Latest Scan Results

PhillieG
PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
edited November 2012 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I often don't post about my scans anymore. They've basically have been the same or go in cycles. My latest one is no different but since it's been a while I thought I'd get "up to date". It's also a time for reflection and to give thanks.

I give thanks to my Oncologist, the surgeons who work with her, her staff, and especially the chemo nurses who aside from being the nicest nurses I've ever had they are also the cutest ones :-)
Without her experience and innovations in the treatment of Colon Cancer I have little doubt I would be here today. This seems to be something that's often overlooked. Doctors DO matter.

My CT scan showed that the three "spots" I've had are still stable. One is in/on a lymph node close to my lung(s). An artery runs through it so it's not ablatable. It's been stable for over a year. IF it grows and action is needed it would be treated via Cyber-Knife. I have two other small nodes in my lung(s) that continue to be stable. I am continuing with Erbitux and Irinotecan every other week until I no longer do those treatments.

My CEA is stable at 1.9.

It's basically chronic at this point and that's fine with me.
Sometimes it's hard to stay Upbeat when one feels Beatup but it's up to us how we handle what life hands us. It's less about being dealt a good hand and more about playing a poor hand well.
I have much to be thankful for...
-phil
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Comments

  • lauragb
    lauragb Member Posts: 370 Member
    #2
    Phil,
    It's great to read of
    Phil,
    It's great to read of your stability but I am sorry the price you have to pay for that.
    Yet, you do remain UPBEAT more often than not, handling that hand impressively. Thanks for sharing your status on here.

    And....
    I have to agree with about Oncology nurses. They do rock!

    Laura
  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    #3
    Great news. You are an
    Great news. You are an inspiation. Thanks for sharing. I hope you enjoyed your Thnksgiving.

    Jeff
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    #4
    janderson1964 said:

    Great news. You are an
    Great news. You are an inspiation. Thanks for sharing. I hope you enjoyed your Thnksgiving.

    Jeff

    thank you
    Phil for the scan update.i often wonder how many spots you have and where they are located.you are many of the true fighters on this board in the sence that you have been fighting for many years.i truly look up too you and sometimes say to myself if Phil can do it so can I.Happy Holidays my friend....Godbless..johnnybegood
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #5
    johnnybegood said:

    thank you
    Phil for the scan update.i often wonder how many spots you have and where they are located.you are many of the true fighters on this board in the sence that you have been fighting for many years.i truly look up too you and sometimes say to myself if Phil can do it so can I.Happy Holidays my friend....Godbless..johnnybegood

    thank you
    thank you for that update Phil.....hi johnny.....I too am sorry that you have to keep on with the chemo Phil ....I always like to see posts from some of us oldsters.....

    Hope your holiday season is peaceful Phil and that you continue in this stable mode

    best love, mags
  • Brenda Bricco
    Brenda Bricco Member Posts: 579 Member
    #6
    Phil, you have been at this
    Phil, you have been at this a long time... I bet you do feel beat up. I am glad you posted about your scan and being stable, it helps keep the hope alive for us all. I hope you find a way to keep your spirits up because when you are in high spirlts, I get a kick out of you ( I think you know that you are a stinker - I say this with the upmost endearment) hehe.
    I pray that you stay stable for atleast 50 years. :)
    Brenda
  • Cathleen Mary
    Cathleen Mary Member Posts: 827 Member
    #7
    Brenda Bricco said:

    Phil, you have been at this
    Phil, you have been at this a long time... I bet you do feel beat up. I am glad you posted about your scan and being stable, it helps keep the hope alive for us all. I hope you find a way to keep your spirits up because when you are in high spirlts, I get a kick out of you ( I think you know that you are a stinker - I say this with the upmost endearment) hehe.
    I pray that you stay stable for atleast 50 years. :)
    Brenda

    Thanks for this posting,

    Thanks for this posting, Phil. Your attitude and your posts have often made a difference for me and this one does, too. There is a lot too be said for putting one foot in front of the other. I, too, believe doctors DO make a difference and it is worth the effort of finding the right team.
    Thank you. Wishing you many more years of "chronic". It's not such a bad word.

    Cathleen Mary
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #8
    Stable
    I'm glad that you are still stable and the treatment continues to work for you. It's important to have such a great team working for you along with you trusting them. Sounds like a good report.

    Kim
  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #9
    Phil
    I like seeing good news posts. Stable is great. I had the best looking oncologist and anal surgeon ever, and this helped me go to my dr appts. My oncologist has been in Lung Cancer Screening commercials. I wish you continued good news. Lori
  • YoVita
    YoVita Member Posts: 590 Member
    #10
    Thanks for the update
    You're a rock. Thanks for letting us know your status. I've been curious about your treatment and scans. Love your attitude - "playing a poor hand well". I too have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
  • YoVita
    YoVita Member Posts: 590 Member
    #11
    Thanks for the update
    You're a rock. Thanks for letting us know your status. I've been curious about your treatment and scans. Love your attitude - "playing a poor hand well". I too have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
  • Kathleen808
    Kathleen808 Member Posts: 2,342 Member
    #12
    Phil
    Phil,
    Thanks for the update. I know you appreciate being stable and seeing that you are incredible you are able to live with chemo every two weeks. I pray that at some point you can move from chronic to NED but I also know that in the meantime you will live life to the fullest.

    Aloha,
    Kathleen
  • JayhawkDan
    JayhawkDan Member Posts: 205
    #13
    Outstanding
    Phil, you're one of the guys that I think of when I get down and wonder if, and when, this thing could go south. I think, well, Phil has hung around a long time -- what the hell, maybe I can too. Glad you're stable and living life. Happy Holidays! Dan
  • Chelsea71
    Chelsea71 Member Posts: 1,169 Member
    #14
    Thank you for your post. It
    Thank you for your post. It came at a good time for me. Feeling very down in the dumps due to Rick passing away. I realize this sounds selfish as I did not know Rick nor do I know Cynthia. Don't get me wrong, I'm sad for the the years that have been taken from Rick. I'm sad for Cynthia and the kids, who must move on without him. But also, I'm scared and sad for my husband and myself and what inevitably lies ahead for us. Ricks situation reminds me of Steve's (my husband). I know you should not compare peoples cancer. Everyone's situation is different. But there are some similarities with their cancer. Even though Steve is going through chemo and has cancer in his liver and possibly elsewhere, he seems fine. You would not know there's a problem. He looks normal, acts normal. Sometimes I look at him and I just can't believe it. George and now Rick's passing has been a reality check for me. I'm sure this is the same case with many others who take part in this group.

    Your situation brings hope to many of us. My wish is that Steve will be able to manage his cancer like a chronic disease in the same way that you have. Unfortunately, your situation seems to be unique. I know you attribute a lot of your success to your onc and her colleagues at Sloan, however, I think you deserve a lot of credit. It takes a tremendous amount of work to stay physically and mentally strong. Thank you for sharing. Your up-date has cheered me up. Have a nice Thanksgiving weekend.

    Chelsea
  • Aud
    Aud Member Posts: 479 Member
    #15
    Phil
    I am happy for you that things are still stable. Thank you for sharing your "attitude of gratitude." I too have much to be thankful for.
  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    #16
    Thank you
    Thanks for taking the time to update us. I do think it is important to show how this cancer can be managed as a chronic illness with good quality of life rather than an inevitable decline. I also agreed with Chelsea above about acknowledging the role you play in your own illness. I do think that the patient themselves does have a significant influence on the path their illness takes and staying positive, engaging actively in treatments, maintaining 'life' outside of cancer, remaining motivated to work hard at recovery etc are all things we can do ourselves that does influence how our journey with this illness will be. You illustrate this well and as a result I think that you have won one of the greatest challenges we all face along the way of maintaining some sense of control over this whole chaotic process.

    Thanks again,

    Steve
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #17
    steved said:

    Thank you
    Thanks for taking the time to update us. I do think it is important to show how this cancer can be managed as a chronic illness with good quality of life rather than an inevitable decline. I also agreed with Chelsea above about acknowledging the role you play in your own illness. I do think that the patient themselves does have a significant influence on the path their illness takes and staying positive, engaging actively in treatments, maintaining 'life' outside of cancer, remaining motivated to work hard at recovery etc are all things we can do ourselves that does influence how our journey with this illness will be. You illustrate this well and as a result I think that you have won one of the greatest challenges we all face along the way of maintaining some sense of control over this whole chaotic process.

    Thanks again,

    Steve

    Phil, everyone above have
    Phil, everyone above have expressed what I was thinking...I don't have much to add as they've said it all. Thanks for posting....I always wonder when you have scans and what they're showing.....so thank you for answering those questions.
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #18
    Thank You All
    Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes.
    It has been a rough year on this site for many. We never know what lies ahead for ANY of us. I often use the example of being hit by a streetcar but I use it as an example that just because many on here has cancer there's nothing that says we'll die from cancer. We may not get hit by a streetcar either since they're not as plentiful as they once were.

    I stay connected to this site even if I don't post often. There's plenty of better qualified folks to field the majority of the questions and for someone who's just starting this "journey" and doing chemo, I don't think they want to hear about me doing over 320+ treatments! I chime in when I feel I have something constructive to offer.

    I wish that none of us had to deal with cancer but I will say that I've learned more about life while facing death.
    Hugs to all...
    Phil
  • thingy45
    thingy45 Member Posts: 632 Member
    #19
    PhillieG said:

    Thank You All
    Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes.
    It has been a rough year on this site for many. We never know what lies ahead for ANY of us. I often use the example of being hit by a streetcar but I use it as an example that just because many on here has cancer there's nothing that says we'll die from cancer. We may not get hit by a streetcar either since they're not as plentiful as they once were.

    I stay connected to this site even if I don't post often. There's plenty of better qualified folks to field the majority of the questions and for someone who's just starting this "journey" and doing chemo, I don't think they want to hear about me doing over 320+ treatments! I chime in when I feel I have something constructive to offer.

    I wish that none of us had to deal with cancer but I will say that I've learned more about life while facing death.
    Hugs to all...
    Phil

    stable
    annything stable is GREAT, it is livable and acceptable.
    Congratulations Phil. Allways good to hear when someone is doing good, it gives us all hope for the future and that is all we have, hope and a future.
    Hugs, Marjan
  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #20
    nurses
    My oncology nurse told me "be good to yourself." So I finally bought the Mustang of my dreams. And just love it--- Good advise. LOL
  • dmj101
    dmj101 Member Posts: 527 Member
    #21
    Good to hear from you Phil,
    Good to hear from you Phil, your news is very heart warming. And I agree the people treating us along this journey make the difference.. I wish I had some male nurses.. when I had chemo i had all male techs...
    Well good luck my friend.
    We have lots to be thankfull for..

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