Update - 8/31/2017

Well, the day that felt like it would take forever to come is finally here! After 2 denied pet scans and finally an MRI with an unusually nice morning at upenn, I'm am currently two years and one month cancer free! And to top that, I have a near zero chance of reoccurrence at this point. My cancer was an incredibly aggressive form and would most likely have shown itself by now if there was any chance that surgery and radiation weren't enough to do away with it. To say that we are breathing a deep sigh of relief is an understatement. I feel as though I can truly begin to move forward from this without a dark cloud hanging out on my shoulder. I will have this cancers mark on me for the rest of what will now hopefully be a long happy life. My speech is different. My scars are large and showing. I still struggle with pain, fatigue, weakness. But, thanks to my amazing doctors and all of you who stood beside me, I am here to face it all as it comes. The next steps are still the same, continue with rehab and pain management to improve my ability to work and live well all around. I see my plastic surgeon next week and we may talk over options regarding the nasal tone that my voice now has because of the change in my anatomy. Truthfully it's not something that bothers me terribly, but I am open to what can be offered to help me achieve the best version of myself. My scans will now be six months apart, alternating between oncology and my ENT. In-between there will be plenty of time to wedding plan, live life, continue to recover, and maybe write that book you all keep bothering me about :). Thank you all so much, as you all know, I wouldn't have made it through this journey without your prayers and many forms of support. It's still far from over, but the hardest days are hopefully behind us!