Hello,
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Colon Club Warriors out there. Next week, on 11/29/17, I will be having my next follow up CT scan and blood work. Because my cancer was the Signet Ring Cell adenocarcinoma subtype, my oncologist has me on a schedule of every 3 months. Since my surgery was on February 8, 2016...we are approaching the two year mark. I wonder when the time will come where I don't start to feel a little more crazy than normal around Scan time? I feel fine and don't have any significant symptoms. I do worry with every single twinge that I get in my tummy and every single change in bowel that "It's BAAACCCCKKKK!" Sometimes I almost feel frozed by my fear and anxiety about the probability of recurrence. Is there anyone else out there that feels this way?
I have problems with my bowels that bounce between constipation and urgency/diarrhea. And then I will have some periods of somewhat normal BM's. Sometimes I think it is dependent on what I eat and the amount; other times, it is just hard to tell.
My neuropathies persist and as the weather gets colder, they are much more noticeable. Texting on a phone can be amusing due to my fingers feeling like they are wrapped in gauze. I have heard this might get better. And does chemo brain ever go away? And does anyone else suffer from insomnia?
On the positive side, I am able to attend and enjoy almost everything my 12 and 14 year old are involved in. I have to skip the super cold nights for soccer and marching band but thank God for Facetime! I generally enjoy every single moment that I possibly can. Early on, I read about the rarity of the Signet Ring Cell variant of colon cancer and how much more aggressive it is. I keep waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Keep me in your thoughts and send up positive vibes or good prayers. I am happy to have this place to share my good news AND my bad news. My positive thoughts and prayers go out to all of my fellow colon cancer warriors and families out there.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Becky