Newest Challenge - Paul Rodier

Part 1 Nov 2015

This blog is an attempt to organize, inform and to log my challenge with my health.  The early parts (1 through 3) will be made up of e-mail correspondence to friends and family as I went through the various parts of Cancer therapy.  Part 4 will be blog entries for those same folks to meet the same objectives without filling their e-mail boxes with my comments, observations, experiences and anxieties.
This health challenge has now been extended past the short 1 year expectation.
Please feel free to contact me directly should you have any specific input or questions.  This blog idea was and is intended to make information available without "pushing" it on you.  It will take me a bit of effort to catch up with the situation (pre-November 2016) but I will endeavour to do that soon.  In the interim I will start to log my situation, thoughts and observations going forward from Part 4.


Part 1.
November 2014
(add a recap of initial test and diagnosis)

January 5 , 2015

E-Mail note:

On Nov 15 I was diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer based on a random colonoscopy.   That started a chain of events that lead to a series of tests, discussions, further diagnosis and needless to say some significant changes in my life/future.  Over the last six weeks I have learned a great deal about this situation, cancer, medical support and the need for my team to both be in the know and be supportive of what is ahead.  I am letting you know that I consider you as part of my team due to our family connection and my fondness for you guys.

The situation, at this moment is that I have some surgery in the near future to remove part of my rectum (as I have cancer in the rectal part of the colorectal system).  My Surgical Oncologist has called in all the tests I have done to date (in several different labs) to conduct her own review plus added a number of tests that will be completed by Jan 15.  At that time I am meeting my Dr. again and she will outline her recommended treatment program.  That program will vary depending on the outcome of her review.  Optimistically it could be just surgery but there is potential for Chemo treatment and or radiation.  I have learned that there is no single answer as all cases and people are different so this program will customized to meet my specific needs. 

My Dr. has indicated that this is not a critical thing at this point (Stage 1) as they have so far been able to report that the cancer has not travelled to nearby organs.  That is great news by the way.  None-the-less on her word that this is not critical, Freddi and I have booked a brief Caribbean vacation which has us leaving here on the 16^th.  It is my hope that we will be able to make that trip and I feel pretty confident that will be the case.  This vacation is to give Freddi a much needed break and for us to collect our thoughts and emotions to prepare for the way forward.