AND I have spewed and waxed poetic ...
AND I have a few relevant topics in which I have some experience....
BUTT I am after all just another ColoRectal Guy. Right ?
I've written, rewritten and pruned my signature info probably 20 times since I first registered.
Everything I thought was important I included when I thought it was important to do so, and a lotta times I just honoured fellow members...past and present.
I recently had a request to share some more info about "my Journey" from a newer member.
Knowing all my homies here and all the stories we are all following, I didn't think my own info was really all that earth shattering.
BUTT upon reflection ... we all have something to share and it would not be in keeping with the very spirit of this forum for me not to do so as well.
HERE, only because a new friend jalusa asked ...... is the exec summary CR Journey :
August 2006 - lower GIT / "backdoor" issues, doc appt, tests all OK, age 55
February 2007 - definite fecal blood, scheduled colonoscopy, blood tests
May 2007 - colonoscopy / biopsy confirms rectosigmoid adenocarcinoma, CT, MRI, many blood tests follow
June 2007 - 6 weeks neo-adjuvant chemoradiation with Xeloda ( 3600 mg/day ), blood tests, CTs
August 2007 - TME via LAR of primary tumour, originally Stage IIIC, temp ileostomy, pCR ( pathological complete response to chemo-rad )
September 2007 - pelvic abscess, more blood tests, cultures, mega antibiotics, IVR drain placed
October - abscess resolved, started adjuvant chemo with Xeloda ( 4000 - 5000 mg/day ) declined FOLFOX at that time
February 2008 - JOINED THE COLON TALK FORUM !!!!!!! ... oh yeah, and had ileostomy takedown
Until October 2009 - many bloods, ultrasounds, Xrays, many CTs, many recheck appts
... WHEN an eagle eyed Radiologist spotted a "WTF is that" in upper left lung on a survey xray .... NOT a CT !
Back into diagnostic mode : PET scan, repeat CT scan, MRI, referral to thoracic specialist, more blood tests etc.etc.etc.
April 2010 - VATS wedge resection of a "clean margin" confirmed mCRC tumour, diagnosis of a benign bronchogenic cyst, power port implanted
( removed 3 years later )
June - November 2010 - FOLFOX 12 cycles, many bloods, scans, appts. etc.
November 2010 - May 2015 : follow up monitoring with CT, MRI, chest xray, exams, blood panels, CEA / CA19-9
May 2015 - suspicious "new" area of question in liver. Info updated later in this topic but appears to be a fat mass fatty infiltration.
May 2015 - June 2016 : ultrasounds and CT, bloods
Oct 2016 : bloods and routine follow up colonoscopy
Sep-Nov 2017 : bloods, ultrasound, xrays (CAP)
Sep-Nov 2018 : bloods, ultrasound, xrays (CAP), chest CT
Dec 2019 : bloods, ultrasound, xrays (CAP)
( typically my "blood panels" include GGT, AlkP, ALT, AST, Bili, LDH, CBC with differential and 6 month to yearly total cholesterols, LDL, HDL,TG, FBS, HA1c, PSA, CK, CRP, BUN, creatinine and eGFR. )
As of May /2024 Update, my tally of the number of times I've had these things done appears to be :
CT = 14 ( CAP = chest/abdomen/pelvis )
CT = 2 chest/abdomen
CT = 3 abdomen/pelvis
CT = 2 head
PET = 1
MRI = 2
colonoscopies = 8
sigmoidoscopies = 2
chest/abdominal xrays = 12
abdominal ultrasounds = 10
cardiac ultrasound = 2
electromyogram = 2
full blood panels = 42
monitoring mini-panels = 20
CEA = 35 tests done( not a marker for me, never over 1.4 )
CA 19-9 = 14 tests done, all normal
CRC related surgeries = 5
FOLFOX = 12 cycles
Xeloda = 10 cycles
I'll try to keep the above list up to date !
... and NOW finally I don't have to write all this stuff down again....
I am just going to refer everyone HERE ... so thanks to my buddy for making me get it all together in one place now !
If you think there is something I can help with or need to clarify, please post here or PM me.
I have now included a link in my signature which leads to this post.
( Found another mini-review in this topic from 2013
and there is always the Calling ALL Colorectal CANUCKS ! topic for a little more light reading
and of course my "journey" with FOLFOX Hi I'm FOLFOX...how do you like me so far ?
)Cheers and Harmony to all
CRguy still on the Journey
I've been here for a while and had pieces a lot of it together but still nice to get a tidy outline 
