Bev would give me a good talking to, today. I am going to miss her so much.
Okay, so it's been 9 years 9 months and 10 days since my Stage IIIB surgery and 6 years 5 months and six days since my liver resection with all clear since. My CEA / Blood work is Oct. 8th, CT/ MRI on the 16th and visit with the onc is Oct. 23rd. The blood work had to be rescheduled by 2 days and just having to hear from the office has thrown me into a tizzy. Oh, 48th Wedding Anniversary is Oct. 10th.
Studies have shown that people with a metrochronus (happening more than 2 years post original dx), single/ small met that is removed by hepatic resection, who remain disease free for six years have a zero chance of recurrence and at 6.48 years disease free, are considered cured.
(Oligometastases is a disease concept that is defined by a state of limited systemic metastatic tumors for which local ablative therapy could be curative. By definition, the purpose of local treatment for oligometastases is cure, and the primary outcome to be analyzed should be disease-free survival.)
Bev jumped all over me and would remind me of these facts, actually giving me the medical terms to back them. She could and would talk me off the ledge. Last Nov. my CEA was 5.8 and once we regulated my thyroid, it dropped over 50%.
I haven't had a scan in just under a year and the radiologist said one nodule in my lung for 9 years might be 1mm larger, but I went back all 9 years and looked at the readings for that nodule and they were all over the place but several times written as the same size he'd claimed might be larger. Actually, the head of radiology had replied several years ago that the four nodes in my lungs didn't need follow up any more since they met the criteria for benign.
Still............... the fear is rising. I'll freak out for a few days, calm down for a week or so and then when the blood work is done, I'll wake at a little after midnight knowing Labcorp will post it.
Thanks for 'listening'. I wish the fear would go away! Forever! Gosh, I'm almost 68 and know I won't live forever, but Bev, sweet Bev, was one year younger and so wise and highly educated.
Diane
Stage III cc surgery 1/7/09. 12 tx FOLFOX
Stage IV PET = 1.5cm liver met. HR 4/11/12
14 years since dx and 11 years post liver resection.
Pronounced CURED and discharged by onc
“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.” Psalms 30:2