This time colon cancer in the form of a small cancerous polyp. The portion of my colon containing that polyp and the surrounding lymph nodes were removed. Annual colonoscopies are in my future.

This is my third cancer removal surgery. The first was three years ago, December of 2019, a cancerous tumor and the associated right kidney were removed. Annual CT scans and X-rays for the rest of my life.

The second was about a year and a half ago, March 2021, my enlarged prostate and the small but nonetheless cancerous tumor it contained were removed. PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test will be done semi-annually.

Which as a practical matter means, every year, prior to my annual physical I will get a CT scan of my lower abdomen, lung X-rays, PSA level and now an annual colonoscopy. Keeping track of usernames and passwords for my various medical providers “systems”, any one of which I don’t log into often, is a challenge I face..

It’s early days post colon surgery. A consultation with an oncologist to see what I can do to prevent / predict other cancers is in my future. Along that line, I try to keep our daughters informed so they and their physicians can keep a wary eye out, just in case any of this is hereditary.

Nobody knows for sure if any of my cancers will return but we, several doctors and I, are reasonably hopeful they will not. All three of my cancers were caught early. “The cancer did not exceed the margins” is what the doctor said and what their reports stated for all three of my cancers. That means no cancer was found outside of what they removed from my body. Basically those magical words are a thumbs up emoji.

How I feel about having had cancer is evolving. I’ve always said I don’t want to be defined by my cancer. I still don’t, but here is the reality of it for me. It is what it is.

The cancer is discovered then a plan is made. More tests needed to prepare for surgery. Thorough preoperative physical. In each case I was in the hospital for several days. The first 36 hours in the hospital were pretty intense but for the couple days after that, while I healed enough to go home, it got progressively more boring.

My life is different because I had cancer mostly because life is a bit different with only one kidney, no prostate and a shorter colon. Different but not outrageously different.

My cancers were all caught early. Each of the cancers would likely have been fatal if not caught early.
In each case I had no symptoms. My kidneys were well functioning, mild discomfort which went away but let’s do the routine follow up anyway. A routine five year colonoscopy routinely scheduled to happen before my annual Medicare physical. While seeing a urologist about my enlarged prostate he suggested we do a scan just to be sure.

By the time one gets symptoms with kidney cancer it has already spread to your lungs. And apparently it’s a hard fight. If colon cancer spreads to your lymph nodes you are in for a hard fight. If prostate cancer spreads outside the prostate you are often in for a multi organ hard fight.

It sort of freaks me out that I had cancer before I had any symptoms of having cancer. Do I still have undiscovered cancer? Hopefully not.

What I do have is a life living with one kidney, no prostate and a chunk of my colon removed, the consequences of which are not supposed to be too bad but only time will tell.

My life with one kidney for me means my blood does not get cleaned out as well as it should be. My doctor is not at all surprised that I get more tired more easily than I used to. I can power through the tired and have very active days but then the piper must be paid and I need to rest so my body can clean out my blood. It is getting better but afternoon naps are still refreshing.

The removal of a prostate, at least for me, is about controlling my pee. Leaks happen. Mostly just a couple drops. I haven’t just wet my pants but I have occasionally changed my underwear a couple times a day. I wear a thin pad and that usually is enough.

I can walk and rollerblade. I’m currently on a ten pound lifting restriction. Which is more about the stitches in my belly than my actual colon cancer. What life will be with a shortened colon is to be determined.

So my attitude about cancer is evolving. I’ve asked and have not been told I could or should have done this or that to prevent the cancers I’ve had. Certainly there is a reason why I had three different cancers but that reason is truly unknown to me.

There are real, affecting my daily life, consequences of having had cancers . Tired, pee control and I suspect I’ll have some eating restrictions due to colon cancer. Yet when I think about it all my consequences are really more about the removal of an organ or at least part of an organ. Not so much about why that organ was removed.

Where do I go from here? The answer is forward. Recover my strength from surgery. Whenever the snow falls for the next month or so, watch other people clear the snow from our driveway.

The closer you look the more you see.