Postby heiders33 » Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:34 am
Yes, I have definitely discovered that raw spinach is my enemy, which I will certainly avoid for a while. My trip isn't really that big of a deal, though - only two hours away. And I'm actually taking another trip on Friday down south. I'm not worried at all about my bowel control, just know to avoid raw greens as they seem to cause diarrhea.
I had my final appointment with my surgeon today, which was strangely emotional. It was surreal to sit in the very chair in the waiting room where I sat almost a year ago only a couple hours after I found out I had cancer. And then to say goodbye to my surgeon, hopefully for good, was a milestone that I never thought I would get to. I'll be getting my annual follow-up colonoscopies from my GI doc who originally discovered the tumor. My surgeon recommended getting them once a year for five years, starting in July. He said I've been through a lot lately and waiting until July is fine.
My scar is healing up, although there is an indentation there that is rather unsightly and probably won't go away completely. Oh well. The pain is gone, except when I sneeze.
He said he is probably not going to attend the young adult onset colorectal cancer summit at the end of the month because he doesn't think the speakers are at the top of their field, and he as an experienced colon and rectal surgeon probably won't learn much. He would rather attend conferences and panels at MSK where they are at the cutting edge. I told him I saw an integrative care doctor at MSK who recommended all sorts of supplements, and he said that was great and that he is a big believer in those things as long as they are accompanied by standard treatments. He had a woman, not much older than me, come and see him who ended up dying because she went the alternative route only.
I'm going to miss my surgeon, as he has probably been my favorite doc through this whole process. He is hilarious and incredibly skilled and kind and direct. But of course I am very glad that I don't have to see him anymore! Mixed emotions here. Cancer does weird things to your brain.
40 year-old female
May 2017: Dx rectal cancer T3N2M0
MSS, KRAS G12D
6/17: 28 days chemorad
9/17: LAR/loop ileostomy, CAPOX six rounds
3/18: reversal
9/18: liver met, resection/HAI pump, 11 rounds 5FU, 1 round FUDR
11/19 - local recurrence, brachytherapy, 3 weeks targeted radiation
12/21 - end colostomy