2 down, 3 to go

I have made it to the 2-year post-treatment milestone.  My oncologist gave me the good news this morning.  My scan was completely fine and my bloodwork perfect.  If colorectal cancer is going to recur, it is most likely to do so within 2 years.  My boring streak continues.

My tumor marker went down a teensy bit too, and I was told it was the least important factor of my surveillance, the most important being the scan results, followed by how I’m actually feeling.  If the CEA measurement was consistently trending up, absent other factors they would still treat that lightly; apparently it often trends back down again.

I was inordinately anxious about this scan - I don’t know why.  Scanxiety is very real.  

And now I’ve graduated to followup appointments only every 6 months, bloodwork & scan.  The in-between bloodwork at the 3-month mark is no longer needed (unless I want it; I don’t want it).  And if I get to the 5-year mark, I’m considered in full remission, or “cured,” though they don’t like to use that word.  I will use the words “perfectly healthy except for that cancer bit that I kicked hard to the curb and now I’m gonna live to be 100 years old.”

Time to get walkin’

Training for the Jimmy Fund Walk starts July 2nd.  I was one of the first 1,000 registrants to raise $100 so I got the 30-year commemorative fanny pack.  You know I’ll wear it.

Oh, and in other health news, next scan is next week.  6 months ago my tumor marker measurement was detectable, a change from the not detectable result I’ve had since end of treatment.  It was still in standard range.  Then 3 months ago they changed the assay and now I have to remember a different standard range; at least my result then was still in that range (but again, detectable).  Fingers crossed to stay standard and have another set of clean scan results.

If you’d like to support my walk please find my page at the link below, and thank you!

http://jimmyfundwalk.org/goto/eemthomas