Hey everyone! I found y'all yesterday, and I've already learned a bunch. Thank you!
I was diagnosed with colon cancer on April 11, 2017. We live in Alabama, on the Florida state line, and a dear friend suggested I go to MD Anderson. They have been amazing so far. Craig Messick was my surgeon, and we can't say enough good things about him and his team. I see Bryan Kee next week to find out about chemo.
This is not my first cancer. I am only 41, but I had Wilms Tumor at age 3 with chemo, radiation and nephrectomy (kidney). This new cancer is directly in the radiation field of the first cancer. Sigh. After 38 years, you kind of think you're home free, you know?? The "Long-term Follow Up Study," I'm in for survivors of childhood cancer (my generation is the first to survive!) says we are still getting secondary tumors 35-40 years out.
I'm incredibly blessed that I was able to have children. They thought I wouldn't. And I have four!! Healthy, great, the best kids in the world: I'm not even kidding you. My husband is a minister, and we have always homeschooled them, so we are all really close. Our oldest two have graduated, and they are both very successful. Anyway, my point is, I have everything, and I'm like, Hey, God, I know you've already blessed me beyond my wildest dreams, but, I'm not ready to die yet! May I please have another 38, wait, 41, oh, better make it 60 years?!? I don't want to leave my kids. (I know prognosis for stage 3 is still good.)
I don't know how to make my signature yet, nor have all the info yet that all of you do! I had surgery 5/5 @ MDA. I have a 7 inch incision, vertical. I had a lot of scar tissue and adhesions from the previous radiation that had to be cleaned up. I was up walking that night, and released on 5/8. The tumor had not gone outside the colon. It was in 6 of 22 lymph nodes, so I am stage 3. It is not anywhere else.
Thanks for listening. I look forward to talking to all of you!