Easter and Meeting my Surgeon

Easter

Easter was a special day. Since my diagnosis, I feel like I have had so many thoughts going lots of different directions. Easter Sunday gave me a chance to ponder on the role of Jesus Christ on my life and to think about all he has done and will do for me. I felt the Holy Ghost in Sacrament Meeting and felt so much peace and comfort, that everything is going to be ok. In our Gospel Doctrine class the topic was all about Easter and what the Savior has done for us. There were some really tender thoughts shared in that class that were really comforting. I had lots of sweet, happy tears that day!

Dad and Mom came up for Easter and Dad and Jordan gave me a priesthood blessing, and once again, I felt so much comfort and strength from that. I am so grateful for the priesthood authority that has been restored!

Meeting the Surgeon

Monday morning we went over to the office to meet the surgeon, Dr. Melvin, for the first time. He is a young doctor but had some good experience. He explained the typical procedures they follow. It was a little tricky when I met with him because I didn't have any test results yet, so it was hard for him to be able to tell me much except for the way they typically work with patients. 

I liked the fact that he brought in a couple of sheets of white paper and drew out the typical plan. With the kind of cancer I have (rectal cancer) first they go through a process of staging. There are two things they look for in the staging process. 

Local

They do an MRI on the pelvis to see the depth of the tumor in the wall of the rectum and they look at the lymph nodes to see if any/how many are affected.

Distant

They also do CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and the pelvis to check for spread. He said that the liver and the lungs are typically the first places colorectal cancer likes to spread. He also wanted me to get a CEA blood test so we could see my initial levels. That blood level is often a first indication that cancer has returned, even when other symptoms don't show yet.

Presenting my Case

After the tests are completed, then the surgeon will take my results and present them to the Tumor Board he sits on. There is the surgeon, a pathologist, radiologist, oncologist, etc. that sit on the board and review all of my data to make the best decision about my treatment plan. The plan was for him to present my case on Friday, 29 April 2022. 

Typical Treatments

Most patients go through three steps of treatment. First they try to reduce the size of the tumor through radiation and chemo together. The chemo in this stage really enhances the radiation and makes it more effective. Second they will do surgery to remove the tumor and 2-5 centimeters of the colon on either side to make sure they got the infected tissue. They will also try to remove any lymph nodes that are affected. Then additional chemotherapy as needed to make sure they got all of the cancer removed. There is a very good outlook. 

An Exam

Finally, the doctor did a rectal exam to feel for healthy tissue. One great blessing is there is healthy tissue on both sides of the tumor, so he said that is a really positive thing. 

Then the Really Fun Stuff

The rest of the day was actually a lot of fun! Mom and Dad got to exchange their mission truck for a brand spanking new one. You should have seen Elder Johnson's face when the Fleet Manager at the COB drove into the parking garage for the exchange. It was pretty awesome! We drove around the rest of the afternoon looking for some different items that they needed for the mission. That definitely was the fun part.

I thought I had taken a photo of them with the truck, but apparently I took photos with their phones and not mine. It's really fancy schmancy! Trust me!

I am grateful for Mom and Dad taking the time to come spend the day with me. Thank you to each of you for all of your prayers and support! I could not as for a better family! My tender mercy on this date was having that support! I really am so grateful!