 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | I played 18 holes today and didn't think about cancer ONCE! The further away you get from it the less fear you will have. In the beginning I felt angst for days prior to an exam. Now I don't really think about it. It's not a whole lot different than going to the dentist. It is true though that you can be cancer free but not free from cancer.
In the beginning I saw all of my team doctors at 6 week intervals. At 25+ months I see the RO and Onc every 6 months and the H&N surgeon every 4 months. I get an annual chest x-ray and blood work every 6 months. They always do a TSH level, WBC, RBC and complete liver function (because of my hep C - probably not the cancer).
The 2 year mark is significant. By then, IF you were going to have a recurrence, there is a 95% chance of it happening within the 1st 2 years. Although they say it's 5 years to really be declared cancer free.
I think we were wired to worry but just take it one day at a time and live each day like it could be your last.
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
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"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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