Introducing Myself

Hello, this is my first time posting in this survivor's forum.  I am basically new to this network, as I found it by chance about a month ago.  Let me introduce myself by telling my story, a little bit about my "case".  I am 35 years old, and was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in March 2012.  I had been having symptoms for at least two years before I decided to go to the GI doctor.  I suspected what was going on, but was a little bit scared of the diagnosis, hency waiting long before going to an actual doctor.  I remember watching an interview with Tammy Bakker at least 10 years ago, where she mentions the symptoms of colon cancer, and I was having this exact same symptom.  So, when I was experiencing this specific symptom, I thought, no it couldn't be, I am too young, it could be something else, so I waited.  As two years passed, the symptom was more pronounced, and I actually started losing weight quickly, right before I went to the doctor.  People at work actually were happy for me because I was losing weight, I looked better.  I went to the doctor, a quick test in the office, and an appointment for a colonoscopy for three weeks later.  The dreaded day came, doctor started the colonoscopy, went in a few cms, and found a big tumor on the sigmoid colon.  The doctor could not complete the procedure.  CT scan a few days later showed a big tumor, 8cms.  Biopsy was taken out, but it did not show cancer.  The doctor explained sometimes the cancer is hidden inside the tumor, and he was very sure it was cancer.  THANKS DOCTOR!!  Not the news I wanted to hear.  Fortunately for me, CT scan did not show it had metastasized to the liver, but it seemed some lymph nodes were swollen, so I may need some chemo.  I had surgery, and the surgeon said the tumor was fairly big.  On a follow up visit, I asked how big was the turmor, 12 cms by 8cms, the size of a softball, I remember the doctor saying.  I would know for sure if it was cancer after surgery was done.  It was basically 6 weeks since I first went to the GI doctor to the date of my surgery. In the middle of this, I visited the oncologist, who said the tumor was too big, so it had to be a cancerous tumor.  One week after surgery, the surgeon calls me, biopsy showed cancer cells on the lymph nodes, told me to get ready mentally, 'cause I was going through chemo.  I had 8 rounds total, Oxiloplatin on the first day, and Xeloda for the following two weeks, with one week of rest.  The second round was the one that ALMOST kicked me hard, I remember.  I finished chemo on September 2012.  I had a mediport put in a week before I started chemo.  After I finished chemo, I asked the oncologist doctor when could I take the mediport out, i was told to wait one year, so I finally got it taken out in September of this year.  I think this is progress.  The doctor who took the mediport out was the same who put it in before I started chemo.  He looked surprised at how healthy I looked.  I had a couple of CT scans and a couple of PET scans since finishing chemo treatment.  The oncologist said the reports cameback showing a node on my abdomen on the CT scans, but the PET scans did not show cancer, both times.  CEA is a little bit high, at 3.5 a couple of months ago, but the doctor says it's okay, it's "normal."  I had a second colonoscopy done after chemo ended, five polyps were found.  I also got genetic testing done on the two genes responsible for this disease, and the results camback as not mutated, meaning the doctor who did the testing does not know how I inherited this disease.  

I forgot to mention, before I had surgery, I told my boss about my diagnosis.  You see, I work at an organization where a lot of doctors work, as well.  My boss had worked at another group, where one of the doctors had experienced the same exact diagnosis as myself.  She told me "I would like you to talk to this doctor, please comeback to the office," as I was taking a training class at another building on this day.  The last thing I wanted to do is comeback to the office after taking a training class for two straight days.  Talking to him was like.....I don't know how to put it.......it really helped me a lot talking to him.  Talking to him was as if God himself talked to me.  I would forever be greatful to him.  Now, I am "trying" not to stress  myself too much, as I was told by many people stress is not good.