progress we have made in eradicating the cancer and how much if any, work remains. So, this is a big deal. And we have a range of possible outcomes. We could have a result that shows that the cancer is gone. We could find out that it’s mostly gone. We could find out that there’s been no change in the last six weeks. We could even hear that the cancer has spread but don’t give that too much thought because we are expecting a much more dramatically positive result.

Now for a story.

Super Bowl 41 was played in Miami. It was the first time a Super Bowl was played in the rain. Prince was the halftime show. The rain was pouring down in buckets when halftime arrived. With driving rain and a mountain of electrical cords and musical instruments and a light show, producers ask Prince what he thinks. And Prince says “Can you make it rain harder?”

For four rounds of treatment, we have used Targeted Therapy and chemotherapy. I have tolerated the treatment really well so far. Better than I imagined. A lot of credit goes to a lot of different people for that, mostly Kathleen. But for 12 weeks I have held up really well and we have joked about people not being able to tell that I’m supposed to be sick.

On Monday, we have an appointment with the Radiation Oncologist and her team to begin discussing the transition to chemotherapy and radiation for the final two rounds of treatment. At that appointment, we will hear the results from Friday’s PET Scan. And as we prepare for the appointment, here’s where my head is at. My body and mind have tolerated everything thus far. Rounds 5 and 6 are just six weeks, (two chemo infusions and 30 radiation sessions). We want every cancer cell dead and out of my body. No matter how much progress the PET Scan says we’ve made, or how difficult the combination of chemo and radiation could be I want to stare down the Radiation Oncologist and say to her, “Can you make it rain harder?”