Good News/ Bad News

Dear Semi-Colons,

I first want to apologize to Kanga for missing his birthday. Happy Birthday, sweet man. I hope your day was one to remember.

For my new semi-colon friends I will give you a little quick background. Stage 3 with 3 out of 31 nodes positive; diagnosed 9/03; Folfox completed 7/04; stable lung nodules since 2/04 which are thought to be calcified with one biopsied and found to be a hamartoma;
clean CT and PET scans since completion of Folfox in 07/04

My original oncologist left my area at the end of my chemo treatment and I have not been pleased with his replacement. I have felt like an unwanted "child" he inherited and had to take care of. Anyway, he has not been as thorough with me as I would like. My next scan was to be next month and only of my chest. My CEA had gone from 1.3 to 1.7 and I didn't want a trend to be happening without being closely monitored. So I decided to go with my heart and travel four hours to be seen by my original oncologist. I am so grateful I went with my gut feeling. I saw my prior oncologist who ordered a CT of my pelvis, abdomen, and chest. The good news is that my colon is in his words "is
as clean as a whistle." His next words were the shocker......."but the CT scan showed a tear in your abdominal aorta." I was too shocked to know what to ask. My prior CT in September show all my vessels to be of normal appearance and size. He said that I don't
have an aneurysm so that is good, but the hole is leaking blood and needs to be repaired. My prior two CT scans mentioned suture material left in my surgical site and that has them babbled. He called my original surgeon and both agreed that they had never seen a report of suture material noted in a CT . So I am on bed rest until I can see a vascular surgeon. I think maybe the surgical material moved when I took a "organic" coffee enema and maybe it punctured a hole. Who knows. I see an internist next Wednesday who will set up a MRI to see how big the tear is and its exact location. From all I have read the surgery is no piece of cake. However, when I remodeled my house last year I had a word theme. I have BELIEVE everywhere in this house as well as out by my pond. So, I guess I better practice what I preach and BELIEVE all will be well this time around too.

Forgive the long post, but Sponger told me long ago it was OK to start a post.

For all of you that are presently on treatment please know that up until yesterday I was full throttle everyday. Chemo does end and things improve rapidly. Maybe I was moving too fast and God needed to remind me to slow down. My friends are already pitching in with my mother who I can no longer lift and help until I get this present little flaw patched.

I love each and care for each and everyone of you deeply.

Kay