Alien Abduction

Doc_Hawk
Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
Just got home from getting my first colonoscopy since my dx and there were no signs of cancer, no polyps nothing but the irritated tissue from radiation. As usual, the worst of it was the prep yesterday and not being able to eating anything except jello (forgot to put tequila in that!)

Now I just need to wait for the results of the OnDose test I had done last week.

Comments

  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    Fabulous
    That is great news- agree about the worst part being the prep; used to really hate that. MAde the mistake of celebrating a clear colonoscopy with a couple of pints one year- won't do that again. Not only do you get rather drunk rather quickly- the fluid challenge rushes straight through you. Led to a wobbly dash to loos!

    I'm sure a post-colonoscopy tequila would be fine though- enjoy!

    steve
  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    Dear Doc
    So very glad to hear the "all clear" on the scope.

    If we can't get a cure for cancer, you would think they could at least come up with a prep which gives us a buzz and tastes good too!

    Praying for good news on your other test as well.

    Hugs,

    Marie who loves kitties
  • jjaj133
    jjaj133 Member Posts: 867 Member
    Wonderful, just love good
    Wonderful, just love good news. Prayers for the next test to come back with good results.
    Hugs,
    Judy
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Awesome
    That is great news. Enjoy that drink or if you aren't tired of jello you could make some jello shots - just give us the address so we can help you finish them off :)

    Kim
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    So That Must Mean...
    Uranus is fine then?
  • dmj101
    dmj101 Member Posts: 527 Member
    Margaritaville.. here we come
    Clear and Clean is Great News..
  • omrhill
    omrhill Member Posts: 125
    Clear liquids
    Still trying to figure out why tequila (vodka, gin, rum.... insert your favorite here) doesnt count as a clear liquid. It would certainly increase the public's willingness to do the prep for colonoscopies!

    Congrats on your clear scan! Enjoy the celebration.

    Robin
  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    Doc-Hawk
    appy your results are so positive. Gatorade as the mix made it(the prep) torerabe, but not good. LOL
  • steveandnat
    steveandnat Member Posts: 886
    great news
    Why cant they use our ports to get down all that prep stuff! Pray only continued great news for you. Jeff
  • barbebarb
    barbebarb Member Posts: 464

    great news
    Why cant they use our ports to get down all that prep stuff! Pray only continued great news for you. Jeff

    Great news!
    So happy for you.

    Like the tequila idea

    Wishing you wellness and happy this test is oyou for you.
    Get some rest and do something for you!
  • thxmiker
    thxmiker Member Posts: 1,278 Member
    my thoughts and prayers that all turn out well
    Darn No Tequila!! That must have been Heck!!!! I can not imagine it.

    You have my thoughts and prayers that all turn out well. I do like that we can laugh at our selves.

    Best Always, mike
  • Semira
    Semira Member Posts: 381 Member
    Great
    to hear that news. And I like the idea of "Preperita" instead of the usual stuff. Or perhabs "Prep Ti Ponch" (does anybody know the fabulous rum from the French Antilles? Much better than the normal rum).

    Anyway. Hope you celebrated the news in proper form :)

    Hugs from Cologne
    Petra
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    Thud!
    I'm not sure yet, but it seems like the other shoe may have dropped. The results of the OnDose test came in and I'm at 25 with a range of 20 - 30. That means there won't be an increase in my 5-FU dosage because I'm getting the right amount.

    I'v asked teh nurse to check with the onc to see what my options are at this point. With the colonoscopy yesterday showing clear and my last PET scan had the tumor in my liver "virtually" gone, I'm hoping that a liver transplant will help resolve things. My older sister offered to be my donor so it's just a matter of what the doc has to say now. If a transplant is in order, what sort of down time can I expect?

    Thanks for all the the good thoughts and well wishes yesterday, I was just too tired to reply (had only got 3 hours sleep the night before.) And Phil ... "Uranus"? Baaaad one my friend! LOL
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    Doc_Hawk said:

    Thud!
    I'm not sure yet, but it seems like the other shoe may have dropped. The results of the OnDose test came in and I'm at 25 with a range of 20 - 30. That means there won't be an increase in my 5-FU dosage because I'm getting the right amount.

    I'v asked teh nurse to check with the onc to see what my options are at this point. With the colonoscopy yesterday showing clear and my last PET scan had the tumor in my liver "virtually" gone, I'm hoping that a liver transplant will help resolve things. My older sister offered to be my donor so it's just a matter of what the doc has to say now. If a transplant is in order, what sort of down time can I expect?

    Thanks for all the the good thoughts and well wishes yesterday, I was just too tired to reply (had only got 3 hours sleep the night before.) And Phil ... "Uranus"? Baaaad one my friend! LOL

    Congrats on the clean scope
    Congrats on the clean scope :) I've never heard of OnDose test. Would you now qualify for a liver node removal??
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    smokeyjoe said:

    Congrats on the clean scope
    Congrats on the clean scope :) I've never heard of OnDose test. Would you now qualify for a liver node removal??

    Liver
    That's what I'm hoping for. I left a message for my onc to call me so that we can discuss options including transplant, cyberknife, HIPAC and pretty much anything else that's available. Frankly, after the phone conversation I just had, I'm really hoping for the transplant.

    What OnDose does is measure the amount of 5-FU in your system. They draw the blood while you're getting treatment and if it's reading low then the dosage can be increased. Unfortunately, mine was right in the middle of the range.
  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    Doc_Hawk said:

    Liver
    That's what I'm hoping for. I left a message for my onc to call me so that we can discuss options including transplant, cyberknife, HIPAC and pretty much anything else that's available. Frankly, after the phone conversation I just had, I'm really hoping for the transplant.

    What OnDose does is measure the amount of 5-FU in your system. They draw the blood while you're getting treatment and if it's reading low then the dosage can be increased. Unfortunately, mine was right in the middle of the range.

    Hi Doc
    I'm not remembering where you have cancerous spots. Is it just the liver (could a liver resection be done? ).
    I guess I'm not aware of something that has you wanting a transplant (can a living person donate a part of their liver?....that would be new to me).
    Anyway....that's a relief that your colonoscopy was clear....fabulous. I still haven't had one....i guess cause still doing chemo. Hope future treatments can be very helpful. Hang in there.
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    janie1 said:

    Hi Doc
    I'm not remembering where you have cancerous spots. Is it just the liver (could a liver resection be done? ).
    I guess I'm not aware of something that has you wanting a transplant (can a living person donate a part of their liver?....that would be new to me).
    Anyway....that's a relief that your colonoscopy was clear....fabulous. I still haven't had one....i guess cause still doing chemo. Hope future treatments can be very helpful. Hang in there.

    Howdy Janie and thanks
    The primary was in my colon, so low that it was outside of the body. There were also mets in my liver (originally too large and numerous to get a count) and one in my right lung. A resection isn't possible because they're spread all through the liver. Radiation two years ago knocked out the primary and a PET scan a couple of months ago showed that the one in my lung was gone, so hopefully I'm now eligible for surgery.

    Because the liver will completely regenerate, a donor can give half of their liver to be placed into the donee and both halves will re-grow. My sister offered to be my donor back when I was first dx'd.

    Chemo shouldn't hold you up from getting a colonoscopy. This is my "week off" from treatment and I'll be right back in the infusion room again next week.
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    UPDATE
    Got a call from the onc today and he says that because the reading was in the medium range, he CAN up my dosage of 5-FU which we'll do starting next week. He also said that I'm not a candidate for surgery because it's metastatic and they'd have to remove too much of the liver. When I see him Wednesday I'll ask if that's just resecting or replacing. I know that they can't just resect a part of the liver, I'm thinking complete transplant and I already have a donor for that.
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    Glad to hear it!
    Fabulous!

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    Liver transplant
    I had not really heard of liver transplant as an option for colorectal cancer as my understanding was that the immunosuppression they have to give you to stop you rejecting the transplanted liver would lead to proliferation of your cancer elsewhere as the immune system wouldn't be controlling it. However, have had a look at some literature and they are still doing it in some areas and have developed new immunosuppressants (the M-TOR inhibitor rapamycin) that is 'antiproliferative' so helps control the cancer growing.

    There is a trial ongoing in Oslo that is still recruiting and has some positive results Link at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01311453

    It does seem Norway is one of the few places doing this as a 2011 article I found quoted their study as one of the only published studies on this approach (there are some older ones but their outcome are very poor because ithey were done before the development of the new immunosuppressants). The study says:

    A group from Norway,
    taking advantage of the surplus of donor organs in that
    country, initiated a study where 16 patients underwent liver
    transplantation for isolated hepatic metastatic colorectal
    disease[82]. Although 2-year survival was 94% with an excellent
    quality of life, there was a high recurrence rate of
    63%. These preliminary data seem promising although,
    it is too early to tell whether this will prove to be a beneficial
    strategy. Specifically, it is important to evaluate the
    5-year survival in order to see whether it is comparable to
    other indications for liver transplantation, thereby so as to
    justifying the use of a limited organ supply. In addition,
    selection criteria for the candidates need to be refined to
    be able to decrease the high recurrence rate.


    The issue may be whether you lung tumour would grow back (most of the people in the study are ones with liver only mets) and in truth it does sound like there are still chemo options your doc wants explored. Make sure you get good clear info from him on why you aren't a candidate for liver resection surgery as you seem uncertain on this but a conversation on liver transplant seems worthwhile and do report back as I'm not sure anyone else on this board has realy discussed it and there may be others interested.

    steve