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Ok, so after a few months of dealing with a little more stress than usual, I finally got to speak with the doctor again today. If you recall, my test results from about 6 weeks ago were never clearly conveyed to me by the staff at Mayo, thus causing some frustration. I had another round of tests last week.
It turns out that the higher indications in December and March were caused by the lab adjusting the sensitivity levels of the tests. Thus, my higher levels in Decemebr, and again in March, were false positives. A re-run of my December test apparently confirmed this, though I was never told this until today. So my going back for more tests after only 6 weeks, and then another 6 weeks, was completely unnecessary (sorry insurance company)! Many patients had the same false positives, and quite apparently, Mayo did not handle this situation very well.
The doctor apologized profusely, and said he wasn't told of the test sensitivity change until recently, which is why he had increased the testing increments in March.
So, to make matters a little more interesting, since the doctor wasn't told of the change to the old test, he wasn't informed of the new, more sensitive test either. Thus, I will have to wait until my next round to set a new base-line and see the new test results. But for the moment, there isn't much concern about higher levels.
The good news is that after 3+ years of regular surveillance and clean results, the doctor says I can now extend my surveillance to every 4 months. The other piece of good news, at least for me, is that while the chance of me getting cancer again is roughly 25%-30%, the odds of me getting it in the remaining testicle are very slim. Yes, that brings me joy, particularly because if I meet the right person, I'd like to have retained my reproductive capabilities. (If you've met my 2 incredible kids, you'll understand. :) )
Thus, after a few tense months, God has once again decided I belong down here. :) Perhaps it's to grow my new foundation, the Respect Life Cancer Foundation. But whatever the reason, I thank Him, of course, and you all for your prayers!!!

