u/GlitterMe

My husband has his 1 yr colonoscopy in a week, the surgeon is the one doing it. But I was looking at stuff yesterday and his pathology indicates rectal vs colon. The lower edge was 15 cm from the anal verge, and things refer to it as both rectal and rectosigmoid. I mentioned this to him last night (surgery was in December 2025) and he got a deer in the headlights look because he's afraid it's suddenly worse.

He had a robotic R0 resection with anastomosis, his first surveillance CT at the end of July was NED and his CEA was 2.3. He completed 2 Capox cycles and 4 cycles of capecitabine-only (1/19 nodes), finished those at the end of May.

We're both antsy about the colonoscopy (even with good clear margins) and I think he just got more freaked out bc of the terminology. Is there anything I can say that will help him maybe feel better?

Staging - T3N1aM0,

We had the appt today for labs and to get the results of Monday's CT scan. I had portal results off for the CT, though I turned them back on yesterday. Still had not seen them as of yesterday evening, then today I logged in at the appt to check his CEA and saw that the CT was finally there.

The CEA wasn't there yet, and I didn't open the scan. Sat there a couple of minutes and went back in to look. Saw that beautiful phrase:

>No evidence of metastic disease in the chest, abdomen or pelvis.

I read it just about 3-5 minutes before the doctor walked in and I was BAWLING. I mean sobbing. I know people here get it.

His CEA was 2.3. At dx it was 33.8, then 4.9 about 6 weeks after surgery, then today's beautiful number.

I'm overcome with thankfulness.

My husband (T3N1aM0) has his 6 month scan tomorrow. He had one the day he started Capox, which was not quite 2 months after surgery. That was all good then a few days later we got his negative Signatera (drawn 1 month after surgery & before treatment). A couple weeks after the Signatera draw he had his first CEA since dx and it was down from 33.8 to 4.9 (also before any treatment). He did 2 Capox and 4 capecitabine-only, and finished that the last day of May.

I'm a ball of nerves. He seems to be fine. I have results off in MyChart because I don't know if I want to see them before the Friday office visit or get the results then.

I wish I could take a nap until Friday and wake up to great news. I'm trying to have faith, it's very important to me. But I'm just frazzled 🫤

My husband completed treatment on May 31st this year. He has his first surveillance appts the last week of July, CT scan Monday 7/27, then labs & dr. visit that Friday. His history is below.

I am a nervous wreck which is pretty much driven by the EMVI/LVI part. I want to be optimistic but my brain (long before all of this) is a master at catastrophizing. I am completely terrified of the scan. I guess I'm looking for good stories, even with the risk factors.

Stage T3N1aM0

CT mid-Nov. 2025 - all good

R0 resection 12/3/25

No visible mets seen during surgery

1/19 nodes positive

EMVI/LVI

No PNI

No deposits

Low budding

Moderately differentiated

No mutations etc noted in any report or mentioned by any dr.

CEA at dx 33.8

CEA 6 wks after surgery 4.9

Negative Signatera 1/5/26 before any treatment

Clear CT the same day treatment started 1/29/26

Cycle 1: Full Capox

2: Capox with oxali decreased by 50 mg.

3-4: Full capecitabine-only, oxali dropped

5: Full cap for 1 week, reduced by 300 mg in 2nd week (hand-foot sx worsening)

6: 2 weeks of reduced dose

My husband took his last dose of Xeloda yesterday. Due to some other family stuff it didn't get the fanfare it deserved. He's scheduled for his next CT scan at the end of July, and I'm already terrified.

T3N1aM0
1/19 nodes
Clean margins
EMVI/LVI
No PNI
No tumor deposits
Low budding score
Negative post-op Signatera (4 wks post-op)
2 rounds Capox, with an oxaliplatin dose reduction on the 2nd round
4 rounds Xeloda-only, dose reduction halfway through round 5
Clean CT at dx and ~2 months after surgery

I backed into a flat-bed truck. No harm to that vehicle but my poor Passport got a buckled liftgate out of it. Called my insurance (GEICO), did the Easy Estimate with pictures, had an estimate back the next day. Have my choice of body shop so took it to one after talking with a couple of them. On the day I picked up my car, I gave them the insurance check and a check for my deductible. They said at the time they were fighting with insurance about a supplement, but no details were given.

Last week the body shop called and said they wanted to email me the supplement material. I just got that today. Of course I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Someone from the shop called and basically the supplement that I think was denied was $1100 around the paint for my car, which of course is a spendy color. The shop is asking me to pay about $400 or so of that and he'll let the rest go (which I think is labor). The guy who called me said this happens in about "1 out of 40" claims.

I told him I'd talk with insurance about the denial and asked to get an invoice so I could see how they're calculating what I "owe". I was never told or asked about paying over and above anything, unless it was in something that I signed. But from the get-go when I dropped my car off they said they'd work everything out with insurance. I never verbally or in writing agreed to pay any specific overage. Am I liable for it?