Cancer free

This just in, hot off the presses....Carly Allen is cancer-free!

Gosh it felt great to type that sentence but that is just the headline and every headline has a story to go along with it.  Here is my new story, my new chapter(s).

The PET scan I had last week came back relatively clear.  There is what appears to be a fibroid issue in my uterus but it's stable and no need for concern at this time and the scan showed no current evidence of cancer.  I say "current evidence" because I'm still at high risk for reoccurrence since my margins are 1mm & 2mm and my surgeon was hoping for 8mm.  As a result of being high risk I'll be monitored every 1-2 months for at least the next year.  More scans and doctor exams are necessary to make sure if the cancer does comes back we catch it in time.

I'll remain high risk for shy of 2 years, if cancer stays away then that's fantastic and my odds continue to grow in my favour.  If the cancer does come back they'll catch it quick enough to most likely act in time.  I'll have the largest surgery to date involving an extreme colostomy.  Extreme because of the set backs I had with my last surgery and infection along with the side effects of radiation. Plastic surgery would happen, colostomy bag, abdominal surgery and more.  Needless to say the doctors feel my chances are better on a monitored basis than operation at this time.  Doesn't look like I'll be meeting Winnie anytime soon!  Winnie could do more damage to me than good at this stage and they don't want to risk trauma I can hopefully avoid.

In April I'll undergo a colonoscopy to determine if I have chrones or something  of similar nature.  2 weeks later back to see the Dr for a physical exam and in May another PET scan.  Cancer needs time to grow and my surgery was just 3 
months ago so time will tell.  

My Big Kahuna wound is healing well but not quite at 100%, however Friday will be my last hyperbaric treatment.  We definitely think that hyperbaric has been a huge part of my healing process and I'll miss seeing those great people.  I will not however miss the travel and starvation I felt daily!

I'm not cleared to enter a swimming pool quite yet so won't be joining mom in Palm Springs next week.  I will instead be home with dad and meeting with a wellness doctor for blood work and hopefully work out some sort of low fibre low sugar diet.  Food and bowels continue to be a large struggle for me and will no doubt take time to figure this out.  


Lots of information to wrap up on here but as you read, I'm cancer free however not all healed or done with my journey of wellness.  I do however have fantastic blood pressure and nails!  To my parents dismay, I'll be getting a tattoo on my left wrist saying "conquer". My first tattoo and forever memory. 

Love you all, will be keeping the same hashtag so the journey continues in sequence. Until my 5 year remission hits I continue to fight. 

#carly2conquercancer
XOXO

C