Annual Scans coming up, never seems to be any less scary

dorookie

Hello ALL,

Just checking in, I have my annual scans in a few weeks, got the colonoscopy next week too, oh fun fun fun. I hate to admit it but i am a little behind, was supposed to already have completed the colonoscopy.  Although i dont expect any issues with either i cant help but to be scared, anxious, nerveous and distracted. 

Background: May 2007 DX stage 3 colon cancer, had surgery, did chemo (oral and IV) rads, was NED for about 6 months, returned to my right lung making me stage 4 in October 2008, had surgery again, chemo for another 8 months after that, finished chemo in June 2009, and have been in remission ever since. So in that aspect i have been very blessed, not that my life has been easy because that is simply not the case, but i am still here getting through life best i can as a stage 4 colon cancer SURVIVOR.

Just found out that my ailing mother in law (age 87) was just DX with colon cancer, we dont know the staging as of yet, she has already said she wont do any treatments, she just wants to be kept comfortable and no pain and she is ready to go home.

Well i am asking for prayers on my upcoming scans, no one but you all here have a clue what goes on when it comes to dealing with scans and having scanxiety.

Please know i keep everyone here in my prayers, all the old timers and all the newbies, i hate that anyone has the need to find this forum but i am very relieved that this forum is here, it truly has helped me throughout my journey, at DX, during and after...

 

God Bless

BETH

maglets

hi Beth

Hi Beth......totally get the scanxiety.......glad you checked in.....it is nice to keep up with some of the oldies and the newbies too.  Good luck with the colonoscopy.......hate them! sorry to hear about your mother in law. 

all the best, maggie

beaumontdave

Hi Beth, same story, Sep 07,

Hi Beth, same story, Sep 07, 3b, sigmoid section, colectomy, chemo, reoccurance in the liver twice, each a 2-3 years out, resection each time, no other treatment, just had the 18 mo. all-clear, if I get one more clear scan, we go to 6 months, then a year. Your clear for 5 1/2 years, after surgery and chemo, so you gotta feel good about that. Scanxiety's going to happen, but your odds seem excellent. My colonoscopies are 5 years apart now, what's the interval for you? Another similarity, I just lost my pop at 88, in Jan.  He beat cc when he was 80, but stopped treatment for prostate cancer in Oct. and just took pain meds. The stuff spread quickly, but it was his call, and his family was there through the last of it.  I hope your mom has an easy path to "going home", like pop's was. When you ace these exams, will they consider using the term cured. I thought 5 years was the goal after a surgical fix, but anyone is different, and maybe a lung met is looked at differently then say, a liver met. I don't know, but if I hit 5 years clear, I'm declaring victory, dammit. You have my thoughts and wishes for good news, and be sure to tell us, it's always nice to hear.

dorookie

beaumontdave said:

Hi Beth, same story, Sep 07,

Hi Beth, same story, Sep 07, 3b, sigmoid section, colectomy, chemo, reoccurance in the liver twice, each a 2-3 years out, resection each time, no other treatment, just had the 18 mo. all-clear, if I get one more clear scan, we go to 6 months, then a year. Your clear for 5 1/2 years, after surgery and chemo, so you gotta feel good about that. Scanxiety's going to happen, but your odds seem excellent. My colonoscopies are 5 years apart now, what's the interval for you? Another similarity, I just lost my pop at 88, in Jan.  He beat cc when he was 80, but stopped treatment for prostate cancer in Oct. and just took pain meds. The stuff spread quickly, but it was his call, and his family was there through the last of it.  I hope your mom has an easy path to "going home", like pop's was. When you ace these exams, will they consider using the term cured. I thought 5 years was the goal after a surgical fix, but anyone is different, and maybe a lung met is looked at differently then say, a liver met. I don't know, but if I hit 5 years clear, I'm declaring victory, dammit. You have my thoughts and wishes for good news, and be sure to tell us, it's always nice to hear.

Hi There,
After this

Hi There,

After this colonoscopy i will be at the 5 year intervals, it went 1 year, then 2 and then 3, so i am guessing it will be 5 years till the next one.

Some say the date you use is the one when you had the cancer cut out of you and others say the date to start counting is when you finished your treatments.  If i go by the cut out date, (november 2008) then i just passed 7 year mark, if i go by when i finished treatment (June 2009) then i am coming up on 7 years. I had a ONC when i first moved from AZ to TX, and he said after i asked him if he thought i was cured, he said your stage 4, there is no cure, so i fired him. My next ONC after i asked if once i reached 5 years, i think at the time i was about 2 years NED, would she consider me cured, she said i already consider you cured, so needlessly to say i kept her as my ONC.

I wish you all the best in making it to the magical 5 year mark, it does tend to help with the stress of things, not that you ever forget or worry about everything day you dont feel good, but it does put the worries a bit farther from your mind.

Oh i will be shouting when i get my results, should have them on the 9th of March...i will be back as Arnold would say...

 

HUGS
Beth

dorookie

maglets said:

hi Beth

Hi Beth......totally get the scanxiety.......glad you checked in.....it is nice to keep up with some of the oldies and the newbies too.  Good luck with the colonoscopy.......hate them! sorry to hear about your mother in law. 

all the best, maggie

Hey Mags

How have you been doing? I dont get on here much, i do peak every now and again. Its been really hard coming around since we lost Craig, but I am still around and about...getting through life best i can.  I did have a new granddaughter arrive last March, gosh she will be a year old already. Her name is Emily Mae, she is as cute as button...i will have to upload some pics..

Good to see you HUGS

Beth

ron50

dorookie said:

Hi There,
After this

Hi There,

After this colonoscopy i will be at the 5 year intervals, it went 1 year, then 2 and then 3, so i am guessing it will be 5 years till the next one.

Some say the date you use is the one when you had the cancer cut out of you and others say the date to start counting is when you finished your treatments.  If i go by the cut out date, (november 2008) then i just passed 7 year mark, if i go by when i finished treatment (June 2009) then i am coming up on 7 years. I had a ONC when i first moved from AZ to TX, and he said after i asked him if he thought i was cured, he said your stage 4, there is no cure, so i fired him. My next ONC after i asked if once i reached 5 years, i think at the time i was about 2 years NED, would she consider me cured, she said i already consider you cured, so needlessly to say i kept her as my ONC.

I wish you all the best in making it to the magical 5 year mark, it does tend to help with the stress of things, not that you ever forget or worry about everything day you dont feel good, but it does put the worries a bit farther from your mind.

Oh i will be shouting when i get my results, should have them on the 9th of March...i will be back as Arnold would say...

 

HUGS
Beth

G'day Beth

  Good to see you again. I know you never quite get over the worry of tests so i will wish you all the best for this lot and hope that one day you will wonder what the hell all the fuss was about. Don't you hate it when you can't remember stuff! hugs mate Ron. 18yrs plus.