Another Week in Rochester

It’s hard to believe that 4 years ago I was in my second week of treatments at Mayo. Returning to Rochester this week has had a feeling of homecoming. There is a strong feeling of familiarity and safety in this community and especially in the Mayo medical system.

This trip they did a PET/CT scan along with the blood work. In less than two hours the results were posted on my portal.

Overall it was a great report. The following is a summary from my chart after meeting with my oncologist, Dr. Halfdanarson:

“Mr. Harty has no evidence of recurrent malignancy. Although most localized anorectal NECs recur outside of the pelvis, they usually do so within 2-3 years and he is almost 4 years out without recurrence. I think there is a very good chance he is cured of this malignancy. He is at a slightly increased risk of other pelvic malignancies from prior radiotherapy.

Although there is no FDG PET evidence of recurrent disease, there is somewhat diffuse FDG avidity of the left colon and the rectosigmoid colon. I will bring that up with Dr. Alexander in Gastroenterology who is seeing him later this week.”

Dr. Halfdanarson is not too concerned with the additional findings, and feels a colonoscopy would rule anything else out. I meet with the gastroenterologist this morning.

All in all, a great report.

Good News

We are back at Mayo again…this time at the Phoenix and Scottsdale campus in Arizona. My last checkup was in June, making this the longest span between tests. This will be a quick visit. We arrived shortly after noon today (about a 4 1/2 hour drive), they did my bloodwork and scan late this afternoon, and by dinner my results were posted to my portal. The report summary read “No evidence of thoracic metastatic disease”. I’ll take that! We meet with my doctor next week to get the official results and find out when I get tested next. Each time I get a clear test I think the odds of this thing not coming back tilts more and more in my favor.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we head back to Rancho Mirage.

Jon took the photo below of the sunset tonight in Scottsdale.

Time Flies!!!

We are back at Mayo this week for my latest round of tests. I love and appreciate the speed and efficiency of the process. Testing began yesterday (Monday) morning at 6:40 with a blood draw, then a flexible sigmoid scope, followed by a skull to thigh PET CT scan that finished around 2:00. We then met with the doctor this morning at 9:00 for the results. That’s amazingly fast.

Great news again. The PET CT showed no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease. Lovely words to hear! The scope also showed nothing in the area of the original tumor. The blood work did indicate my leukocytes (white blood cells) were low. This could possibly be damage to the bone marrow from the chemo. Dr. Halfdanarson is not too concerned, but wants to recheck it in a couple months. We will do that in Kalamazoo.

This was an interesting visit because it is the first time being at Mayo without a mask. So it was the first time I’ve seen my doctor’s face in person. It was great to finally see and shake hands with one of the significant caregivers in the successful treatment of my cancer.

Anyways…life is good. My next round of tests will be in 6 months.

Mayo #3

We made a quick trip to Scottsdale, Arizona Sunday for my latest checkup. It was a nice drive…a little over 4 hours. Mayo has three locations in the US - Rochester (Minnesota), Jacksonville (Florida), and Scottsdale/Phoenix (Arizona). We have now visited all three.

This morning (Monday) they did bloodwork and a CT scan of my chest, abdomen and pelvis. We were back on the road shortly after noon. I’ve been a little nervous about getting my scan results, because I won’t be able to meet with my doctor until next Friday, the 27th. I hate the thought of waiting for the results. Luckily, the wait wasn’t that long because the results of the bloodwork and scans were posted in my patient portal in the early afternoon. My blood work numbers were all in the acceptable ranges. The CT scans showed no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease…whew!!! We will still video conference with the doctor on the 27th to get the official word and to discuss when my next checkup will be.

I continue to feel fortunate.

I was fascinated with the giant saguaro cactus. They were everywhere once we hit Arizona.

We saw dozens of old VW vans along the way. This one’s bumper was a little too close to the road for my comfort.

I have no idea why a boat would be there….in the middle of the desert!!!

Love the mountains!

Entrance to the Mayo campus. It was a rainy morning, so not a great pic. Despite the rain (and the bad photo) it was pretty.

Check-Up

We were back at Mayo this week for my latest check-up. It has been four months since the last round of tests. This round included a flexible sigmoidoscopy, blood work, and a CT scan…all on Monday. We met with my oncologist this morning (Tuesday) to get the results. All good…no detectable signs of cancer. Dr. Halfdanarson said this was a significant milestone because there has been no detectable signs of cancer for the two year period since the completion of my treatments (it’s actually only been 23 months, but close enough). Usually, they see a reoccurrence of the cancer within the first two years post completion of treatment, so this is pretty good news! Dr. Halfdanarson also shared that Mayo has seen three more patients with the same cancer as mine and that they all followed the same treatment regimen used on me…and all three have had successful results so far! My next checkup will be in 5 months…this will be the longest I’ve gone in between check-ups.

We are back home. It was a fast trip…I’m exhausted, but feel great!

On our walk Sunday morning in Rochester - using Google to identify flora.

Time for Another Checkup

After an enjoyable and relaxing winter in the south (and a quick visit to the west coast) it was time for another checkup. We arrived in Rochester Sunday afternoon to settle in before my tests on Monday morning. Testing this visit consisted of blood work and a PET CT scan. Before I forget to mention it - it is freezing here in Minnesota. When we left the hotel this morning the real feel was only 15 degrees…brrr!

We met with my oncologist, Dr. Halfdanarson, late this morning to get the results. The blood work was perfect. For the first time since all this started ALL my numbers were within the appropriate range. Even better news - the PET CT scan showed no signs of cancer. Dr. Halfdanarson continues to be excited by my test results. My next round of tests will be in 4-5 months. He indicated that this next round of tests will be significant because it will be the two year mark since my treatments ended. It is believed that the chance of reoccurrence is reduced at this point.

It is a great relief to be done with this checkup. I get really anxious just before and during the checkup.

My lucky socks…part of the test day attire.

Back at it Again

We were back at Mayo this week for another round of tests. This was my 6th round of tests since my treatments ended about 15 months ago. The test combinations vary from visit to visit. This time it was blood work and a CT scan on Monday and then a sigmoidoscopy this morning. We met with the oncologist, Dr. Halfdanarson, at 11:00 to review the results (can you believe how fast they are?). He came in the room and before he sat down said “great news”. Then he followed up with my favorite words “no detectable signs of cancer”! He pointed out that I’m now entering into my second year after treatment with no new signs of cancer and that he is feeling more and more optimistic. That’s good to hear. He also felt we could go 4 months until my next round of tests…so our next trip to Mayo will be in mid to late April. Life is good!

By the way…we were able to catch a late afternoon flight from Minneapolis and got home around 8:00 tonight.

Still a smile after fasting all day…only about 18 more hours until I could eat something other than jello!

Monumental Milestone

One year ago today I heard these words for the first time: “The tests show a complete response to the treatments - there is no indication of any living cancer cells remaining from the original tumor or from the two affected lymph nodes. In addition, the scans also indicate there are no new occurrences anywhere else”.

During my treatments we started planning a trip to Greece. It was a way to think positively about the future. We are on that trip now. It has meant so much to me beyond the typical excitement of visiting a new place. It was goal we had set for the future, that became a reality. It was something that help to take our minds off the cancer. So, being in Greece one year later has been a celebration for us.

Power of Socks

We are back at Mayo this week for my latest round of tests. Testing kicked off this morning with blood work at 6:45, followed by a PET/CT scan stating at 8:15 and finishing around 10:30. We then met with Dr. Halfdanarson at 2:30 to get the results. Blood work was good with everything pretty much within normal ranges. The PET/CT scan once again showed no detectable signs of cancer. Whew…I can breathe again! The doctor continues to be amazed, and of course pleased with my results. He still reiterates that they don’t know much about my cancer but he says he gets more and more optimistic with each round of testing that shows no cancer. My next round of tests will be in mid-late December, just before Christmas. Guess what I’m asking Santa for?

Now about the socks. The peace socks in the picture we’re given to me several weeks ago by my good friend Sue Caulfield. They were to be my good luck charm for this round of testing. I saved them and wore them for the first time today. Not only are they cool - they gave me that little extra calm I needed today.

This is what a PET/CT machine looks like.

Anniversaries

A year ago today [August 7, 2020] I rang the bell after completing my 25th and final radiation treatment. It was an emotional act for me then and a year later the memory still stirred emotions as I reread my blog post from that day.

It has been nearly 14 months since my diagnosis. June 9th was the day my journey began. I had planned to write a post on the anniversary of that day but when it came time it didn’t feel right. I didn’t really know what to say. As the anniversary of each of the events leading to the start of my treatments arrived, Jon and I would talk about each one.

Until recently I had not reread my blog posts. I started my blog on June 28, so on that day this year I started rereading my blog one day at a time, keeping pace with each post’s anniversary. I remember much about this time, but I’m also amazed at how much of the details I had forgotten - or more accurately, I had pushed to the back of my mind. I wasn’t sure how I would feel revisiting this time period of my journey, but now that I’m many weeks into it I am glad I’m rereading my posts. I think that revisiting this past is part of moving forward. I read each post, share with Jon and we talk and count count our blessings - and then we move on. Most of all the posts remind me of the strength we both had to deal with cancer. The posts also remind me of all the support we had and all the love expressed in so many ways.

On this day a year ago I felt the hope as I rang the bell. I’m now slightly over nine months cancer free and I feel that same hope everyday.

Check Up

These past three months really flew by - bringing us back to Rochester, once again, for my next round of tests. Today started early with blood work at 7:30 and then a CT scan at 8:15. I love the speed and efficiency in which they work here. The results of the blood work was posted to my online portal within 2 hours. We met with Dr. Halfdanarson (my medical oncologist) at 1:30 to get the results of the CT scan. He started off saying he had great news to share. He said the CT scan shows no signs of the cancer and my blood work numbers are near perfect. We talked some about the neuropathy in my feet as well as some other lingering effects of the radiation. Since both issues continue to improve he remains optimistic. He is very pleased and excited by my progress. My next round of testing will be in early September.

Heavy traffic during our drive to Rochester on Monday. Thankfully it was a little lighter in our direction.

Another milestone today. 1320 consecutive days of hitting my move goal. My watch keeps me moving!

More Tests

We got home from Florida a week ago today and then left for Rochester this past Monday for my next round of tests, scopes and scans. Monday was a COVID test…which was negative (undetected). My tests (an endoscopic ultrasound, blood work, and PET/CT scan) were all on Wednesday. Today (Thursday) we met with medical oncology and then the GI surgeon. We received great news! All reports show that I am still cancer free…still in remission! They did a biopsy yesterday of some scar tissue, but they don’t expect it to be anything to worry about...they are just being cautious. The doctors continue to be beyond pleased with my progress. My next round of tests will be in three months.

More good news…I was contacted today to schedule my COVID vaccine. I’m confirmed for Monday. Jon is scheduled for Saturday. 2021 is looking up in many ways!

View of the sunset from our Rochester apartment window.

Test Results

Today was our virtual meeting with the medical oncologist to get the results of last week’s scan. The scan showed a small (tiny tiny) spot at the sight of the original tumor. Dr. Halfdanarson is not really concerned at this time - he feels it is most likely an indication of inflammation from my treatments. The great news is the scans did not show anything else, anywhere else, in my body. We will go back to Rochester the second week in March for more extensive testing. The doctor is adding a couple more tests to the original plan to identify the spot - it is also possible that the spot may even be gone by then. Despite this small spot Dr. Halfdanarson says I look great and my bloodwork numbers are near perfect. He reiterated that he is not overly concerned about the spot and is very pleased with my progress. My Mayo care team has always been extremely cautious on all things so we are following Dr. Halfdanarson’s guidance and taking this as a good report. 😁

Practicing pickleball…..

Jacksonville Mayo

As you can imagine, the Mayo campus in Jacksonville is just beautiful. More important was that everyone I encountered was just as kind and caring as the staff in Rochester. My PET/CT scan was scheduled for 11:30, but I received a call a little after 9:00 to see if I wanted to come in early. We had just finished repacking the car so we went right away. The good part is that I was done and we were on the road by a little after 12:00 (rather than the expected 2:00 or 2:30). Now, we wait for the results!

We arrived in Key West a little after 3:00 today. It feels like home. Did a little unpacking but will wait and do the rest tomorrow. I’m tired!

Happy New Year!

The Davis Building where I had my scans and my blood work done.

Yes, that’s Jon! He does have a tendency to walk faster that I do sometimes 😁.

The grounds are very nice…a very calming setting.

Heading South

Monday morning, with the boys in tow, we left the freezing north for a leisurely drive to Key West. This is our first year driving. It’s a long trip for two people who don’t really like to drive long distances, but after driving back and forth to Rochester numerous times we thought we could handle it.

At the end of day two of our road trip we spending the night in Atlanta. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we head to Jacksonville, Florida, which is another reason for deciding to drive. I’m due for my next round of scans and blood work and Mayo has a campus in Jacksonville. My doctor made arrangements for me to be tested there on Thursday and then I have a virtual appointment with him next week (the 7th) to get the results. This will be the longest we’ve ever had to wait for test results, but he is on vacation until the 7th.

Overall my health has been pretty darn good. Just a couple residual side affects from my treatments, but nothing I can’t tolerate. I have some neuropathy in both my feet and most of the time it feels like my socks are bunched up under my feet - even when I’m barefooted. Other times my feet feel kind of numb and tingly. Mentally I still have some bad days. I try not to obsess, but I do worry some about my test results. I worry they will see something and I worry that something is there and they don’t see it. I walk a lot so I have a lot of time to think. Cancer is not on my mind every minute, but it does still cross my mind every day. I’m hoping that will fade somewhat over time. I’ve gone back to work on a limited basis but I find it very hard to focus for very long. I almost forgot….I got my first haircut in almost 6 months on Saturday before we left. I needed it and it felt great. Despite the occasional bad days I am happy and I feel very fortunate to be in remission. I also remain optimistic that I will continue to stay in remission.

Somewhere in southern Tennessee. I’m such a “serious” driver.

The boys snoozing in the back seat - they are great little travelers.

Rest area near Calhoun, Tennessee. Milton looking for the perfect tree! The weather is warming up…in the upper 50s.

Jon and Izzy at the same rest area.

Tears of Joy

More good news today - actually it was awesome news. Surgery is not needed at this time. The surgeon performed a lower scope this morning and was amazed with how everything looked. After the scope he consulted with my medical oncologist and both felt that aggressive monitoring would be a good plan of action. I will have CT scans every other month for at least the next year and the surgeon will do another scope in six months.

I can’t thank everyone enough for all your prayers, thoughts and words of encouragement and support. I could not have made it through this without you. Thank you!

I will continue to update my blog as my cancer journey continues.

On our walk today. A new trail around the quarry.

All those specks in the sky are geese. There were hundreds of them flying and honking. We were afraid to look up too long.

I just gotta keep moving!

Back at Mayo

This is our 7th trip to Rochester since my diagnosis in early June. The drive yesterday was uneventful, but it was nice seeing the countryside in a new season. Not much in the way of appointments today - just a blood draw and a COVID test. This is in preparation for surgery that is tentatively scheduled for Thursday. Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning I have a lower scope and consultation (both) with the surgeon. This is when we will finally learn if surgery is recommended, so we can make a final decision. I’ve been pretty nervous waiting for this to be decided - just a few more hours. Today was a beautiful day in Rochester - started off a cold 37, but the high turned out to be 75 (and sunny). Always the optimist I threw some shorts in the suitcase at the last minute.

This morning’s walk…before it warmed up.

The hair is starting to fill in…the dark hair is growing back!

What a beautiful tree!

Back Home

Today’s trip home was uneventful. We left Rochester with the ground covered in snow and arrived home to weather in the 50’s. We will return to Rochester on November 2 for blood work and a COVID test on the 3rd, then a flexible sigmoidoscopy on the 4th as well as a consultation with the surgeon. This is when he will give his recommendation regarding surgery. Only two more weeks to wait. 😁

On our trip home today…somewhere in southern Wisconsin (near Janesville I believe). I sure wouldn’t want to make a wrong turn.

Test Results

Today was a pretty good day.  The results of the MRI and the PET/CT scan both showed a complete response to the treatments, which means there is no indication of any living cancer cells remaining from the original tumor or the two affected lymph nodes.  In addition, the scans also indicate there are no new occurrences anywhere else.  So basically...right now...I am cancer free!  I am a survivor!

BUT, and there is always a but, there is no clear path forward in regards to surgery or no surgery.  Why? Because there just is not enough data available on my type of cancer.  In the study at Mayo there are only 30 patients in the past 20 years that have experienced this type of cancer. So there is very little evidence based information available.  My tumor was caught at the earliest stage of all of the 30 so there is NO evidence of a clear path forward regarding whether or not to have surgery to improve life expectancy.  Because my cancer was a small cell cancer there is a high probability (but not a absolute) that it will resurface somewhere in my body.  My medical oncologist, Dr. Halfdanarson, is going to consult more with my Radiology Oncologist, Dr. Owen and the surgeon, Dr. Dozios.  He feels the scope I have scheduled with Dr. Dozios in a couple weeks is an important piece in determining the best course of action.  We met with Dr. Owen after Dr. Halfdanarson and she said her recommendation to the medical team would be observation (frequent testing) with no surgery.  Like Dr. Halfdanarson, she also favors me having the scope in two weeks with Dr. Dozios to get a visual look at the tumor.  Surgery or no surgery I will have a PET/CT or regular CT scan every two months to check for reoccurrences of the cancer.  My head is still swimming with all this news.

So, all my surgery related appointments, scheduled for the week of November 2, remain on the calendar. My scope with Dr. Dozios is scheduled for the 4th. This is the date the final determination for surgery will be decided.

On the lighter side it was a beautiful snowy day here today...cold, but not unbearable.

Winter is Here!

Not much to report yet. Today’s tests all went smoothly. Now we just wait (only a few more hours).

It sure is cold here. It was in the 20’s when we went for a walk early this morning. When we left for my afternoon test it was spitting a little snow….not much, but now I see we have a Winter Weather Advisory for tomorrow with expected snow accumulation of 2-4 inches. I don’t think I’m ready for this!