Rizvi's Road: 2011

Saturday, August 6, 2011

A Year of Great Health

Long time no write! It is just over a year that Syed learned he had cancer, went through surgery, and started chemo. He can now look back on this entire life experience as a memory that is continuously growing more distant.

Since his chemo ended in November of last year, Syed is back to regular check ups and visits with doctors. Within the past 6 months, Syed has had a colonoscopy and CT Scan. Both test results “came out clean” as Syed puts it. Here is the specific detail that Syed wanted to share with all of you:

My CEA has dropped to 2.8 which is a good number according to my Oncologist Dr. George Labban. CEA (carcino embryonic antigen) stands for Tumor marker for colon cancer.
My body is low on Vitamin B12 because my body is not efficiently absorbing Vitamin B12 and for that reason, I continue to get B12 injection once a month.
Prostate check resulted in a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen ) of 0.3. Typically when it goes above 4 then it is considered to be raising a red flag.
Bone density is low. As a result, I have started taking more calcium and Vitamin D.
Hemoglobin count was 13.1. Normal is 13.2 so I'm in great shape on this count.

Syed’s next round of check ups will be in three months. Should results continue to be great, he will then move to a six month check up schedule.

Congrats to Syed. May the worst remain in the past and the future be filled with health, long life, and of course, a lot of fun.

I hope everyone is having a great year. Let Syed know how you’re doing too. He’d love to hear from you.

Regards,

Linda and Caroline

About Rizvi's Road

You get yearly physicals. You enter new decades of your life. Your physicals start to expand to include new sets of “regular” standard tests. You place your faith in your doctors. You are vegan. You eat healthy. You exercise regularly. You are active in your community. You have never been to a hospital. You have never had surgery. You think you’re doing everything right to stay healthy. The next day you learn you have colon cancer.

This blog is about Syed Rizvi’s road to recovery from colon cancer—how he found out to what’s happening now.

Meet Syed Rizvi. Syed is from the India-Pakistan subcontinent. He was born in 1933 and spent his early years in Patna, India. In 1955 Syed moved to Karachi, Pakistan where he received his Masters in Physics and then taught Physics at a local college. In 1960 Syed migrated to the U.S.A. to continue his education. By 1972, he became a naturalized citizen.

Living and working in many cities across the U.S., Syed finally settled in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996, the place he now calls home.

In mid April, 2010, Syed noticed he suddenly became exhausted, out of breath, and slightly dizzy when walking from his front door to the driveway. He immediately went to see his primary care physician. His doctor asked if Syed considered his symptoms serious—serious enough to be considered an emergency. Syed replied no, he did not consider his condition serious. The doctor then scheduled a series of heart-related tests.

After a month of tests, Syed’s cardiovascular system proved to be in tip top shape, yet his symptoms persisted. His doctor then recommended he see a neurologist. Before scheduling a new series of tests, Syed talked with his friends about his condition. His friends became concerned that his doctor did not consider his condition more critical and they helped Syed get urgent care. This was the moment when Syed’s life turned to a new chapter.

Syed took a blood test, a test that should have been taken the day he met his doctor the first time. The next day, his doctor’s office called, informed Syed he was severely anemic, and instructed him to go to the ER immediately. Syed was then admitted to the hospital.

Over the next few days, Syed underwent numerous tests. It was finally discovered that he had a tumor in his colon and he had been bleeding for quite some time. Within a few days he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and part of his colon. Syed then learned he had Stage 3 colon cancer.

Join Syed in his journey. Share your thoughts or your own story. We all have a lot to learn from each other. That’s what Rizvi's Road is all about.