Friday, March 16, 2012

Yippee ya yay!

I'm cured. I had my final meeting with my oncologist this morning. He released me. But not before he showed me all the slides in my CT scan. I saw my lungs, my liver, my spleen, my stomach, my uterus (yep, still there), my bladder, and, of course, my colon.

He apparently had a little time because he stayed with me longer than usual. No students were following him around as they usually do, poking on my stomach. ("Is there a baby in there?" Kate said I should ask when he got a look at the increasing size of my belly.) I'm going to have to work on that; the number on the scales was scary. But that's for later.

So I have been let go. No more CT scans, and only routine colonoscopies. My next is scheduled for 2016. Now maybe I can start putting the money I put in my health flexible spending account each year into my 401K. I'll be rich! And hopefully (if I don't go out and buy a Vespa) I'll be around to spend it.

We got a call from a nurse after my CT scan last week telling me everything was clear. So it was no surprise. Bob posted this sweet note on Facebook:

Very quietly and very calmly the message came in telling the result of Terri Lackey's five-year CT scan: "Hi Ms. Lackey this is L___ calling from Doctor M______'s office and he wanted me to give you a call to let you know that your cat scan was good. If you have any more questions feel free to give us a call back. They call that a statistical cure from colon cancer. I just call it divine.

My stoic doctor, not one to show emotion, gave me a congratulatory handshake, and then cupped his other hand over mine. I'm sure it's a relief for him to see a patient walk out of his office for the last time, rather than going out in a hearse.

For those of you suffering with this disease, I offer prayers you have the same outcome as me.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Year Five: Will I be released?

I'm off for my fifth and final (I hope) CT scan. Scan today, doc next Friday. In April, it will be five years since doctors discovered cancer in my gut. This happened, I might reiterate, during my first, very first, routine colonoscopy. I had no pain (except occasionally when I ate HOT Indian food, and who doesn't have pain with that?).

If I sail through this scan, and get a clean bill of health, I guess I can declare myself cured. I can declare myself cured anyway, but I'd like to get clearance from an expert, my oncologist. I know he'll miss me. My belly has grown more flabby in the five years since I've been seeing him. I can blame that on: menopause, getting my stomach slit open from button to, well, uh, you know. Oh, and food. Chicago food. OMG it's good.

So I must run, I'll let you know if I get released after I see the doc next week.

I'm not drinking during Lent, but I might have to raise a glass to good news.