First Post – The Back Story

This will be a long post, as it will contain all the events up until now, or the back story if you will. Future posts will be shorter.

Earlier in the year I started having some minor issues, nothing that I thought was major.  Through a comedy of errors with insurance and such, I finally got in to see the doctor in July. They ran some tests that came back negative, however they did find some blood on the Fecal Occult Blood Test.  With that, I was referred for a cat scan the first week of August. The cat scan was completed, and the results were that there was a 7 cm mass in my colon. I was referred to a surgeon, and a colonoscopy was scheduled was for August 16th. I spent my birthday this year being able to drink nothing but clear liquids (no alcohol, I asked), and taking things to clean me out for the colonoscopy. The best birthday ever! (NOT). During the colonoscopy they took a biopsy of the mass, and the results are that it is cancer of the colon. I have since met with the radiologist and the chemo doctors. Today I had 2 more scans done, including a PET scan, so they can verify if the cancer has spread or not. The doctor looked at them, but they need to get the radiologist to look at it before they will tell me anything else. I of course am hoping that the cancer is currently confined to the colon. On Tuesday, the 4th of September, I will go in at 0630 for surgery to get a “port” put in. Basically a port is a catheter inserted into a major artery that is used to apply chemo, take blood samples, etc instead of going after a new vein each and every time. The port will be mainly used for the chemo treatments, and will remain in my body until such time they feel the cancer is gone and I no longer need chemo treatments. I don’t know when treatments will actually start yet, although I am guessing it will be Wednesday, the 5th of September, since the port can be used almost immediately. Good thing I started shaving my head a few years ago 🙂