Checking in; Class of 18? (OT)

Hi Everyone! It's been a while so I thought I'd check in.
For a quick recap, I had my colon out 5 years ago and as a bonus they found cancer. (Yippee.) I had 6 months of chemo and then had my J pouch "takedown." All was basically fine until my routine, regularly scheduled post-cancer CT scan at 4 years out showed a recurrence. To make it more complicated, there are metastasies all around on my abdominal wall, in addition to a mass in my pelvis, which is up against various organs and the J pouch. So the mass would not be easy to remove and the various "spots"... well, it would be nearly impossible to be sure they got them all if they tried to remove them. I had a second laparosopy in November (about 5 months ago) to confirm this.
SO, I am on chemo for life. We are treating this as a chronic disease. And now I am taking home chemo. It's pills, which I take for 2 weeks and then have a week off. At the beginning of each cycle I have bloodwork and see the oncologist and have one infusion for 15 minutes, Avastin, to boost the efficacy of the chemo.
My surgeon told me he's had a number of patients on this and they do well. One person has been on this protocol for 18 years and he's doing fine. And then my new PCP told me last week that he has another patient with colon cancer, on this chemo, and he's known her for 7 or 8 years and she's doing fine. He told me he figured I'd be around awhile, so I ought to schedule the various things I might otherwise put off (cholestrol screening, teeth cleaning, etc.)
Those words from that doc were such a boost! I don't know if doctors realize that their role as a cheerleader might be almost as important as their medical treatment.
Oh, and after my 2nd chemo session almost a year ago, we did as we'd planned; we retired and moved to another state, about 250 miles. So I've had to find new doctors. And I had very deep roots in the old location. It's interesting how unsettling it is to feel like a newcomer. In the old place I knew everybody, through the various jobs I had over the years and through my kids when they were young and in school. Here we know a few folks and our kids are fairly close, so that makes up for a lot. I'm "retired" but now that I'm beginning to feel settled I'm hoping to have some short-term jobs, playing music or speaking for an event here or there.
The chemo causes diarrhea, so I'm on Lomotil and an antispasmodic called hyoscyamine, which helps me a lot more than Bentyl did. And I still love my J pouch! I find it a lot more predictable and easier to live with than UC.
Best to you all! (If I start naming names I'll leave someone out by mistake......)
Meg

Song... I'm glad to 'hear' that you are doing ok. I am sorry that you, or anyone, has to deal with cancer of any type. I keep hoping that some smart person will find a cure. One would think...if we can invent weapons to wipe out every human on the planet, we could find a cure for cancer. LOL You just continue to do well and keep us posted. I do enjoy seeing posts and updates from everyone. Stay safe and feel well.

And 3timechamp happy 5 th to you also . Can’t believe it’s been 5 years . Those kidney stones you keep producing … stop that !!!! And another hernia I am so sorry that can’t be fun . I told you before let the young foolish guys carry all the heavy stuff you be the watcher that’s it. Other then those two fairly big issues I hope your doing well . How’s the weather in your neck of the woods any sign of spring ?

You've sure had your challenges, Champ! I had one hernia surgery; the hernia was near my stoma site. It was robotic and tey put in a large mesh. So far, so good. (I had this in 2019.) And they keep telling mne I have one kidney stone, but it has not bothered me so far. It keeps showing up on CT scans. My son had a condition that gave him kidney stones (calcium) starting at age 5... he finally had a lithotripsy when he was in 2nd grade, and has been fine since. So I've seen the pain involved!
Valli, we have some snow left also - we live in Maine now. (I can't wave across the Sound at you anymore, Champ!) Last Fall we put in a bunch of bulbs. By "we" I mean I pointed and my husband planted them, lol! And the area of yard where we put the bulbs is exactly the area still covered in snow. We do have a sunny area up against the house where the snow is gone and daffodils look as though they are going to open soon.
It's great to hear from you, friends! Be strong!

Dear OH - Thank you! Each time I hear about someone who has been on this pill-based chemo successfully for years, it's such a boost!
My various docs had started to retire on me, so needing to find all new providers would have happened even if we had not moved. I am happy to have younger doctors, figuring they will not retire on me! It's great you have connected with an internal med MD; it's really hard to find one these days. And that first appointment was 8 months away for me with my new one! But I borrowed a trick from my DH: I calkled the office and ascertained that the doc was indeed takijng new patients, and then when I heard I couldn't get an appointment for so long, I asked for an appointment with his nurse practitioner. I was able to get in to see her in about 1 1/2 months! So at least I felt a connection to the office, and could write in the internist's name when various other doctors and offices asked for it.
I had cataract surgery about 10 years ago, along with my hip replacements. I'm glad there are so many new meds for UC these days; years ago it was just prednisone or sulfasalazine. So I was on the evil pred for two years, which later showed up in the cataracts and hips. It's great you have hung on so long before dealing with cataracts!
You're right about the availability of fish. Every week some kind of fish is on sale at the grocery store, and it's so fresh I haven't bothered to go to the more expensive fish markets.
In these last few days, the last of the snow in our yard has begun to melt and the bulbs are beginning to bloom, which is so cheerful. I look forward to our star magnolia blooming, and then in a while, the lilacs: our neighborhood is absolutely chock full of lilacs, so a walk around the block is especially delightful!
Funny, I hadn't been to The City in several years, but I miss it! Enjoy it for me!

Song enjoy Maine. Some beautiful country up there. Can’t wave across the sound anymore. I don’t need Drs as much as I used to when I had UC but happy you and OH are happy with your medical Drs. Post on here about how unhappy people are with medical care. Expression goes Drs are like car mechanics-you hope you get a good one. I’ve been lucky with Dr choices. And being I lease a car no worries with mechanics when it’s under warranty. Nice and hot in the baked Apple today. Be well guys