Clean Scan!!

I am heading back to the oncologist for my 3 month follow up on Tuesday (Nov. 23). I have to say I am a little nervous. They are not going to do a scan this time, but I believe I will have a blood test. My markers have never high, so this will just be for liver function I suppose and miscellaneous stuff.

Dianne: Don’t second guess too much about not having had chemo. It was totally up to me whether I had it or not and I opted out of radiation (a decision which my doctors supported). Your doctors (especially your surgeon) know your specific situation and the Mayo is an awesome place with skilled medical staff…you were/are in good hands.

Like many on here, I have good days and bad emotionally. I think one thing I’ve learned along the way is that life is so unpredictable and fragile and we shouldn’t take it for granted (altho I am sure at times I do). I often wonder if I need to learn this lesson over and over again!! I think as checkup appointments approach I get more nervous and focus in on little aches and pains too much. I started weight training again and was sore and it freaked me out a bit.

Lainy: I read your positive and up lifting posts on here occasionally and YOU are an inspiration!

Thanx for all the kind words everyone. I’ll check back here after my followup appointment on Tuesday.

I am a 16 years survivor of breast cancer and an 11 year survivor of Thyroid cancer and a 9 months survivor of CC. Every day is a good one!

They were able to get clean margins and I had no lymph node involvement in the Whipple surgery (stage 2a) so chemo was adjuvant and totally my call to do or not do. I figured I might regret not doing it and I was told that Gemzar was well tolerated. I did 1x a week for 3 weeks and then 1 week off for 6 months. Just finished July 16th.

I didn’t get a port until half way thru when my veins were going away. I can only get pricks and pressures on my right side (I had breast cancer and had lymph nodes removed from my left side). I am getting the port out on Sept 22nd and I can’t wait! WIsh I had gotten the port sooner tho, cause my veins are pretty beat and NO I will not miss weekly blood draws!!

I see my surgeon for follow ups and he is the one who put in and will remove my port. My oncologist is the person following me mostly, however, I still stay in touch with a very caring GI doctor that first diagnosed me and my internist is wonderful as well.

I know what you mean about processing what has happened for the past 10 months, it’s a very ugly blur right now. Never thought I would be done with it and hopefully we are both done with it!

I went on a cruise 3 weeks after chemo was done with my family and extended family and it was the best decision I made throughout my treatment. It was relaxing and detaching and the only time I thought about CC was when I undressed and saw my scar (which is actually fading quite nicely) and my port.

I am also loving life. This is my third separate cancer (breast, thyroid, and CC) and I have had enough thank you.

If you are on facebook, go ahead and “friend me”… it’s Randi Barrell (I am the only one)

Take care,
-Randi-

Nancy,

Sounds like we are a similar path. The doc wants to hold off on CT scans for me because I’ve already had 4 this year and he is worried about radiation exposure. I’ll see him ever 3 months and blood work then too (but my markers were never high). He did say that usually the only way they would know if it came back was on scan, but given my circumstances he feels like waiting 6 months is not a bad option.

how are you recovering from chemo? I seem to get stronger each day and my intestinal problems have gone away. I had a lot of intestinal issues with chemo where it just shut them down, especially the last cycle or 2.

Glad to hear you are doing so well. I will keep you in my thoughts as well. This disease sucks and I feel lucky to have been diagnosed so early, but then can anyone who has gone thru what we have be called lucky

Take care and continued good health.
-Randi-