Prevention--an ounce is worth a pound of cure

Clem here. (With selected Pam edits)

Today we had a long talk with my oncologist, the primary doctor who's responsible for everything cancer-related. He's the one who resolved to cure me back when the rest of the team of doctors doubted whether I would even be treatable. The big news of the day: I'm cured!

In the foot-and-a-half of colon that they removed they found a few microscopic cancer cells, and in 3 of the 27 lymph nodes that came with it they found a few more microscopic foci. (There's a word-of-the-day for you!) We should have new CEA marker news in the morning, but we expect it to be normal--below 5. (Personally, I'm shooting for less than three.) Clear margins were achieved everywhere. The surgery was an unqualified success--another huge hurdle cleared for me.

The oncologist goes with the numbers, doing what has statistically been shown to be the most efficacious plan of treatment for similar cases to mine. The numbers call for 12 doses of chemotherapy to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment. So far, I've had 5 of them. Since today's cancer counts were non-zero, perhaps there is still an odd cell or two wandering around looking for a nice, juicy liver to set up shop in again. Further, since it's been proven that these cells are responsive to the treatments we've done so far, it makes sense to continue the chemo for the full term--another 7 sessions.

On the one hand, I'm sure not looking forward to a summer of chemo. On the other, it really didn't bother me all that much, and we have an opportunity to "kick it while it's down" and really put any stray cancer cells out of their misery. So, starting on Monday, I'll be back to my "week on/week off" chemo regimen. I'll do it through June, July, and August. In the midst of that somewhere I'll have the ileostomy reversed (or possibly just wait until the end and have the portacath taken out at the same time.)

With that, all the big stumbling blocks are out of the way and I'm set to walk away from this thing "free and clear." Though it has taken a year, and not been fun by any means, there have been many good things to come from this experience. My bond with my fantastic wife is more solid than I could have ever imagined one could be. There were times, before, when I thought that I felt was out of mind mind and felt ready to walk away from her. There were other times when I chose to trust her, even when I knew somehow got deluded into the crazy notion that she was doing something hurtful to me or wrong or mean. that only an idiot could have interpreted as--barely possibly--slightly insulting or some kind of silly, misunderstood thing like that. She has repaid that trust a thousand times over and humbled me in the process. Love is not easy, but it is worth every challenge when it's with the right person. She's the one.

Thanks for listening. You have all helped me to make it through these trials, and I appreciate your caring more than I can convey with these few words. We'll keep the news fresh as it happens over the next few months, through these last few small steps.

Clem