Wow. I hardly know what to say.
After a solid month of getting poked, prodded, scared, tested, and gouged… it’s done. And the results are in.
Monday, I visited my oncologist and I don’t believe the news could have been better. Every test, biopsy, and scan have come back stellar. Also, we have this:
First, it appears new guidelines concerning stage 2 colon cancer were installed around six months ago. My particular cancer (2A) was revised as such:
Before: I had an 80 percent chance of not having cancer five years from diagnosis.
Now: Statistically, I now have an 87 percent chance of not having cancer five years from diagnosis.
Before: At my diagnosis, I could have opted for chemo or go with a plan consisting of blood tests and CT scans.
Now: CT scans pose more radiation harm than they’re worth. I now only will receive blood tests every six months. Also, today chemo is not recommended, or even offered, to people with my cancer, grade, and stage (T3N0M0).
And yes… I aced all my tests, including the tumor marker (CEA). Mine is .6. “Normal” is 0 – 6.
So, it appears as though I’ll live another six months. All in all, good news, including a slight suspicion that I may have more colon left than originally thought.
So, while my future is still a tad mysterious, it’s certainly brighter than it has been in a long time.
Now, I’m off to write. Cool… 🙂
