"The Chemo Wars" - What's the Real Story? *Updated*

2

Comments

  • amcp
    amcp Member Posts: 251 Member
    Such great wisdom and courage!!
    Craig, you are so gifted in putting this battle into words. You should write a book...it would help so many. Frank, my husband of almost 42 years as you know lost his battle after 4 years of hard hand to hand combat. He went through 4 major surgeries, almost 2 and 1/2 years of chemo and three phase one clinical trials. Seeing what cancer did to him...I question why...we would not let our pet suffer this way...I have no answers. I know that I wish I had just one more day, hour, minute, second to hold his hand, touch his face, look into his eyes. The emptiness is permenant! So maybe the reason he endured so much was for that one more day, hour or minute for us to be together. He did not have to decide to continue fighting...they told him when there was nothing left to try. Home to hospice ...but he still fought. I held his hand as he took his last breath. I am so thankful for every minute we had together. None of us really know if we have another day or another hour, cancer patients realize it better than anyone. I do not know if this helps or even makes sense, but you gave me a wonderful gift. YOu helped to make a fantastic memory...us driving to Nashville singing along with your Christmas CD that you sent us. Laughing and having a great time. I continue to keep you in my thoughts and in my prayers.
    Hugs, Anna
  • amcp said:

    Such great wisdom and courage!!
    Craig, you are so gifted in putting this battle into words. You should write a book...it would help so many. Frank, my husband of almost 42 years as you know lost his battle after 4 years of hard hand to hand combat. He went through 4 major surgeries, almost 2 and 1/2 years of chemo and three phase one clinical trials. Seeing what cancer did to him...I question why...we would not let our pet suffer this way...I have no answers. I know that I wish I had just one more day, hour, minute, second to hold his hand, touch his face, look into his eyes. The emptiness is permenant! So maybe the reason he endured so much was for that one more day, hour or minute for us to be together. He did not have to decide to continue fighting...they told him when there was nothing left to try. Home to hospice ...but he still fought. I held his hand as he took his last breath. I am so thankful for every minute we had together. None of us really know if we have another day or another hour, cancer patients realize it better than anyone. I do not know if this helps or even makes sense, but you gave me a wonderful gift. YOu helped to make a fantastic memory...us driving to Nashville singing along with your Christmas CD that you sent us. Laughing and having a great time. I continue to keep you in my thoughts and in my prayers.
    Hugs, Anna

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    Did Not Want to Forget You Guys:)
    FFML
    I'm glad to see you moving forward with your life; that's good. Your ticket is stamped, you are both so young so go now and get it. You do have much going on. It's always nice to hear from you and seeing you back on one of my posts, thank you for that.

    Kathleen
    You always have such sweet and kind words for me, but your response really made me feel good. I have a love for the community and as such want to share what I learn. Know the topics are not always easy, but as a teacher, you can certainly understand that as we talk about the different topics - we grown, and we learn. I'm proud to be a part of that here. Aloha to you and ****!

    Anna
    I made the cd for folks just like you and Frank. I thought it was a gift of memories, more than a musical cd. In reading your response, I see clearly that I was right in that and the reason I did it was to bring some joy into your lives...I see you and Frank hummin' down the highway singing the songs and it gives me a warm glow deep inside my heart. That's the way I want to remember you both, that frozen image embedded in my memories...you think I made you a memory, but you made a memory for me, by telling me this tale. And memories was the "Reason for the Season."

    Graci
    Just wanted to say thanks again and I appreciate your encouraging words. You know I like to tackle tough issues for the group and bring them out of the darkness and into the light. Then, we can see what we're up against and that it's ok to talk about this. My role here is to support and help educate anyone I can from what I've learned along the way. Sometimes, it's not the most popular thing to do. But when we RISK NOTHING - we GAIN NOTHING. I'm strong and intense, but still loveable:) I do it because I care about all of you and all of you are my motivation for the hard hitting posts...I'd rather us know about it and wrap our minds around it, rather than to ignore it and pretend it does not exist. It's not easy, but I feel necessary to our survival.

    Thank you again, guys, for your participation on this post. It's possible that many more read this, but chose not to comment, or could not because of the subject matter.

    But I want you to know, that for those that did or contacted me via PM, that your responses were/are very imporant to me and I thank you for that.

    -Craig
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    Sundanceh said:

    Did Not Want to Forget You Guys:)
    FFML
    I'm glad to see you moving forward with your life; that's good. Your ticket is stamped, you are both so young so go now and get it. You do have much going on. It's always nice to hear from you and seeing you back on one of my posts, thank you for that.

    Kathleen
    You always have such sweet and kind words for me, but your response really made me feel good. I have a love for the community and as such want to share what I learn. Know the topics are not always easy, but as a teacher, you can certainly understand that as we talk about the different topics - we grown, and we learn. I'm proud to be a part of that here. Aloha to you and ****!

    Anna
    I made the cd for folks just like you and Frank. I thought it was a gift of memories, more than a musical cd. In reading your response, I see clearly that I was right in that and the reason I did it was to bring some joy into your lives...I see you and Frank hummin' down the highway singing the songs and it gives me a warm glow deep inside my heart. That's the way I want to remember you both, that frozen image embedded in my memories...you think I made you a memory, but you made a memory for me, by telling me this tale. And memories was the "Reason for the Season."

    Graci
    Just wanted to say thanks again and I appreciate your encouraging words. You know I like to tackle tough issues for the group and bring them out of the darkness and into the light. Then, we can see what we're up against and that it's ok to talk about this. My role here is to support and help educate anyone I can from what I've learned along the way. Sometimes, it's not the most popular thing to do. But when we RISK NOTHING - we GAIN NOTHING. I'm strong and intense, but still loveable:) I do it because I care about all of you and all of you are my motivation for the hard hitting posts...I'd rather us know about it and wrap our minds around it, rather than to ignore it and pretend it does not exist. It's not easy, but I feel necessary to our survival.

    Thank you again, guys, for your participation on this post. It's possible that many more read this, but chose not to comment, or could not because of the subject matter.

    But I want you to know, that for those that did or contacted me via PM, that your responses were/are very imporant to me and I thank you for that.

    -Craig

    Thanks Craig! I don't want
    Thanks Craig! I don't want to be redundant, all the posts here reflect my deepest feelings as well. I have been fortunate to be part if the NED group since the end of my first cycle of chemo and I do not feel like I deserve ant hip hip Hoorays! You, people like you in treatment for so long are my heroes! It's you that gives me encouragement to face a possible recurrence. I thank you for sharing such inner thoughts; you give us much to think about. Keep writing, it's good for the soul, and good for us!
  • JoyceSteele
    JoyceSteele Member Posts: 145
    Just what I needed
    Dear Craig, I have been away for a few days, supposedly to have liver resection. Just got back and wanted to catch up before posting my own story... your post and words are amazing and profound. They touched my heart and my mind. I can't add to what all the others have said but did want you to know how much your words mean to me. They could not have come at a better time. Bless you, Joyce
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member

    Just what I needed
    Dear Craig, I have been away for a few days, supposedly to have liver resection. Just got back and wanted to catch up before posting my own story... your post and words are amazing and profound. They touched my heart and my mind. I can't add to what all the others have said but did want you to know how much your words mean to me. They could not have come at a better time. Bless you, Joyce

    And You Gals too.....
    Nana:
    Some of the sweetest works you ever spoken to me, I'm honored. I try to cover as many of the cancer bases as I can....I think it's important to get the message out there, so many we may have never met might be lurking and just reading, but get something out of it that could help him.

    Of course, when I write - I write to the community, just like we're all sitting down in the same room together, it's comforting to think of it in terms like that. Thanks for your continued support and friendship.

    Joyce
    I'm so honored that you feel this way and that my words reached you in such a wonderful way. That's when I know I did good. I like to be able to draw thought and feeling to the surface, where we can get our hands on it - and our minds wrapped around it.

    Sometimes, I time a post so right and I'm glad when that happens. I'll receive PMs from folks telling me they were glad I posted material like that + the comments I get on the thread itself.

    That's why I stay here - to support and try and help my friends and all members in the community.

    Thank you both again!

    -Craig
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    Sundanceh said:

    And You Gals too.....
    Nana:
    Some of the sweetest works you ever spoken to me, I'm honored. I try to cover as many of the cancer bases as I can....I think it's important to get the message out there, so many we may have never met might be lurking and just reading, but get something out of it that could help him.

    Of course, when I write - I write to the community, just like we're all sitting down in the same room together, it's comforting to think of it in terms like that. Thanks for your continued support and friendship.

    Joyce
    I'm so honored that you feel this way and that my words reached you in such a wonderful way. That's when I know I did good. I like to be able to draw thought and feeling to the surface, where we can get our hands on it - and our minds wrapped around it.

    Sometimes, I time a post so right and I'm glad when that happens. I'll receive PMs from folks telling me they were glad I posted material like that + the comments I get on the thread itself.

    That's why I stay here - to support and try and help my friends and all members in the community.

    Thank you both again!

    -Craig

    waged my own war
    Hi Craig,

    I do so enjoy reading your "from the heart" posts. Sorry I'm just chiming in now- I missed several posts here and there over the past few days, and I unfortunately missed this one until now. When you wrote that you figured you've had chemo 51 times, I thought about how much I've had. In my 3-1/2 year fight, I've only had breaks from chemo that add up to 8 months total- that's even including a recent 2 week break. Diagnosed in 8/07, that means I've had now had 2 yrs and 9 months of non stop chemo. Six of those months have been either just Xeloda or a combo of Avastin and Xeloda. The rest of the time (2 yrs, 3 mos) has been solid time of regular chemo infusions at least every other week of being on Folfox/Avastin 5 months, Folfiri with Avastin and Erbitux 4 months, regular Folfiri and Avastin 12 months (two times of doing the 6 month stint), and I've now been on Gemzar/Avastin/Xeloda or 5FU for a year. Oh- and 2-1/2 months on a combo of interferon and Lovastatin on an experimental treatment in Nashville that didn't work at all for me. Some of my chemo time was on an every other week schedule and sometimes it was 2 weeks on, then one week off. I figure I was getting chemo close to 2/3 of all that time. Must be close to 100 times of getting chemo in all.
    It always surprises me now when someone asks when I'll be done with chemo. I guess for now the real answer is either when I die or when I'm cured (or cured enough possibly by natural treatments to go off the chemo and stay on the natural supplements/enzymes). I certainly don't know the actual answer- I still am hopeful that I can beat this. But, knowing that my CEA shoots up big time in even going off the chemo for just 2 weeks, being able to ever actually stop the chemo doesn't sound too likely. Yet, I still remain hopeful and prayerful. Not that I'm not realistic, Craig, it's just that if I really allow myself to say out loud what might happen to me, then I lose hope & fight and would just want to curl up in bed and never leave it. I can't do that for my own sake and for the sake of my family. Also for the sake of others I know who are fighting cancer- I guess a big part of me enjoys "carrying the torch" and showing others that there is HOPE and that LIFE still happens even during ongoing cancer treatment- palliative or for the cure- whatever it may be.
    My next scan is a week from today (on St. Patrick's Day) & am I nervous for it? Yes, in a word. I'm worried that even though my CEA has dropped some lately, that the almost 3 months of it rising since my last scan, that the scan results will still show more cancerous growth since my last scan in November (because if anything is turning it around, it wouldn't have had enough time to turn around the damage done while the CEA was rising). I worry about if I can handle the news that I perhaps will get- more tumor growth and perhaps even something spread further. The spread of more tumors is what I worry about the most. During my 3-1/2 years since diagnosis, my tumors in my rectum, liver, and lungs have shrunken, grown again, shrunken, grown again- you get the idea. But nothing has ever spread to any organs or areas beyond what I already had at diagnosis. I am still better off now than I was when I was first diagnosed, so far as the number of tumors I had then. But, as of my last scan, I'm not far off from where I was at diagnosis. My treatment in the last year has more or less just been acting like a "dam wall"- holding things fairly stable, but not making anything shrink or go away. After having "used up" all the FDA approved treatments for colorectal cancer and having done one experimental treatment, and now for the past year having been on a chemo that is not FDA approved for this kind of cancer (Gemzar is normally used for some kinds of breast cancer, kidney cancer, and some forms of lung cancer)- well, there's nothing left that my onc knows to use on me. I've looked into qualifying for clinical trials a few different times now & I can't seem to find anything that I qualify for or that actually is recruiting candidates at the time I need it to be. So, that's what's fueling my worry if this upcoming scan should show growth or anything new- what do I do next?
    That's what had me starting in with the naturopathic dr. recently. I thought- my body has really done pretty well with all the chemo poison I've pumped into it. In all these chemo sessions i've had, I've only not been able to get my chemo due to low blood counts two times. Two times of about 100 chemo treatments- that's really pretty amazing! My onc is always amazed by how well my body has held up. I want to further support my immune system with the enzymes and supportive supplements to help my body stay strong and possibly fight this cancer more naturally and with less chemicals.
    That's where I'm at right now.

    I'll give my scan report in another week plus a couple of days, when I've gotten the report back (and no, I won't wait for my onc to give me the news- I'll march myself down to the hospital records room the very next afternoon and request a copy of my scan report myself- I always like to know ahead of time so I can digest the news- good or bad- then I'm ready to talk "business" with my onc with a logical head on my shoulds and the emotions then don't get in the way).

    Onward and forward everyone...!

    Lisa
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    Craig
    Craig I am in my 9th month of diagnoses. Each of the chemos, radiation, surgeries, changes in chemos I have been through made me feel like a freak experiment and think (as I walk around my house or drive to the store, etc) at times that I must be sleeping a nightmare and will wake up eventually. The times I had no idea what to expect, I came here. I realize it was the experience that each person went through that was explained to me and we are all different with our reactions and recoveries, but I just want you to know how important and supportive that is. You are soo important in my battle!!Everything you share gives me perspective. And I really really really think perspective is important in that it shows options and possibilities. It just says it is what it is.

    Love and hugs to you! Gail
  • pokismom
    pokismom Member Posts: 153
    Book, Book, Book!
    Hi Craig,
    Ive been on the downlow for a while but under the reccomendation of a great, wise and wonderful man, Im reading your post. As usual you are the writer of all writers, and I wished that I could express myself the way that you do. As for the chemo wars, yup we all can just totally relate to it. Like Buzzard said you should write a book, I think that is an excellent idea and you are so very capable of such a task. I had decided to take a year of no chemo and instead did three rfa's and I had just completed stereotactic radiation at UW in Washington. I am now faced with the possibility of further mets, my cea is jumping to new highs and am scheduled for a pet scan next week. I am taking in the realization of doing chemo once again and I hate the idea. We are damned if we do and damned if we dont. (just my opinion) But I had the luxury of a whole year off the grid and got to enjoy life to the fullest, but again must move back to the reality of it all. I look to you for your strength, just reading your posts have encouraged me and gave so many of us hope and answered many of our questions without asking. Hang in there, I know you will because you are definitely a survivor and one of the strongest people I know. Much love to you and Kim.......
    Donna
  • SueRelays
    SueRelays Member Posts: 485
    LOVE EVERY WORD CRAIG!!!
    LOVE EVERY WORD CRAIG!!! Especially the AC/DC SALUTE :)!!!
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    Thanks to you Gals Too...
    Donna
    How nice to hear from you again and thanks for taking time to read my post and comment. I'm hoping that you will get things back under control, but a year off from this mess, must have felt pretty good. I'm sorry you are back in it as so many of us, recurrences are never easy and that's the problem fighting systemic disease. But, I'm pulling for you and hope you are OK out in Hawaii - saw the tsnumani news and am worried about you.

    Sue
    Always good to see you again and thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to read my post. Hope all is well with you:)

    -Craig
  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    Sundanceh said:

    Thanks to you Gals Too...
    Donna
    How nice to hear from you again and thanks for taking time to read my post and comment. I'm hoping that you will get things back under control, but a year off from this mess, must have felt pretty good. I'm sorry you are back in it as so many of us, recurrences are never easy and that's the problem fighting systemic disease. But, I'm pulling for you and hope you are OK out in Hawaii - saw the tsnumani news and am worried about you.

    Sue
    Always good to see you again and thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to read my post. Hope all is well with you:)

    -Craig

    G'day craig,
    I am and will always be one of lifes accidendal tourists. You talk about how many sessions of chemo that you have had,and it seems enormous. I have to admit that I had cancer in the days when they used to throw the kitchen sink at it. I think they may have used the kitchen sink to mix the chemo. There were no ports or pumps ,chemo went in via canula in the back of the hand.I had 48 weekly sessions of it. It was funny I would react badly each week and feel crook enough to die but my blood counts stayed on an even normal line. It failed to kill me and I suspect it did kill the cancer along with what the surgeon removed. So now here I am a couple of months into my 14th year of survival,still cancer free. Now instead of fighting cancer I fight the long term side effects of cancer and chemo. I asked my onc if my problems are directly related to chemo. His slant on it is that they are weaknesses and problems I would have eventually faced,chemo has simply hastened their onset. I have been on four different drugs,all immuno-suppressants.for various serious auto-immune problems. They are less pleasant than chemo. That is something I never thought I would say. I am on anti-biots again at the monment for the latest legacy of immuno- suppressants ,another tooth bites the dust with an abcess ,that will be number nine since cancer. My latest drug,arava, has just done a job on my liver ,so they are waiting for things to settle before trying imuran. It is a front line organ transplant drug. I have decided not to go there. I will go back to non steroidal anti-inflammatories. They will destroy my damaged kidneys but at least i may have some quality of life. Chemo wars is a very acurate description. Ron.
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    ron50 said:

    G'day craig,
    I am and will always be one of lifes accidendal tourists. You talk about how many sessions of chemo that you have had,and it seems enormous. I have to admit that I had cancer in the days when they used to throw the kitchen sink at it. I think they may have used the kitchen sink to mix the chemo. There were no ports or pumps ,chemo went in via canula in the back of the hand.I had 48 weekly sessions of it. It was funny I would react badly each week and feel crook enough to die but my blood counts stayed on an even normal line. It failed to kill me and I suspect it did kill the cancer along with what the surgeon removed. So now here I am a couple of months into my 14th year of survival,still cancer free. Now instead of fighting cancer I fight the long term side effects of cancer and chemo. I asked my onc if my problems are directly related to chemo. His slant on it is that they are weaknesses and problems I would have eventually faced,chemo has simply hastened their onset. I have been on four different drugs,all immuno-suppressants.for various serious auto-immune problems. They are less pleasant than chemo. That is something I never thought I would say. I am on anti-biots again at the monment for the latest legacy of immuno- suppressants ,another tooth bites the dust with an abcess ,that will be number nine since cancer. My latest drug,arava, has just done a job on my liver ,so they are waiting for things to settle before trying imuran. It is a front line organ transplant drug. I have decided not to go there. I will go back to non steroidal anti-inflammatories. They will destroy my damaged kidneys but at least i may have some quality of life. Chemo wars is a very acurate description. Ron.

    Ron
    I've followed your story and read your posts - you were an early pioneer....my onc talked me to the other day about a guy that started with Levamsole (spelling wrong) but it reminded of the drug I think you started with - out in in the bathtub.

    Your long term effects have always struck a chord with me and I wonder if I make it, will I be in similar shape as the things you have gone through.

    I admire your strength and you fought a great battle - I know you've paid the price, I feel the "bill" mounting for me as I try and wrap my battle up - heading towards 7th year of fighting....too long.

    Thanks for posting on this thread - I continue to think about how you're doing and how you're handling things...I appreciate your input.

    G'day, Ron!

    -Craig
  • SisterSledge
    SisterSledge Member Posts: 332 Member
    Thank you Craig for writing this!
    I salute you :)
    Janine
  • Thank you Craig for writing this!
    I salute you :)
    Janine

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • kristasplace
    kristasplace Member Posts: 957 Member
    Craig
    Your post was very eloquent and heartfelt, as usual, and it brought tears to my eyes. I can only imagine how miserable it has to be. How tired and sick, and sick and tired you must feel. I've been to the point of wishing for death, and it is not a nice place to be.

    Anyone who knows me on this board knows my feelings on chemo, and your description of it is pretty close to how i feel about it. The biggest reason why i opted out of doing chemo this time, even after my onc highly recommended i do it, is because i couldn't see the point in dropping a nuclear bomb on a civil war; Everyone loses. I know how controversial this is; there are people who swear their chemo cured them. I'm not someone who could disagree with them. Maybe it did? All i know is that it didn't cure me, so i tried something else. When that didn't work, i tried something else, and then one day, my scans started coming up clear. I found what worked for me, and i believe we all can. Craig, if chemo isn't working for you, please try something else. I hate so much to hear that you're suffering. That's no way to live, but i don't think you need to give up, either. If you continue on this path, you will give up. I mean, how much torture can a person endure before they fold? You're such a strong person, and you've endured more than most could, but everyone has their limit, and it sounds like you're approaching yours.

    You deserve to be healthy, and to feel good.

    This is my two cents, and i risk the terrible backlash this reply may cause because i care very much about you. You're one of the most inspirational and thoughtful people on this board.

    Much love,
    Krista

    P.S. Lisa D., you're a tremendous inspiration, too. I don't know how you're doing it, but you look amazing!
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    Do you wonder?
    My friend do you wonder maybe a little why it took me so long so respond to this post?
    So many thoughts you put forth, little joys, little sadness's, little philosophy, all about life.
    How does one respond?
    As for the NED and the soon approaching NED (I think I'm there, but that jinx thing stops me from saying so)no high praise for accomplishments, I did nothing to accomplish that, sure I did chemo, so did everyone else, sure I had surgery, so have most, did I do anything different? No, so no high praise for accomplishment, a happy dance or two, a congrats, but I didn't do anything different. And even maybe I didn't fight as hard, there are others that had to fight harder, hell, I breezed through it, so what, I was supposed to die, I didn't. Do I deserve high praise for that? No. Do I get a happy dance, HELL YES!!!!
    The praise goes to those like you, who have suffered so, and continue to do so, and yet you are here giving us ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE and your LOVE. You give us advise, help us along.
    Hell, Clift, Kerry, a certain person named Craig, Jennie, Loris, Gracies, Kathys, Nanas, Lisas, so many I can't mention all, have been here, helping me along the way. When I was in the pit of despair? Who was there? Hmmmm??? Always, everyone of you, there for us rising minions of newbies. I think without you all, I would have been long gone.
    And my friend, I'm with you every step that you take in winning this fight for life, through your treatments, everyone you go through I think about you, I think about you each and every day.
    You've made a difference and shall continue to do so.
    For all that fight and continue to do so, I salute US!!!
    Winter Marie
  • Wenchie
    Wenchie Member Posts: 88
    "The Chemo Wars"
    Craig:
    I'm speechless; this post is a work of art. I'm 5 years into this hell and all I can say is that cancer is a very lonely disease. I constantly feel as though others, family included, just have no clue. With your permission, I would like to copy and past your post to a few friends/family. Often times, like today, I just want to throw in the towel and then words from an old friend echo in my mind..."what if I give up today, and a cure is found tomorrow?". Sadly, she had metastatic breast cancer and was an MDAnderson clinical trial participant for Taxol many moons ago. In the end, she had no evidence of disease but passed away from sepsis due to a ruptured intestine. Geez, we just never know what tomorrow will bring. Once again, thank you for your brilliant writing and for bringing me to tears on this Wednesday night. You are a gem and I would love to meet you one day in person.
  • bigCrandy
    bigCrandy Member Posts: 75
    Well Said
    Bravo, Craig, Bravo. Your short story is right on. I've been doing chemo for the last 4 years, I've had 66 treatments, that's counting 20 of Avastin only. I'm stage 4 with lung mets also. I haven't had lung surgery or radiation and hope I never will. You are a true warrior and also an inspiration to all of us dealing with cancer on a regular basis(not being NED). You said everything that I have been feeling lately concerning whether or not is it worth it and when do we draw the line. Fortunately for me, the chemo seems to work when I'm on it and doesn't when I'm not, which is not too often. I'm still able to work full time as a landscaper except when on the pump. Right now I'm on my second folfox regimen that was my first chemo 4 years ago. I hated it then and I hate it now. We've ran out of what else to do, I've had them all. Maybe next will be clinical trials or maybe my onc will mix and match the 7 or 8 colon cancer drugs out there. I will continue the insanity as long as I can physically handle the wear and tear that chemo does to our bodies, plus the fact that my family thinks I should be on some type of chemo even if the scans don't show any cancer. I guess I'm a "Chemo Junkie". Thanks again Craig for a very well written piece on the continuous use of chemotherapy when it does not kill the cancer. You nailed it buddy, take care and God Bless, Randy
  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    Craig thanks for leading me
    Craig thanks for leading me to this link. I decided to respond to this rather than the Big Billy post so it will bump up to the top. It is such a great post that I think it should be readily availble to read for any newcomers that might be interested. As always you seem to be experiencing so many of the same thoughts/emotions that I am experiencing. I think sometimes the decision making procees is one of the most brutal parts of fighting this disease since the "experts" have no clear answers.

    You are so right about the price we have to pay for fighting. I keep thinking about all of the surgeries/chemo/scans, blood clots as a result and all of the pills that I am taking to help the side effects. I think I take more medications than my 87 year old father and I am still only 47. I keep thinking that if by some miracle I do beat this one day what other problems will arise or another type of cancer from all of the treatments/scans.