2024 Cancer Update

Wherein I share my current health status

I haven’t written about my cancer in a while, so I wanted to share one small update.

I’ve been NED (No Evidence of Detectable disease) since November of 2022.

Every 3 months I got a fresh CT scan and bloodwork, including a Signaterra test.

All my scans and bloodwork have been clean until the November 2023 Signaterra.

This graph makes the trend look worse than it is; my positive result is very tiny. The Signaterra range is 0-1, and I went from 0.0 to 0.06, but the purpose of a Signaterra is to test for microscopic cancer DNA circulating through the blood. My 0.0 results were negative for cancer DNA. This 0.06 result is positive, and the entire purpose of this test is to be a harbinger.

So I’ve had an MRI and a PET scan since this result because Dr Gold is trying to be real diligent and find out where this result is coming from, and so far, everything has been clean. The MRI showed some “activity” in one of my ablated sites where tumors had been before my treatment and surgery, but it might just be some random inflammation. So I was sent in for a PET scan, which involves injecting barium into my bloodstream, which will bind with cancerous sugars or something and cause the PET scan to “light up” if any cancer exists. The result of that PET scan was “completely cold,” according to my oncologist.

This is probably what post-cancer life will be like for me—living from scan to scan. I am tremendously lucky to be in my position; most stage 4 patients don’t get this kind of reprieve.

For now, I’m still taking time off, eating into my retirement funds, taking adventures with my boys while they’re still young, and figuring out what divorced, unemployable, post-cancer diagnosis life is like.

I’m sure I’m making mistakes, but I am done living in fear, and more importantly, I am done teaching my boys to live in fear. We’re going to do all the things and enjoy whatever time is left.

I am not fearful of death; I am fearful of not living enough to correct mistakes in how I’ve taught my boys to live before my inevitable return to chemo or debilitating treatment. Maybe I’ll end up broke and even more unemployable than before. Maybe I’ll find new regrets I can’t yet foresee, but I honestly don’t care about any of those things. Time with my boys is paramount, and I love every minute.

Thanks to everyone for your unwavering support as I go through this number one fun time party. ;-)