Six years in recovery and counting. :)

I haven't been around for awhile, but I like to check in now and then to offer encouragement to those of you going through a rough time. I took my my first colonoscopy in May, 2009 when I was 68, and so it was long overdue. I was awake during the procedure and got to see the bloody tumor the size of an orange in real time. The surgeon who later removed two feet of colon felt that the tumor had pushed through the wall and that I was at stage 3-A, but pathology tests put me at 2-A. I went through Rosewell Park chemo treatment that was supposed to take six months, but I had such a hard time with the chemo they had to keep stopping it and after one year when they finally gave up and stopped it for good I was only two-thirds through the treatment. I remember how anxious I was waiting for the results for each CT scan. My doctor gave me one every three months and I felt that was too many, but I did them. If I had to do it again I would not have taken so many. Looking back, it was all a horrible experience. As for today, I am cancer free. I did a colonoscopy last week and everything was good. My last CEA was 1.7, the lowest it has ever been, since previous tests were always 1.9 to 3. I know this is a hard road to travel, but stay on it until you a free of this evil disease. You can do it. They are finding new treatments every day and so take it a day at a time and remember to have fun when you are not battling this disease.