Like waiting for buses, they all seem to come at once. This week I got results back from (i) CT scans looks for evidence of cancer in head & neck, chest, and abdomen; and (ii) CT scans of my brain, taken sometime ago to check for a suspected aneurysm. I also saw a neurologist about my calcified disc, protruding into my spinal chord.
So let's get the cancer scans out of the way first:
"his scans remain clear of metastatic disease" is a phrase that never gets old, as you might image!! It's weird that this should still be a bit over-whelming, but it is. I think it's from the expectation of not wanting to fritter this precious time away, and of managing some of the survivors guilt that is inevitable.
After speaking to the oncologist, I think the frequeny of my scans will decrease in 2025, to possibly every 4 months (from the currert three). Moreover, possibly only my head & neck, and chest will be scanned, and not my abdomen, as cancer had never spread to that region of my body.
When is an aneurysm not an aneurysm? When it's an infundibulum:
And it turns out this is quite a common mis-diagnoses from scans. And while the former can turn into the latter this is very rare. An infundoibulum is a wee pouch that forms from an artery (often in the brain) but is small and risk of rupture is very small.
Calcified disc lesion:
This appointment again at the Royal Free was with a spinal neurosurgeon, and part of an annual check-up. Again, while the protruding disc into my spinal chord ought to be causing me problems, it isn't so there's no action to be taken at the moment, apart from recognsing any potential symptoms (instability, possible loss of use of legs, incontinence). So I've been discharged from their care.
I tried to distill all of this into a short video, which I think gets over how it's been a pretty good week, all in all.
Your smiles say it all Anson. Amazing news! 💚