A day without skid marks? Inconceivable!
But a recovering rectal cancer patient can always dream.
My nurse friend recently asked me how my new plumbing was coming along. I answered that I'm not miserable so we're pretty excited about that. It's an interesting perspective, yes, but considering I could have ended up wearing adult diapers for life, I am pleased with my progress. While my sphincter is still sensitive, I'm not so jumpy on the toilet seat anymore. Bowel movements frequently come in clusters. With a smaller storage tank, I might make two or three trips to the restroom over the course of an hour before getting a break for several hours. Still no clear signals for when I need to go, hence the skid marks and the extra laundry.
I went to Huntsman Cancer Institute last Friday for my first followup appointments. I started the day with a CT scan in the morning. Who doesn't love drinking two bottles of barium contrast solution for breakfast? I got berry flavor this time. Yum? After the scan I went to the lab for a series of blood tests. An hour later I met with my oncologist for a check up. Overall my body is healing nicely after a year of hellish cancer treatment. I'm just left wanting for strength and stamina. My doctor reported that my numbers looked good from the blood tests. Good news there.
Mixed news on the results of the CT scan. No sign of anything in my lungs or liver, but I have a swollen lymph node at the join near my original tumor sight. The join is where Dr. Slow hooked me back together after removing my rectum along with 18 other lymph nodes. The doctor explained that a swollen lymph node could just be the result of irritation from the surgery. Then again, it could also be cancer. Rather than waiting a year for the next CT scan, I will be going back in six months to see if the swelling has gone down. I go back in three months for another round of blood tests. They want to watch this closely.
My last appointment on Friday afternoon was with my dermatologist. She did a full body check looking for any trouble spots. With my fair skin and a lifetime of sun damage, skin cancer remains a real threat. I left her office with four spots on my head being sprayed with liquid nitrogen. It always feels good to freeze potential cancer in its tracks. At least after the stinging goes away. I think she likes me because she invited me back in six months.
Did I mention that I did the whole day of appointments by myself? Carla and the kids were down on Lake Powell last week with my brother and his family on their house boat. So who had more fun, huh?
And who would have thought a year ago that I would survive weeks of radiation, months of chemo therapy, two surgeries, and the longest endurance event of my life? Inconceivable!
