sharing good news!!

Donna70
Donna70 Member Posts: 852 Member
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hi,
Just found out that my cat scan on Monday is unchanged!!!! No signs of cancer around. My dr said he was very pleased with it. I was operated on 12/09 and now finally I move on to every 6 month CAT scans which pleases me very much. Hope this gives hope to those awaiting surgery. So glad I found this site with so many survivors urging us beginners on this bumpy road to keep trucking. Take one step and then the next step!!!! Thanks for all the support during all my ups and downs. take care, prayers for all,
Donna70

Comments

  • BMGky
    BMGky Member Posts: 621
    #2
    Wonderful!! Wonderful!!
    We are soooo happy for your. May your CAT scans be clear. May your PET scans be normal. May you continue to strengthen. May you always be cancer free. :) Mary
  • ArchTB
    ArchTB Member Posts: 150
    #3
    Are you taking PET scans?
    This is great news! Congratulations!
    Have you been doing PET scans after the surgery? It is more precise than CT. Not to discourage you in any sense, but we had poor diagnosis through CAT scans, which completely missed cancer developments in Tom's lymph nodes. We now always insist on PET.

    Olya
  • dlrepic
    dlrepic Member Posts: 62
    #4
    Congrats!
    Donna,

    Great news. I hope you have many healthy years to come.

    Danielle
  • mlbrooks852
    mlbrooks852 Member Posts: 67
    #5
    Good news
    Great, great news Donna. Cheering you on, lady....you have been through a lot.
  • Donna70
    Donna70 Member Posts: 852 Member
    #6
    ArchTB said:

    Are you taking PET scans?
    This is great news! Congratulations!
    Have you been doing PET scans after the surgery? It is more precise than CT. Not to discourage you in any sense, but we had poor diagnosis through CAT scans, which completely missed cancer developments in Tom's lymph nodes. We now always insist on PET.

    Olya

    only CAT scans
    Hi Olya,
    I just get CAT scans, my drs will not do a PET scan unless my CAT scan shows something. It is a problem here to get insurance companies here in Maryland to give an Ok for a PET scan without proof of something significant like overt symptoms, bad blood test etc. My friend has Stage IV lung cancer and is in remission and they are refusing to do a PET scan on her with her CAT scan because she is being maintained on Tarceva and has no proof of cancer recurring. I will have to say PET scans did not work very well on my cancer. When first diagnosed, my 4 cm tumor did not show up, neither did my 2 positive lymph nodes but I had false positives all over the place, one involving getting a colonoscopy before I started chemo and radiation. So for me, it doesn't worry me since the Pet scan did not show the cancer that was there. But I am sad to hear that your husbands lymph node involvement was missed. Thank you for that information. I will bring it up with my drs. take care,
    Donna70
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #7
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,392 Member
    #8
    Great News!!!
    Donna,

    Great News!!!! Congratulations!!!!
    By the way my oncologist takes the same approach that your oncologist does. He does not believe in doing a PET scan until he gets suspicious findings from a CT scan or there are specific symptoms. He feels PET scans return too many false positives. I think it just depends on the oncologist you are working with.

    I am due for my next CT scan in three weeks. Hope I have the same results you did!!!

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams
    McCormick, South Carolina

    DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0 Stage IIB
    12/03/2009 Ivor Lewis
    2/8 through 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
    6/21/2010 CT Scan NED

    Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!
  • cjmac49
    cjmac49 Member Posts: 100
    #9
    Wonderful News
    Many, many more scans NED Donna.

    Jim
  • K_ann1015
    K_ann1015 Member Posts: 500
    #10
    Donna---SO happy for your
    Donna---SO happy for your good news!---we all certainly do not take good news for granted here. You will always hold a special place in my heart because you had so many similarities to my dad including having surgery with a day of each other! Keep posting & sharing---the new folks need to hear the good news too, esp how you have kept your weight on---I love the spoonfuls of peanut butter idea!

    as someone else said---I pray you remain cancer free & help people out here at csn for a long time to come!
    Kim
  • mrsbotch
    mrsbotch Member Posts: 349
    #11
    Thank God for good scans
    Yeh Donna. Every 6 months is wonderful

    Barb
  • Donna70
    Donna70 Member Posts: 852 Member
    #12
    mrsbotch said:

    Thank God for good scans
    Yeh Donna. Every 6 months is wonderful

    Barb

    thanks for sharing my happiness!!
    Just wanted to say thank you all for sharing my happiness. I know how much it mattered to me to hear survivors come on and say how long they had been having clean scans. Mr. Marshall was my first person to cheer me on. And like Kim says we don't take good news for granted. Today for many of us, our hearts are with Sherri and Jim's family. We all loved Jim and Sherri and hoped so much for a better ending for their story. Sherri has posted so much helpful information and gave us so much help thru all their months. Jim inspired us all, going to work with his chemo pack on, going even when he was under hospice care and just by the joyous way they chose to deal with everything to do with EC even when the ending cannot be what you hoped for. So thank you all for your happiness for me and I know you all will keep Sherrie and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Jim is at peace but his family will need so much now during this time. take care,
    Donna70
  • MRapp226
    MRapp226 Member Posts: 44
    #13
    YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
    Donna,

    I am sooo happy to hear your latest news!!!!!!! Go out and have a party!! hahaha

    Thanks for sharing good news with us,

    Melissa
  • unclaw2002
    unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
    #14
    Donna70 said:

    only CAT scans
    Hi Olya,
    I just get CAT scans, my drs will not do a PET scan unless my CAT scan shows something. It is a problem here to get insurance companies here in Maryland to give an Ok for a PET scan without proof of something significant like overt symptoms, bad blood test etc. My friend has Stage IV lung cancer and is in remission and they are refusing to do a PET scan on her with her CAT scan because she is being maintained on Tarceva and has no proof of cancer recurring. I will have to say PET scans did not work very well on my cancer. When first diagnosed, my 4 cm tumor did not show up, neither did my 2 positive lymph nodes but I had false positives all over the place, one involving getting a colonoscopy before I started chemo and radiation. So for me, it doesn't worry me since the Pet scan did not show the cancer that was there. But I am sad to hear that your husbands lymph node involvement was missed. Thank you for that information. I will bring it up with my drs. take care,
    Donna70

    Celebration
    Donna,

    Thank you for your news. It gives hope that if caught in time and aggressively treated there is life after EC. Enjoy this wonderful news and celebrate with your loved ones.

    Hugs,
    Cindy
  • linda1120
    linda1120 Member Posts: 389
    #15
    Congratulations!
    Dear Donna,

    I am so very happy for you! I know the last year plus has been a real fight for you, but you have done it. I too am keeping Sherri and their family in my prayers as they deal with losing Jim. I am sure Sherri is so pleased for your clear catscan. My husband's doctors have ordered catscans every three months as well. Ours comes up April 22nd. I feel like I am holding my breath...

    Linda
  • Donna70
    Donna70 Member Posts: 852 Member
    #16
    linda1120 said:

    Congratulations!
    Dear Donna,

    I am so very happy for you! I know the last year plus has been a real fight for you, but you have done it. I too am keeping Sherri and their family in my prayers as they deal with losing Jim. I am sure Sherri is so pleased for your clear catscan. My husband's doctors have ordered catscans every three months as well. Ours comes up April 22nd. I feel like I am holding my breath...

    Linda

    Linda we all hold our breaths
    Hi Linda,
    Just wanted to address an important fact that we as patients and you as a caregiver face. People do not understand that every scan is a little scary or sometimes big time scary if you have been having symptoms you fear maybe the cancer coming back. We understand it is natural but "regular" people always act like, "Well no worries for you anymore". I don't live my life worrying, I am busy living my life, but every cancer patient has that "if the other shoe drops feeling". So I just want to say as a loving wife of your hubby you will hold your breath when the next scan comes up, then he will move on like me and get them every six months and then every year. But there is always the prayers and hopes that this next scan will not show something. We understand and you can tell us the scan is coming up and ask our prayers and good thoughts and tell us when you get the results. Thanks again for all the responses to my good news and also sharing our sorrow at the loss of Jim. take care,
    Donna70
  • linda1120
    linda1120 Member Posts: 389
    #17
    Donna70 said:

    Linda we all hold our breaths
    Hi Linda,
    Just wanted to address an important fact that we as patients and you as a caregiver face. People do not understand that every scan is a little scary or sometimes big time scary if you have been having symptoms you fear maybe the cancer coming back. We understand it is natural but "regular" people always act like, "Well no worries for you anymore". I don't live my life worrying, I am busy living my life, but every cancer patient has that "if the other shoe drops feeling". So I just want to say as a loving wife of your hubby you will hold your breath when the next scan comes up, then he will move on like me and get them every six months and then every year. But there is always the prayers and hopes that this next scan will not show something. We understand and you can tell us the scan is coming up and ask our prayers and good thoughts and tell us when you get the results. Thanks again for all the responses to my good news and also sharing our sorrow at the loss of Jim. take care,
    Donna70

    Thank you
    Thank you Donna for your caring reply! I am so happy that I have this family to share with.

    Linda
  • sandy1943
    sandy1943 Member Posts: 824
    #18
    Hi, Congratulations on the
    Hi, Congratulations on the great scan! It was so good to move from three months to six months for tests. We have so many dr. visits, it's nice for the break. My oncologist also does ct instead of pet scans. He only orders the pet scan if he thinks there is something wrong. This was done a few months ago, but thank God all was well!

    I'm celebrating with you,
    Sandra
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #19
    Hip Hip Horray!
    Congratulations Donna! You are such an inspiration to others. I am sending you a great big hug, a pat on the back, and many high fives my girlfriend! God bless you and keep you.
    Tina in Va
  • Yovana_survivor_since_2010
    Yovana_survivor_since_2010 Member Posts: 11
    #20
    Hi Donna
    Congratulations. I am very happy for you.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #21
    Yovana_survivor_since_2010 said:

    Hi Donna
    Congratulations. I am very happy for you.

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

Discussion Boards