Diagnosis
Where to begin? How about March 13, 2012...about 11 am. That is when my life/our lives changed drastically. Just five weeks out from our wedding date, my fiancee and I sat across the desk from Dr. Springer at the Vaughan Endoscopy Clinic after my colonoscopy to assess why I had been experiencing bowel changes and issues since the late fall and heard his words "you have a significant growth and need surgery as soon as possible". What an emotional discussion...thankfully Victoria was with me to ask questions because I frankly was in such shock that I couldn't process what was being said...I have what looks to be a medium size tumour in my sigmoid colon, I have colon cancer, it has almost created a complete blockage of my bowels, I need to have my colon resected and re-joined but I shouldn't have to "wear a bag". From this moment in time and ever since a whirlwind of events kicked off.
Victoria and I returned home, both scared and shocked and began making phone calls to the closest people in our lives to communicate the news. By the end of that day, the office of the surgeon at St. Josephs Health Centre, Dr. Richard Hart, a colleague of Dr. Springer, had called me to prepare me to go in for surgery at the end of the week. They called again Thursday morning to have me stop immediately all food and anything but clear fluids as I was to be admitted Friday morning. I need to tell you that although it may not seem like a big deal all things considered the fact that I was unable to eat any solids or consume usual liquids beginning that Thursday came on the heels of the prep cleanout for the colonoscopy that started Monday morning that week and I was only able to consume a small dinner that Wednesday night...little did I know that it would be almost a week and half before I would be eating and drinking anything solid!
The Surgery and Hospital Stay
I was admitted to hospital Friday March 15 at 12 noon and prepared for surgery Saturday a.m....hopefully early in the morning but really on a waiting list. I was sent for bloodwork (the first of daily bloodlettings), chest xray, and my first CT scan ever. It would be a tense 24 hours to await the results of these critical tests to determine if the cancer had indeed spread outward to other areas of the body. I had several visitors Friday evening - and looking back now some months later it all becomes almost like an out-of-body experience. I can still vividly remember Dr. Hart telling me Saturday morning just as I was to go in for surgery that the tests came back clear. My surgery happened at about 9am in the morning and about 3-4 hours later I found myself back in my room with my parents and Victoria there waiting for me. I was told that the surgery was successful in removing the tumour and that Dr. Hart had removed 17 lymph nodes for analysis. I remember looking down at my lower half under the hospital gown and seeing the catheter, the shockingly long incision with staples (29) stretching from above the belly button and making a question mark pattern down to just above my crotch area but most importantly not seeing any colostomy bag. RELIEF!!!!!
My stay in the hospital ended up being 9 days...9 long emotional event-filled days. I began my recovery very well...was up and walking the next day, my vitals were strong, my breathing was although a little laboured from the narcotics overall pretty good...signs were positive for discharge after 5-6 days. But by Wednesday things took a turn for the negative. I developed an infection in my abdomen. I spiked a fever, sweat through my hospital gowns and generally felt really really lousy. The surgical team, and I mean team...I was visited by them regularly beginning Saturday evening...took action immediately and sent me for tests - xray, CT scan. These came back showing some fluid in the surgical site that appeared to suggest there had been a small leak that had healed/repaired itself but was fighting the fluid build-up and infection. I was started on anti-biotics immediately and put back on nothing but water...nothing...not even coffee, tea, soup...just water. The CT scan unfortunately showed a spot on my liver and this prompted an immediate ultrasound. Three technicians including the Director of the department scanned my liver and could not find the spot / shadow that had appeared in the CT scan. You can imagine my tension going in to these tests as I prayed that the spot didn't indicate spread to my liver. It is good news that the ultrasound team could not find any evidence through ultrasound of the disease on my liver....so I can breathe somewhat easy for a few months at least...but more on that later. The anti-biotics did their job as by Friday I began to feel better and my vitals and bloodwork returned to normal .The infection did mean though that my stay in the hospital was extended until Monday morning the 19th. I will end this section with this...a huge shout-out to the staff at St. Joseph's...every single one of them that I interacted with are/were simply put wonderful...they have such compassion and treated me and Victoria so well over my stay there. I am almost at a loss for words to describe the staff there.
The Pathology
On Sunday, Dr. Maniate, the Oncologist who was originally taking me on as his patient, visited me for a second time with the pathology report. I should tell you that this was the one and only day that Victoria was not staying with me in the hospital...it was her Bridal shower and she was thankfully out focusing on our wedding and her celebration....positive things. Dr. Maniate explained to me that the pathology had come back showing that 2 of the 17 lymph nodes showed infiltration. The tumour had metastasized to at least 2 of the node sites. Diagnosis: Stage 3B Colorectal Cancer. He explained the statistical benefits to chemotherapy treatments for my cancer based on factors such as my age, complete lack of family history, etc. and of course the side effects that I may or may not experience on the treatments - FOLFOX, the length of the treatments and treatment cycle, the diagnostic tests such as scopes, CT scans etc. and their timing. Essentially he laid out what I should expect over the course of the next six, nine, 12 months, 3 years, 5 years...5 years....the magic number 5 years. This is the target. To be cancer free after 5 years to be declared "statistically" cancer free and cured of colorectal cancer. To have no recurrence or spread within the 5 year survival period. Realistically, the chemo therapy became a necessity rather than a probability or even option. The stats suggest that chemo could reduce the recurrence rate by 50% to around a 35% chance with chemo as opposed to leaving it untreated. So...I was to get married....have a brief honeymoon and then come back and prepare for 6 months of FOLFOX chemo treatments.
Thus began my life as a Colon Cancer patient, a cancer fighter, a "member of the club" if you will. And as I explored on the Internet patient forums, cancer websites, and heard from friends and family stories of others with similar journeys, there are lots of members in this club. WTF?!!!! What the hell is going on? All my pre-conceived notions and thoughts of colon cancer were shattered in a matter of weeks. I had always thought that it was a cancer of older people who had lived a long full life and was more a reflection of normal aging. Was I wrong. I now know far too many of us in our fortys, thirtys, even twentys being diagnosed and being treated for colorectal cancer.
So I will end my first posting here...following with thoughts about my recovery from surgery, my first treatment and now second and third treatments...and some reflections on my life now as a cancer battler.
In the words of Barb...my fellow battler..."Bring it on!"
No comments:
Post a Comment