John, Carrie & I went to Omaha on Tuesday, March 1 for the ultrasound and the consultation. (Note - this was a beautiful warm spring day - so we know that March will probably go out like a lion this year - maybe Tuesday's upcoming snow prediction?). At the time that we went in, I wasn't sure WHO was doing the ultrasound or the consultation. When they gotten me back in a room, the nurse asked me if I knew what was going to happen. I told her that all of this had happened SO quickly that all I knew was what I needed to do to prepare for today. I asked her if Dr. B was going to do the ultrasound, she said yes. She then explained to me what would happen - I had a transrectal ultrasound, which is basically exactly what it sounds like. I liked Dr. B from the moment she came into the room - she had a great bedside manner, and told me upfront that no one liked surprises, so she would walk me through everything that would happen. The ultrasound took about 20 minutes tops (it was much easier than the stereotactic biopsy too I might add). While I was getting redressed, Dr. B went in to talk to Carrie & John. When I got into the consultation room, she brought me up to speed too. I already knew that the tumor was about the size of a ping pong ball and that there were no lymph nodes involved. The tests from the previous week had told them that I had no markers for colon cancer, and also that this was not a recurrence of the breast cancer - it was cancer . . . round 2. (All these things are very positive - including the fact that it was caught early - which is why I also want to recommend having colonoscopies! Even if you don't do them on a timely fashion - please do it. I believe that there are no coincidences in life - God has a hand in everything . . . do you think there was a reason that I waited to get my base colonoscopy?)
Let me assure you that the word cancer is not nearly as scary to hear the second time around - as a matter of fact you actually hear the words after cancer . . . the first time around you shut down when you hear the C word. She told us that I had Stage 2 colorectal cancer - and that the tumor was about 8 cm (about the length of your pointer finger) up from the rectum. Then she gave us the plan of attack - she told us that I would do radiation and chemotherapy. I had experience with radiation with the breast cancer, but the chemo was a whole new thing. She told us that I probably would wear a pump for the chemo (and that this chemo would be much less wicked than breast cancer chemo - so I shouldn't lose my hair). Another positive note was because I already had cancer, my oncologist and radiation oncologist were already in place - and Dr. B would communicate with them. Everything was broken down into two month sections - I would have the radiation & chemo for two months, then I would let the radiation and chemo continue to work for two months, then about July I will go to Omaha to have surgery (more about that later) and I will come home with an ileostomy bag (for the water waste) and then two months later (about September) I will go in and have another surgery to reverse the ileostomy (or as Dr. B put it, just as soon as you get used to taking care of it, we're going to bring you back in to reverse it). This plan of attack is exactly the opposite of what we did with the breast cancer, and Dr. B explained that they wanted to use the radiation and chemo first to shrink the tumor - which will make the surgery easier! So by the time fall 2011 rolls around all of this should be behind me.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
And we wait!
The Dr. had told John that they had found something - and had to send it in for tests - and that it might take a week to get the results. There was a 50 / 50 chance of it being cancerous or not. But when John and I talked later, both of us had the feeling that it probably was!
On that Thursday (only two days later), I found out from one of my GP's nurses (who also happens to be a friend of mine from church) that it was cancer - and asking which Surgeon I like to set up an appointment with. Well, I wanted to go to the Surgeon that had done my gallbladder surgery and my lumpectomy, so an appointment was set up for the next day. Carrie, John and I went to meet with the Surgeon, who confirmed the biopsy results with a pathology report. He told us that I would need an ultrasound that they couldn't do in Fremont, so they would refer me to an office in Omaha. Because this appointment was late on Friday afternoon, that office was already closed for the day. I was told to expect a call on Monday for the appointment to be set up - and so I waited. Not too patiently I might add. My junior detective daughter figured out what office we probably would be working with - and so I called the number she found and explained my situation. I was told that they had me tentatively scheduled for the ultrasound on March 15 - but that they were trying to get me scheduled in sooner than that. So on Tuesday (the next day - exactly a week after the colonoscopy), I got the call I was waiting for - they had set up a CT scan in Omaha on Tuesday, February 24 and then the ultrasound on Tuesday, March 1.
On that Thursday (only two days later), I found out from one of my GP's nurses (who also happens to be a friend of mine from church) that it was cancer - and asking which Surgeon I like to set up an appointment with. Well, I wanted to go to the Surgeon that had done my gallbladder surgery and my lumpectomy, so an appointment was set up for the next day. Carrie, John and I went to meet with the Surgeon, who confirmed the biopsy results with a pathology report. He told us that I would need an ultrasound that they couldn't do in Fremont, so they would refer me to an office in Omaha. Because this appointment was late on Friday afternoon, that office was already closed for the day. I was told to expect a call on Monday for the appointment to be set up - and so I waited. Not too patiently I might add. My junior detective daughter figured out what office we probably would be working with - and so I called the number she found and explained my situation. I was told that they had me tentatively scheduled for the ultrasound on March 15 - but that they were trying to get me scheduled in sooner than that. So on Tuesday (the next day - exactly a week after the colonoscopy), I got the call I was waiting for - they had set up a CT scan in Omaha on Tuesday, February 24 and then the ultrasound on Tuesday, March 1.
Timing is Everything
I know that you hear that everyone should have a base colonoscopy at age 50 - but when I turned 50 I was in the midst of wedding plans to be the mother of the groom and then seven months later to be the mother of the bride! (Did I tell you that these kids are almost five years apart in age?) Anyway, I thought I was too busy. So when I turned 51 we were in the midst of the DCIS diagnosis - and that was definitely on the front burner! From there through age 54 I was just dragging my heels. (At this point John had already had two colonoscopies, so I knew second hand that it appeared as if the prep was much worse than the actual procedure.) Prior to my 55th birthday I was having a lot of problems - so I had a full hysterectomy done on May 6, 2010 (Carrie & Justin's 4th anniversary). So once again the colonoscopy got put on the back burner. But when I went back in for my checkups with my OB/GYN he told me - you know Cheryl you need to get that scheduled - and I assured him that I would.
So at one of my GP checkups in early 2011 - we set it up. I was going in to have my base colonoscopy done on February 15, 2011 (that was really poor timing with Valentine's Day being the day before - but they scheduled them on Tuesdays, and that happened to be one of John's days off. Another time I might fill you in on John's weird schedule).
So I did all the prep stuff according to the instructions I was given - a glass of water every hour starting at 8:00 a.m. - and the normal stuff that you can and cannot have. Then at 5:00 p.m. I mixed however much Miralax I was supposed to with 64 ounces of Gatorade - and started drinking 16 oz every 1/2 hour. About a half hour after drinking the last 16 oz I was in the bathroom (no surprise there, huh) but also felt some nausea washing over me - I threw up about 16 oz - so I had to call the answering service to find out what to do. The answer to that question was of course - to drink some more. The problem being I had only purchased enough to do what I needed to do - so my wonderful husband went back out to the grocery store at 9:00 p.m. to get some more Miralax for me.
We went to the surgery center on the morning of the 15th and everything went as planned . . . except for the fact that they found no polyps, but they had found a mass - which they did a biopsy on.
So at one of my GP checkups in early 2011 - we set it up. I was going in to have my base colonoscopy done on February 15, 2011 (that was really poor timing with Valentine's Day being the day before - but they scheduled them on Tuesdays, and that happened to be one of John's days off. Another time I might fill you in on John's weird schedule).
So I did all the prep stuff according to the instructions I was given - a glass of water every hour starting at 8:00 a.m. - and the normal stuff that you can and cannot have. Then at 5:00 p.m. I mixed however much Miralax I was supposed to with 64 ounces of Gatorade - and started drinking 16 oz every 1/2 hour. About a half hour after drinking the last 16 oz I was in the bathroom (no surprise there, huh) but also felt some nausea washing over me - I threw up about 16 oz - so I had to call the answering service to find out what to do. The answer to that question was of course - to drink some more. The problem being I had only purchased enough to do what I needed to do - so my wonderful husband went back out to the grocery store at 9:00 p.m. to get some more Miralax for me.
We went to the surgery center on the morning of the 15th and everything went as planned . . . except for the fact that they found no polyps, but they had found a mass - which they did a biopsy on.
A Little History - Round 1
As some of you know Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 were very exciting times for the Ferguson household - Jill Morgan and Jeff Ferguson got married on October 15, 2005 and Carrie Ferguson and Justin Rehder got married on May 6, 2006.
A week after Justin & Carrie's wedding I had my yearly mammogram scheduled - a day or two after the mammogram I got a call that they would like for me to come in for an ultrasound because they had seen something. So I did. Let me tell you that this was not scary for me, because at the time I had my base mammogram done, they had asked me to do the same thing - and found nothing. Well, this time they found something that they felt they needed to investigate further. Following the ultrasound, they did a stereotactical biopsy. (If I never hear those words again, it won't be too soon!) The results came back that I had cancer - more specifically that I had Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). My GP who broke the news to me told me that it was considered Stage 0 due to the fact that it was limited inside one of the ducts. There's good news and bad news he said - the bad news is you have breast cancer - the good news is that it's the most treatable kind of breast cancer. I got the diagnosis in late May or early June, then there were a flurry of Dr. appointments - I was set up with an Oncologist and a Radiation Oncologist, and also was sent to see a Surgeon. And then came the discussion of what we were going to do from there - first there would be surgery, a lumpectomy and also the sentinel lymph node was taken out (which happened on July 17, 2006) then as a precaution, radiation everyday Monday through Friday (which started on August 21, 2006 and ran through September 29, 2006).
Just a gentle reminder, without my yearly check-up, we would not have found this cancer in the timeframe to make it so easily treatable. If you've not had your exam, please schedule it. Early detection is the key to finding, treating and moving past cancer. Its really no big deal.
I was feeling very good about coming up on my five year anniversary this May WHEN . . .
A week after Justin & Carrie's wedding I had my yearly mammogram scheduled - a day or two after the mammogram I got a call that they would like for me to come in for an ultrasound because they had seen something. So I did. Let me tell you that this was not scary for me, because at the time I had my base mammogram done, they had asked me to do the same thing - and found nothing. Well, this time they found something that they felt they needed to investigate further. Following the ultrasound, they did a stereotactical biopsy. (If I never hear those words again, it won't be too soon!) The results came back that I had cancer - more specifically that I had Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). My GP who broke the news to me told me that it was considered Stage 0 due to the fact that it was limited inside one of the ducts. There's good news and bad news he said - the bad news is you have breast cancer - the good news is that it's the most treatable kind of breast cancer. I got the diagnosis in late May or early June, then there were a flurry of Dr. appointments - I was set up with an Oncologist and a Radiation Oncologist, and also was sent to see a Surgeon. And then came the discussion of what we were going to do from there - first there would be surgery, a lumpectomy and also the sentinel lymph node was taken out (which happened on July 17, 2006) then as a precaution, radiation everyday Monday through Friday (which started on August 21, 2006 and ran through September 29, 2006).
Just a gentle reminder, without my yearly check-up, we would not have found this cancer in the timeframe to make it so easily treatable. If you've not had your exam, please schedule it. Early detection is the key to finding, treating and moving past cancer. Its really no big deal.
I was feeling very good about coming up on my five year anniversary this May WHEN . . .
Monday, March 21, 2011
Welcome
The past month has just FLOWN by and with the advice of my daughter, it was recommended to start a blog to keep people as updated as they'd like to be. So...welcome to my blog!
Feel free to subscribe or just check in as often as you'd like. Carrie and I will be co-writing this blog. We will try to keep this fairly up-to-date but if we start slacking, feel free to poke us to wake us up. :)
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