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.”