N.E.D.

I learned a new acronym at the oncologist's office today. N.E.D. - 'No evidence of disease.' The nurse (or was it nurse practitioner?) said there was no evidence of disease, or N.E.D. shown in the PET scan and CAT scans for anywhere below my neck. She said that's the three greatest letters in the English language, or something to the effect. The scans showed the lymphoma we already knew about, but nothing anywhere else.
I started the day with a PET scan at 7 AM. That's one where they inject some sort of stuff in you through an IV line, wait for it to go through your body, then do a scan through some piece of machinery that's way above my understanding. After that I had a CAT scan of my neck and pelvis. For that I had to drink 2 cup of "lemonade," which is something that helps cancerous places show up on the scan. It's some vile liquid flavored with Crystal Light lemonade. And during the scan, they inject you with something that spreads rapidly through your body, creating a very warm sensation immediately. I'm expecting to start glowing in the dark pretty soon.
Next came the bone marrow biopsy, which is done to make sure the lymphoma isn't coming from the bone marrow. They numbed my lower back/pelvis region with stuff similar to what a dentist uses, then got bone tissue/marrow, from outside and inside the bone. I felt pressure and some pain, but the numbing agent did its job so it wasn't as bad as I thought it could be. Of course I couldn't see the needle they used, which Audrey said was quite large.
Last but not least, I had an echo cardiogram. This was the simplest and shortest of the day's activities. The tech/nurse doing the test checked my heart with an ultrasound machine that showed my heart beating, zeroing in on different angles. This test was to make sure my heart is healthy enough for chemo.
The oncologist said the chemo could start this Wednesday or next Monday, but we're awaiting the final word. Looks like we might have to have more of a battle to get the short term disability paperwork filled out for the (probable) 1 to 3 days at a time I'll have to be out of work for chemo and any after-effects. But we'll pick that up again tomorrow.