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Thursday, May 9, 2013

My Very Own Letter of Note

Late last week I received this letter (yes, a real letter in an envelope with stamps and everything) from my oncologist.

Madame,

Je revois ce jour votre dossier avec le résultat de votre Pet Scan du 17.04.2013 qui est tout à fait rassurant.
Je vous reverrai donc comme convenu en octobre 2013 avec le résultat d'un CA 15.3.

Restant à votre disposition,

Je vous prie de croire, Madame, à l'assurance de mes sentiments devoués.


I won't translate the entire letter but the gist is that the PET scan was clean and I am, for the moment, just fine.  Next appointment is in October.

And that means I won't be spending this summer doing this....


As my strength comes back I'm starting to get the travel bug:   Seattle to see my family, Vancouver, B.C. to see friends, and if I feel OK after that, Montreal, QC.

Still cautiously optimistic but much more hope mixed in with the caution. 

26 comments:

Ovid said...

At the risk of premature congratulations, congratulations! This makes me happy to hear. We need more good people in the world :)

Ellen Lebelle said...

Wonderful news!

Jacques said...

So glad for you. And spend that money before FATCA gets it.

Blaze said...

Fabulous news. Did it feel more real to have an actual letter with stamps and everything?

Did you receive my card? Mailed with real Canadian stamps!

Remember the goal!

I would love to hop on a plane and fly to Vancouver to meet you when you are there, but it's not practical for now. Tiger and some other Sandboxers and Brockers live in Vancouver. Maybe you can have a party and toast your good news.

French Girl in Seattle said...

Excellent news Victoria. Optimism is de rigueur. I hope you do get to travel a bit (or a lot) in the coming months... I agree with Jacques. Time to spend money and have some fun! :-) Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

French Girl in Seattle said...

Excellent news Victoria. Optimism is de rigueur. I hope you do get to travel a bit (or a lot) in the coming months... I agree with Jacques. Time to spend money and have some fun! :-) Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

CarnetsdeSeattle said...

Pretty fucking sweet.

I'm so happy!

Blaze said...

You look like you were in fighting spirits complete with a smile. I'm sure that helped with your battle with cancer.

I hope we will soon see an updated photo of Victoria After Cancer.

Ken Smith said...

What good news! I have not had cancer treatment, but my daughter and sister went through something quite similar.

Now that your strength is coming back, I might renew my suggestion that you write a book about your experiences as an expat and, particularly, about your care in the French medical system.

P. Moore said...

Congrats Victoria, I don't think letters get much better than that!!

Victoria FERAUGE said...

Thank you all so much. It felt great to have some good news to share. Now I need to think about how to spend this summer. My doctor said, "éclatez-vous!" Yep, I think spending some money is in order, Jacques. After all this I've decided that my life goal is NOT to be the richest person in the cemetery (though that would kinda take care of those taxes, wouldn't it?)

I think heading up to Vancouver is just the ticket. I'll start looking for flights. Nothing in the mail yet, Blaze. When did you send it?

As for a book, I'm not so sure the world really needs another book about American expats in France. On the other hand it would be a very different book - I'm not fond of fairy tales. Best book I ever read about immigration was Eva Hoffman's Lost in Translation. If I could wrote half as well as her I might go for it.

In the near term my ambitions are a bit more modest. Now that I have hair I'm trying to decide what to do with it. Last night the Flophouse Fashion Council (me and my daughters - spouse has an advisory role but no vote) held a meeting over dinner and the consensus was that I should color it RED.

And a trip to the tattoo parlor in Seattle is a must. I'm thinking vines running from my feet to my ankles. Maybe something else on my lower back.

This is going to be so much fun.... :-)

Anonymous said...

To your health
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/living-with-cancer-good-news-soup/
and STOP being obsessed about taxes!!!

Anonymous said...

The best kind of letter!

Victoria FERAUGE said...

@anonymous:

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/The-possibility-of-political-pl

:-)

Blaze said...

Go Red! Yes!

We want to see photos.

Card was sent about two weeks ago. Still MIA?

bubblebustin said...

I've been waiting for this good news. So happy for you and definitely count me in on your trip to Vancouver. I'm also going to Seattle in August, maybe potential of a rendezvous there with Just Me too?

Verdande said...

Congratulations Victoria, my school French sreved me well - I am very happy for you!
Alice V.

Verdande said...

How good to hear many contratulations - Alice V.

Shirl and Rowan said...

Best, best, best news!!! So happy for you and the picture you posted shows the great attitude you had while dealing with the treatments. Fly away wherever you want. :) I strongly recommend the south of France. It took us 12 years to get there because we love Paris so much. I strongly recommend the coast between Nice and Monaco.
Love
Shirl and Rowan

Victoria FERAUGE said...

@Blaze, Will do as soon as I can get an appointment with Lydie my coiffeuse. No card yet.

@Bubblebustin, It's a date. I've talked with Just Me as well and he is in.

@Alice, Thank you. I love those formal French letters - so polite and yet so elegant.

@Shirl and Rowan, Hi there! Nice is just beautiful. I may just do that. Kisses from Versailles.....

Julia Gandrud (aka JuliaLikesFrogs) said...

I'm very pleased for you! Good luck.

Tim said...

Victoria,

Best wishes on your recovery. Just out of curiosity after you mentioning tattoos are tattoo parlours banned in France. I know in several US states they are banned or heavily restricted. For many years when you drove from Massachusetts to New Hampshire the first thing you saw where a whole bunch of tattoo parlours right on the border. Massachusetts eventually was forced to legalize tattooing(in 2001) but most of the business is still in New Hampshire.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! As a cancer survivor, I understand how "big" this news it. Hugs, Mary (in Vermont, USA)

Victoria FERAUGE said...

@Tim, No, tattoo parlors are perfectly legal here. There is one here in Versailles in the city center. I prefer to go to a place I've been before and that's Two Birds Tattoo in Seattle (Greenwood). They did this one for me:

http://thefranco-americanflophouse.blogspot.fr/2011/08/flophouse-favorite-7-two-birds-tattoo.html

@Mary, Hugs and kisses back from Versailles. Here's hoping we both stay well and hardy - we still have work to do, right?

Julia Gandrud (aka JuliaLikesFrogs) said...

Victoria, can I ask: What are the mittens and socks for?

Victoria FERAUGE said...

Hi Julia, It was a vain attempt to keep my hair and my nails by freezing my hands and feet in ice. Didn't work.