How many treatments

rogina2336
rogina2336 Member Posts: 188
in Caregivers #1
My husband was diagnosed with colorectal cancer Nov 14, 2010, stage IV with numerous mets to liver. He will be taking his 11th treatment this fri. and number 12 on June 13, 2011, they dropped the oxy due to fear of too much nerve damage still on 5fu. After that the onc is talking about a 3 month break and go from there. I am looking forward to the break as is my husband, however how do you get through everyday without worrying about the monster starting to grow? I am so afraid even though we have been told numerous times that the cancer is treatable not curable. He is doing so well still working only gets a little fatigued at times. I just don't know what to think. I guess I just need to be thankful for every great day we have and take the rest as it comes. Sooooooo very hard!! Kim

Comments

  • grandmafay
    grandmafay Member Posts: 1,633 Member
    #2
    Sorry
    My husband had a six year battle with stage iv colon cancer. Our dr told us that it was treatable not curable and life shortening. We chose to look at treatment as buying time, and my husband wanted to buy as much time as possible. We learned to celebrate the good times, and accept each reoccurrence as a time to fight for more time. That helped us. It might not work for others. Doug bought six years. That would have been unheard of just a few short years ago. There are new treatments and protocols being found all the time. More and more people are living with cancer instead of dying from it. Who knows how many years you may buy. When you stop and think about it, we are all just buying time. No one know how much time each of us will get either.

    I don't know if any of this helps. I don't have any words of wisdom. Each of us has to find our own way to deal. Of course you are scared. We worry about every little thing, so this big thing is going to cause big worry. Just don't let your worries about three, six, eight months from now prevent you from seeing the good about right now. Make memories together now. Hold on to each other. Talk. Enjoy the break from chemo. Try to push that worry to the back of your mind instead of giving it center stage. I don't buy that you have to stay positive all the time. It is ok to be scared. It's ok to fear the possibles as long as you know possibles can go either way. Take care, Fay.
  • rogina2336
    rogina2336 Member Posts: 188
    #3
    grandmafay said:

    Sorry
    My husband had a six year battle with stage iv colon cancer. Our dr told us that it was treatable not curable and life shortening. We chose to look at treatment as buying time, and my husband wanted to buy as much time as possible. We learned to celebrate the good times, and accept each reoccurrence as a time to fight for more time. That helped us. It might not work for others. Doug bought six years. That would have been unheard of just a few short years ago. There are new treatments and protocols being found all the time. More and more people are living with cancer instead of dying from it. Who knows how many years you may buy. When you stop and think about it, we are all just buying time. No one know how much time each of us will get either.

    I don't know if any of this helps. I don't have any words of wisdom. Each of us has to find our own way to deal. Of course you are scared. We worry about every little thing, so this big thing is going to cause big worry. Just don't let your worries about three, six, eight months from now prevent you from seeing the good about right now. Make memories together now. Hold on to each other. Talk. Enjoy the break from chemo. Try to push that worry to the back of your mind instead of giving it center stage. I don't buy that you have to stay positive all the time. It is ok to be scared. It's ok to fear the possibles as long as you know possibles can go either way. Take care, Fay.

    Thanks
    Thank you, just knowing that there are people like you out there is a tremendous help for me to put my feelings out there and here amazing stories from people like you who have been on this journey or people like me that this is all new to. God bless you grandmafay you are a true inspiration. Kim
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #4
    rogina2336 said:

    Thanks
    Thank you, just knowing that there are people like you out there is a tremendous help for me to put my feelings out there and here amazing stories from people like you who have been on this journey or people like me that this is all new to. God bless you grandmafay you are a true inspiration. Kim

    think positive
    This may sound terrible, but colon cancer isn't the worst cancer to have because it responds to so many types of treatment. I care for my mother, who has late stage ovarian cancer (slow but sure). Two years ago, her friend (they're both 80) underwent surgery and first line chemo for colon cancer. Last week the friend had her port out following two clear PT scans. Mom is jealous, because with her cancer clear scans are rare.

    Think positive. Lots of living yet to do.

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