Test results back - OK to move forward, but...

I'm happy. I went to see my Family Doctor so that I could combine my required blood tests with an annual physical. A 1-2 punch. Got the test results back. Everything is good to go. Again they tested my CEA and again it was below 0.5. Cholesterol, liver enzymes, platelets.. everything great - for the port removal operation, that is.

One disturbing find was that my glucose level has crept up to 120. That is not good. I am now wading into pre-diabetes territory. So therefore, I again must adjust my diet. No more sweets and carbs. For me this means no more fries and soda pop, as well as a bunch of other things. I had just gotten back into eating pizza again. Well, the Dr. wants me to stick to this diet and also make sure that I stick to my exercise plan. We will revisit this in 3 months.

The other interesting find was the results of a Vitamin-D test. My results were in the normal range, but on the low end. This is interesting because I have been taking a 1000 IU pill every day for about 6 months. It must indicate that I was Vitamin-D deficient before. Vitamin D has been shown to be a very potent preventative weapon against colon cancer. I would recommend to everyone to request a Vitamin D test the next time you have regular blood work done.

For more information on the role that Vitamin D plays, see these links:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Vitamin_D_Protects_Against_Colon_Cancer.asp

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/cancerColon.shtml

Anyhow, now that I am cleared for the port removal surgery, I want to revisit one more time whether I would like a plastic surgeon to do the procedure or not. And then the surgery needs to be done within 30 days.

Meanwhile I will be dieting and exercising and avoiding the next disease that apparently is lingering in the shadows. More and more it appears that this has all been the result of years of poor diet habits. However, I have to tell you though that I was always a conscienscous eater. And although I followed what you could call a 'Western diet' I always considered myself a Moderate when I compared my eating habits to other's.

Yay.. continued

Well the good news is that my CEA level in my blood is 0.4, which is excellent. If it was above 2.5, it would indicate that there is possibly some kind of tumor activity going on. So I am going in for a complete physical in a week or two and then will be scheduling a minor surgery to remove the port in my chest. Then, keeping my fingers crossed, I will remain healthy and not ever have to have another one put back in.

What's a port? Here is a quick looksie:

http://www.bardnordic.com/main/product.asp?sectionTypeId=2&sectionId=28&productId=152

From here on out, I just have to keep an eye open and see my Doctors regularly. It has been about a year and a half since surgery. Most recurrences, 80%, (if they occur at all) happen in the first two years. After that the risk of a recurrence drops dramatically, however it does not drop to zero. I will be living the straight and narrow for a few more years.