Given that I receive the results of my monthly blood work directly in the MyChart app within hours of going to the lab, there are few surprises at my quarterly follow-ups with The Ottawa Hospital's Cancer Centre.

The biggest unknown is which member of the gynecologic oncology team I will meet on any given occasion. This time, as is often the case, I met with Dr. Faught. I love it when Dr. Faught walks into my tiny exam room in Module A of the Cancer Centre. He has a gentle pragmatism that appeals to me.

Today we talked about the PARP inhibitor I'm on, which appears to be keeping cancer cells from growing and turning into tumours. Dr. Faught recommended that I continue on the drug olaparib (brand name Lynparza).

I have been preparing myself for the possibility that someone, some day, would tell me that I would have to come off the drug—a prospect that scares me in the same way that losing a security blanket might feel to a child. But this is not that day. My CA125 remains low and steady. Moreover, the potential side effects of the drug do not appear to be affecting me: my blood work is in the acceptable range for white blood cells, neutrophils, platelets, creatinine and hemoglobin. And I feel great, with lots of energy, no pain, no issues with bowel movements, and no nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite (the questions nurse Renee asked me today).

And so we keep on keeping on.

Sharing positive health news gives hope to others. As I was coming home from today's quarterly oncology follow-up, I saw a friend's comment on my latest CA125 post. A fellow ovarian cancer survivor, she wrote: "I can relate. Even after 7 years post chemo (10 yrs post diagnosis), I still hold my breath when the CA125 results come up on MyChart...and then there's the exhale of relief that it's still under 10." Her story gives me hope that I can continue on this trajectory for years to come.