Thinking today… March being Colon Cancer Awareness month… I remember learning about this a year ago. I also remember hoping I lived to see another March. I was only in my second month of chemo and scared shitless, I had read all types of articles regarding advanced stage colorectal cancer survival and found the survival rates and statistics were often somewhat negative. The odds were not, forever in my favor…
Almost a year ago I was told I had a 5-10% chance of survival, I believe this is in regards to long term survival. In December of 2015, I was told that 40% of patients don’t even make it to the point that I had, to have the second staged liver surgery. I wouldn’t say that the journey has been easy, but it’s been bearable. Even though sometimes survival rates are low or statistics are not in your favor, you have to believe that you will be one of those people out of 100 that can survive past 2.5 years or 5 years or 10 years or whatever the amount of time is. I’m not always a positive person, but I’m still hopeful, even when an outlook is not. The last year has been crazy and at times it seems like time is standing still and then flying by. I consider myself very lucky to have such a great group of people supporting me and rooting me on. Thank you, it makes a huge difference. You have all somewhat carried me to this point and will hopefully continue to carry me for a very long time. No pressure. Ha!!! 😉
Now for the most recent update:
Since my surgery in December (when they were hopeful of me being cancer free), my January scan showed that there was a new spot in my liver. This was likely some residual microscopic disease already there, untreated by chemo. There was also an area that was showing up in an area that was treated last year with ablation in May, it could also just be scarring.
They have since done the cryoablation on the new spot, it is dead and gone according to the most recent scan in March. However, the other old treatment spot again looks a little different, still could be scarring. They have decided to just go ahead and do another cryoablation at the end of April. If it’s anything it’s slow growing and in a place that has already been treated, so it’s no big deal. It’s just not something that can be left alone, as it’s not in a great location (near a vein). So I’ll have that spot frozen… I also have a scan at the end of April, this is just to see if that old spot has changed any more. It really doesn’t matter, as it sounds like it’s being treated and removed anyway. Hopefully there will be nothing else new at that time. My most recent scan this month (March 11th), showed nothing new growing so that’s great news. Please, have a drink in my honor… or five.
Other than that, nothing else new and exciting. I’m still off of chemo, but I’m learning that Chemo Brain is real. Remembering things and finding the words in conversation are no longer my forte. I’ll have to find a different area in which to shine… now I’m really good at things like: 1) Just sitting there, 2) Looking off into space, 3) Smiling (DISCLAIMER: sometimes-not always), 4) Not thinking clearly, 5) Not paying attention.
It will probably be at least a month or more until the next update, since I won’t have anything done until the end of April. Chew on that…
Cheerio!
