Follow up Exam one year after completion of trial

Wednesday March 28,2012 I had my one year follow up exam after completion of the investigational chemotherapy trial i was enrolled in, which was a 2 year follow up after completion of the standard chemotherapy. CT scan and exam were both completely clean. YEAH!!!

The blood test CA-125 is still pending because we forgot to draw it in advance, but I fully expect it will also be clean.

I also had a longer discussion with my doctor to answer the following questions:
What is the curve of the relapse rate? Rising over time? Dropping over time? Stable over time?
Answer: Highest risk of relapse is in the first 3 years after chemo.

What is the starting point for counting time out?
Answer: the end of standard chemotherapy (end of platinum drug chemo).

So since I completed my platinum chemo in April 2010 i am now 2 years out and still with a clean bill of health. One year more to go before the chance of relapse drops even lower.

To celebrate I had a wonderful one week visit from college friend Rosa Crocker during which we trooped over much of the Western NC mountains. And tomorrow I depart for Omaha Nebraska where I will watch the largest crane migration in the world (sandhill cranes) and then celebrate Easter with Susan Thomas and Sherri Buss - two more college friends who visited Atlanta this time last year to celebrate the end of my chemo. and the following weekend to Oklahoma to see my neice Emily dance in the last ballet of her college career.

Progress on my list of things I have to accomplish before I fully relax continues - the only major thing left on the list is getting all my paperwork at home organized optimally. And a visit with my architect Monday showed progress on the design for the house on the lot in Hayesville NC.

I am looking forward to hosting both my brothers and sister-in-laws the following weekend for the party celebrating the wedding of my first nephew, Judson Cowan and the lovely Blair Hume, which occured in Paris France on March 5.

It is one of those lovely times when life is just going well. I hope your springs are all going as nicely.