Cancer Sucks!

So since the CT scan at Whistler in June its been a whirlwind of doctors appointments and diagnostic tests and surgery.  Chris got the shocking news that his colo-rectal cancer had not only returned, but had metastasized as well.  In a split second, life as you know it is gone. Getting diagnosed like this throws your entire universe into a free fall.   Those words, “I’m sorry, but your cancer has returned” can never really be erased once they have been chiseled into your memories. The urgency with which they attach to our lives create what is possibly the most traumatic shock wave we are likely to experience.

So July 21st was a colonoscopy, July 25th was a lung biopsy, which was repeated August 3rd, a PET scan at the cancer clinic August 31st and colon surgery on September 21st. 

Unfortunately, and 32 staples later, once the surgeon opened Chris up, he found the colon tumour stuck on the pelvis and between 2 iliac arteries so it was too risky to remove. They were, however, successfully able to remove a bladder lesion from the outside of the bladder which was a colon spread.    The plan now is to radiate the tumour to shrink it enough to try surgery again. In the meantime, Chris started Chemo on November 9th, and he will have a CT scan on Nov 21st to mark the tumour area on his skin so radiation treatments can be started a few weeks later. It is hoped the chemo will help the lung lesiion in the lower right lung which is also a colon spread, and then they can do lung surgery in the new year.   It is clearly going to be a long haul for Chris, but he is focused on beating this and enduring the treatments.  In the meantime our lives are 100% focused on fighting this horrid disease.