ChiMama Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 My next set of scans are coming up on Monday. I skipped my 3 months post-surgery scans that were supposed to be in January because I didn't feel safe in the COVID surge that was happening here and I just couldn't mentally deal with scans at that point. I get Chest/Abdomen/Pelvis, plus a mammogram and ultrasound of the breast where I had biopsies last year. So... tomorrow is the 5 year anniversary of the colonoscopy that revealed I had colon cancer, which started this whole ball rolling. The first news I heard on the way home that day was that Prince had died. What a day. 💜😢💜 The first CT I had after the dx spotted a 9mm upper left nodule. I found the Colon Talk forum early on in the journey, and learned about how people handled the surgeries, the recovery, the walking, the supplements, the success stories, the research, and what to bring to the hospital. In that forum, there's a subgroup where people talk about what's happening with their lung nodules - because one of the places colon cancer metastasizes to is the lungs, so it's an area of concern and watchfulness when "lung things" are discovered. Four years later, when my lung nodule had grown to 1.1cm and the biopsy came out as non-small cell adenocarcinoma, I learned about this board from them too. The good news in all this is that my colon cancer was stage 1, they got it all, and because of the scans I was getting in follow-up, the lung cancer was revealed early enough to also be completely removed and stage 1a, it was primary lung cancer and not a metastasizing from the CC which is a very good thing, and I am pronounced by the surgeon to be "cured." I do have another small 4mm nodule in the right middle lobe, and as we know, it could be just a random "lung thing" of no concern. Fingers crossed! I also see my oncologist and pulmonologist next week. And, lucky me, on Friday of next week, I'm having surgery on my nose to remove a spot of squamous cell skin cancer. It's gonna be a busy week! 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse L. Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 Oh wow...you have had and still have a lot going on. I'll tell you this though, you're still staying on top of everything and as such you're catching things early and winning out. Keep up the good work at being your own best advocate. At some point, you'll be the champ!! I have every faith. I myself went from a 1a to a 3a after they found two affected lymph nodes while they were removing my RLL back on 2/25. Well now because of that "stage upgrade", I am now in the midst of adjuvant chemotherapy and for sure it's no picnic; doable but no fun at all. As much as I would like to believe that I will never be faced with cancer again, the chances of that happening are not in my favor. But like you I will forever now be on it like a duck on a june bug if it ever shows up again. One thing I would recommend is to try and relax...scansxiety is a real thing and it can be bad. What will be will be and worrying dosen't help. If anything shows up, you'll just deal. After all, what are the choices...none!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexieCat Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 Good luck, Chi! It's always nerve-wracking, but hopefully all will be clear and you can relax for a few months. And no matter how good everything looks, stick with the scan schedule--my recurrence showed up 3 years post-surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy M2 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 ChiMama, my next scan is on Tuesday! I just read a FB post about a 6+ year Tagrisso survivor whose latest scan showed "progression" and was all set to begin new treatments, but he decided to get a second opinion from a lung cancer specialist. Turns out that what looked like progression was inflammation from the Covid vaccine. Apparently, lymph nodes can appear to be affected 4-6 months after the vaccine. So it's important to tell your technician if you've been vaccinated and hopefully the radiologist will have that info. Best of luck with your scan and your surgery. My neighbor had extensive skin cancer surgery on her face a few years ago and today you'd never know it. But she still won't wear a hat in the sun!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiMama Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 Thanks! I don't usually have much scanxiety, I've been getting so many the past 5 years (chest abdomen pelvis, thyroid nodule ultrasound, clavicular lymph nodes, breast scans ultrasounds and surgical biopsies, etc) that I just try to stay focused on the science and stay as positive as I can rather than the emotion. I was fully expecting the lung biopsy to come out as benign and be able to reduce the frequency of scans. 😳 The past year it's anxiety about the process more than the result - I'm already a bit of a germophobe and the place I've been getting my scans all these years had horrible covid protocols (small jam-packed waiting room, bad ventilation, no distancing) so I didn't want to go back there. Judy, I got my 2nd pfizer dose 3 weeks ago which is another reason i pushed the scans out to the end of the month. If there's not a place on the form for it I will write it in! And hopefully it won't affect it. Lexie - yes I just reached my 5 year "all clear" on the the colon scans and am now on the full rotation for the lung scans. I'm feeling better about going in now, and my oncologist is super proactive, he won't let me put them off for long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouT Posted April 24, 2021 Share Posted April 24, 2021 Chi, I was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2010 and underwent a resection in April of that year. I'm now at a point where I go for a complete colon cancer workup every 2 years. My lung cancer was discovered in 2019 and I was operated on in early May of that year. I did do the "3-month after scan" and then (at the recommendation of my pulmonologist) a one-year scan. Since then I've added an Oncologist to my care team and we are doing scans every six months until we are clear of the 3 year mark. I've been blessed with clean scans on both situations, but I can sure attest to the "scanxiety is a real thing" situation. My opinion, (not that you asked for it), is that I wouldn't put scans off unless your team believes it to be medically necessary. My belief is that this damned disease always has the possibility of recurrence and it's important to stay on top of it. Of course, you need to do what is comfortable and preferable for you. Just always consider that "earlier is better" when dealing with cancer. Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse L. Posted April 24, 2021 Share Posted April 24, 2021 I've already been told that once my treatment is done (as in they can't find any detectable cancer), I will be required to follow the appropiate follow up lung cancer guidelines. They are that I will get eyes to thighs CT scans every three months for the first two years after, eyes to thighs CT scans every six months for the next two years, and finally upon the fifth year I will go back to annual CT scans. And if any sign of cancer shows up, the clock restarts on this schedule. I have no problem with this...one of the most important keys to treating cancer is to catch it early. I'm all for that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiMama Posted April 27, 2021 Author Share Posted April 27, 2021 I went to a new place for the scans. Spent the whole morning there doing diagnostic mammo, breast ultrasound, and CT chest/abdomen/pelvis. The old place would take days to over a week for the results, and this place has already posted them! NED 💜 (It actually says: "No evidence of metastatic disease is seen in the chest, abdomen, or pelvis.") The 4mm spot in the right middle lobe wasn't noted so it's either gone or no change I guess. Breast areas of concern are no concern. Cysts in liver are stable. I'll see my pulmonologist on Thursday and my oncologist next week and talk about the plan. This was my last scan in the 5 year colon cancer follow up protocol and I'm now on the lung plan, so I'm thinking with this result the next one will be in October. YAY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexieCat Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Congrats!! Really happy for you! Go out and get some really indulgent dessert or something--you've earned it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rower Michelle Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Fantastic news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJM Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Great news! One cancer is enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse L. Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Congratulations on your clear scans...it is truly something to celebrate!!! I wish you the best now and in the future. May your mind be at ease and stay in touch...!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 ChiMama, Wonderful! A NED scan in our community is worthy of celebration! Do enjoy yourself! Stay the course. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallasdoug Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Congrats on NED! So happy for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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