5 Years all clear

[jdbob]

My RPLND was 5 years ago today. Had a bit of a scare in early 2005, but blood tests and chest x-rays are still normal.

For life's next indignity, next week I'm going in for my first colonoscopy. Going to try a "virtual colonoscopy" instead of having them ram a camera up my arse.

[Kiwi]

'Enjoy' the new experience.

Cheers

Kiwi :) :)

[Scott]

Congratulations on the five-year anniversary. That's huge. I hope you pick a better way to celebrate than your virtual colonoscopy!

[Paul54]

Hey, Bob. Great news. Congrats!

I'm not a sadist or anything, but I think everybody needs to experience a full colonscopy at least once. New perspective on life, and all that. Anyway, hope everything comes out clean.:)

[Itsadeepbluesea]

Great to hear the five year anniversary!!! Sorry about the fun colonoscopy to come.

[Karen]

jdbob,

Congrats on the 5 year all clear and belated happy birthday!!!! Wishes for mant, many more helathy and happy years to come!

[Fed]

Congratulations on such a great milestone!
I'm not a sadist or anything, but I think everybody needs to experience a full colonscopy at least once.
Public service announcement here: colonoscopies should be a part of anyone's physical exam starting at age 50 (40 if you have a family history of colon cancer). These aid enormously in catching colon cancer early.

[Chris'Mom]

Congrats on the five year mark...Mary Ellen

[Cricketer]

Well done on the five year mark. The "big one" for cancer patients.

Cheers

Mike

[MRMRSU]

Congrats on your milestone...if it's any consolation, Andy had to have a colonoscopy at the unripe age of 31. Totally agree with Fed on it's importance, but totally agree with you about it being slightly undignified :)

[jdognite]

Congratulations on your 5 years. I will be joining you in December of this year when I reach the 5 year anniversary of my RPLND.

Good Luck to you in the future!

- Josh

[Sibbe]

Congrats on your 5-year mark, thats a huge step.

I dont envy you the colonoscopy experience, never had it, but if its what it takes I'll have one. I come to think of when I got a catherer, there are parts of the body where things are supposed to get out, those parts should not have parts going in... :)

/Thomas

[jdognite]

Thomas

I remember having one of those catheter experiences myself. I always joked that after all I'd been through, the catheter procedure while conscious was the worst of them all.:rolleyes:

[Kurt]

Hey Tom.

Well done for beating this disease mate.

Tom, how big were the mets to your lungs. I have 3 (2mm, 5mm and 8mm)My oncologist tells me that they are quite small considering what he has seen with thsi disease.

Whats your experience.

Cheers Tom.

Kurt

[Smartie]

Hi Tom.

Huge congratulations on a huge anniversary!

[Another Mom]

Congratulations on reaching the 5 year mark. How relieved you must feel. I can't wait until my son reaches that day but we've got a long way to go. Congratulations again!

[jdbob]

Drove 3 hours to Bend yesterday afternoon and rented a hotel room. Did the preperation last night and this morning as per the instructions. Turned up at Central Oregon Radiology and it turns out that they sent me the wrong preperation kit!! I thought it was lacking when I received it and questioned them when I made the appointment, but they assured me they had sent the correct chemicals.

They suggested they could give the proper prep kit and I could make a new appointment. There is no way I'm going to reward incompetence like that. I'll go to Idaho before I do that.

Not surprised the U.S. is rated 37th in the world for health care.....

[Aegean]

Bob,

Congrats on the 5 years and sorry they made you drink the junk Zitro/Citro-whatever they call it and the enemas of course...not fun.

As for the virtual, I would be careful if this is your first time. If you are prone to polyps, the virtual will be followed up by a real old-fashioned colonoscopy to remove polyps for biopsy. Just as in TC, these "lumps", aka polyps, are mostly benign but do have to be checked.

The virtual also leaves you bloated and gassy as the blow a bunch of air where the sun don't shine. Although accuracey is within 90%+ of regular c-scopy for polyp detection 8mm+, it falls at sizes below 8mm... BTW I have never had one.

[jdbob]

Bob,

Congrats on the 5 years and sorry they made you drink the junk Zitro/Citro-whatever they call it and the enemas of course...not fun.

Something called Gastroview, a little bit of diarrhea, but not bad.


As for the virtual, I would be careful if this is your first time. If you are prone to polyps, the virtual will be followed up by a real old-fashioned colonoscopy to remove polyps for biopsy. Just as in TC, these "lumps", aka polyps, are mostly benign but do have to be checked.

If it's your first time, how would you know you are prone to polyps? :)

From what I've read only 5-10% of the time is anything found that would warrant a normal colonoscopy, so you have at least a 90% chance of not needing it.


The virtual also leaves you bloated and gassy as the blow a bunch of air where the sun don't shine. Although accuracey is within 90%+ of regular c-scopy for polyp detection 8mm+, it falls at sizes below 8mm... BTW I have never had one.

I believe it's down to 5mm now. Bloated and gassy, so it's like eating at Taco Bell? :)