Postby Ontario Guy » Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:29 pm
As a lot of people on this site will advise, breathe.
I understand how slowly all this seems to be moving. If you haven't met your radiation oncologist yet, it is likely that your first visit won't involve the simulation session. That requires a CT with lasers and things. Just getting to know your onc can be an event in itself. If you can, bring a friend with a notebook to write down things you won't remember later on.
For me, the time between DX and the actual start of treatment (two months) was a good time to put my affairs in order - bank accounts in common with my spouse, POAs, etc. - and to inform family, friends, enemies, and the like, of what was about to happen. I also read up on anything I could find about colorectal cancer and its treatment, so that I could better participate in what was to come. Since you have already had another form of the disease, you are way up on where I was. Still, increasing knowledge is a very good way to lower anxiety. As it happens, my cancer centre has a decent library. If yours does, you could start there. And, by all means, ask as many questions as you like here.
As for no chemo after surgery, if you don't need it, hurrah! I was very cool through most of my treatment: chemo-rad, pain management, surgery. But so-called adjuvant chemo is in a class by itself. Not impossible by any means, just a slog. Nothing compared to what some of the Stage IVs around here have gone through. Brownbagger is getting near his 100th infusion. I had 8 - big whoop - but I still found it tough going. If your team doesn't recommend it, so much the better.
Good luck,
OG