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Some thoughts on treatment options... (IMHO)
Not trying to re-open a can of worms, but I’m well aware that there are 2 primary schools of thought here on treatments: Western vs TCM. Both have their plusses and minuses; each will work for some, and not for others, and unfortunately, we can’t always know which is our personal best option. I tend to lean towards…
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Stent in right urterer
Hi everyone. I havent been on here in awhile. Went yesterday (Fri) for my stent exchange, and I already prepared myself for the outcome. That the urterer is completely damaged from the radiation. I was mad when the dr told me. I go back in 2 to 3 weeks to have a lasix scan done to see how the kidneys are working. Then at…
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Post Treatment questions
I haven't posted since April, just trying to survive and function. But I have questions. I was diagnosed in April 2011. I have chemo/radiation for 6 weeks. Healed from that and had my entire rectum removed on August 16th last year with a permanent colostomy. That was followed by 8 of 12 chemo treatments with 5FU and…
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breathing time - NED for now
Phew... Husbands colonoscopy and ultrasound last last week were clear. If there isn't anything wrong with the blood count we will finally get some breathing time after this eventful 10 months. Next checkup will be CT in 3 months. So we will finally start traveling again: Thursday we will be up and away to 3 weeks in…
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Info on Raise a glass to Jennie - for Maglets and anyone who missed orig post
Here is the info originally posted in the thread by Doc_Hawk who had the inspiration to raise a glass to Jennie at the start of the football game she was to attend. _____________________________________________________________________ Dallas Cowboys vs St. Louis Rams Saturday 8/25/2012 at 8:00 PM Eastern time zone Honolulu…
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Rectal with mets to bone only?
My husband was just diagnosed last week. We are in shock - he is 46, in good health and we have 3 kids - almost 15, 12 and a 10 month old. He's been through tons of tests, they are seeing a small spot on a bone and now he needs a bone biopsy. Nothing in the liver/lungs and the onc. says it's rare to just be in the bone. It…
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I’m now a Bagger!!
Hello my friends. I know it’s been a long time since my posting but I’ve had a lot going on a lot of changes with my fight. After 2 years to pooping problems (as most of us Colorectal Cancer patients have) my Ostomy bag was put in last month and so far so good. Last week I took my 6 year old son to see a movie. I haven’t…
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Vickilg How are you doing?
Hey Vicki - I was thinking about you and your husband and wondering how you were doing. I know initial news usually is shocking until it is absorbed and think more clearly. I hope you are ok. We both have treatment Monday. Sandy
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NED Status but taking Xeloda?
I was wondering if anyone is taking Xeloda as maintenance when you are NED status. I was diagnosed stage 4; lung nodule removed February 2011, completed response to the rectal tumor with chemo/radiation, LAR with temp ileostomy in September 2011 to remove scar tissue (all pathology clean), and followed by 6 months of…
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just wondering
hello all, thank you all for the help during my chemo hell, i was just wondering if anyone is doing any natural treatments and if so i would love to get some info, i have to think there has got to be more than getting nuked and feeling like crap!! im probley crazy but what the heck!!! after almost 4 years of getting beat…
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Hi mates it is FRIDAY ,any interesting plan for the weekend?
I'm still on the beach but started 4th round of Xeloda and Avastin yesterday so...again headaches ! Hope gets better as I pretend boating on Saturday!. What about you mates?
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Free Fly Fishing for Men with Cancer
Quick update: I am still NED after liver surgery in January 2011. The surgery was after 7 years of NED from Stage 4 diagnosed in 2004. Now to the topic: I just returned from a fantastic retreat put on by Reel Recovery. It was a 3 day retreat including fly fishing (many had never fly fished before)and some group…
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back to the usa, pete in chicago saturday and sunday for metametrix conference
so i have formally started my naturopathy training course. I am flying off in 12 hours back to the good old usa, chicago. land in chicago 10.30pm friday night late and then off to conference 8am saturday. the conference is summarised here. http://www.metametrix.com/news-and-events/events-calendar/ale-workshop-0812 I have…
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worth repeating
I credit pete43lost_at_sea for originally posting this link. I am one of those who advocates being open to a multipronged approach to dealing with cancer, provided it is evidence based. Even more so now that it is clear standard cytotoxic chemotherapy is rapidly failing my wife. click on this --> LEF over recent months,…
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I need a little encouragement
I just read that idlehunters passed away and I'm devastated. We have emailed each other and more or less, our cancers took the same paths. I'm a Stage IV survivor since late 2006 but...CEA seems to be going up about 50% every month (now 76), have mets to lungs and lymph nodes. It's not good. I'm on Xeloda alone and it…
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Tribute for Jennie
I was kinda thinking that Sunday at the kick off of the Rams @ Dallas game, those of us who can view might raise a toast to Jennie. Just and idea to say farewell to a sweet lady and special friend.
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Book recommendation - "Your medical mind" by Groopman and Hartzband
I just finished this book and found it helpful to me in making a recent decision and, most likely, decisions in the future about my medical care. I'm talking about decisions in the gray area - where you can go more than one way. I think it might help some other people on this board as well. It's a very good read about how…
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Chemo start - how many days after liver resection
Hi Just had a live resection on 2 nd sugust. Still recovering at home. Have another RFA required to be done to one tumour that was not resected. How many days after resection is it wise to restate the balance mop up chemo without taking any chance of recurrence. Have been off the chemo since 4 th June, it is over 2 and a…
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Thread gone
Yesterday I think it was someone had posted that their friend had stage ii colon cancer and there was cancer in her lungs too, I can't really recall the rest of how the post went or what they were asking. I replied something to the effect that with mets in the lung it probably wasn't stage ii disease but stage 1V. I asked…
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port
I just had my port removed. I know a lot of you have left them in after treatment. I wanted to be free of it since I am very active and have a history of DVT's.
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Update on my mom
Ok after several nervous weeks and 4 unplanned weeks off since her first chemotherapy infusion my mom receives her 2nd infusion today. If you recall after her first infusion her blood levels were horrible and they discovered she had a UTI infection which got into her blood. She completed her antibiotic of cipro and the…
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Telling my daughter
I've struggled with what to tell my daughter about my dx. It seems like the good people on this board are pretty open with loved ones about their disease, but I've hedged with my daughter. She found out she was pregnant just after my stage iv, chemo for life, terminal, blah, blah, blah, dx. And we were getting a 2nd…
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First scan this AM since starting UPDATE
trial study. ..Keep your fingers crossed. No results for a week (WHY is that???), altho' I am hoping maybe the doc will stop by infusion room and give us a clue as to what, if anything, is happepning. Wishful thinking on my part. Angela
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Spine mets & brain mets - how much time is left?
My sister was dx with Stage 4 colon cancer 3 years ago. She's done numerous rounds of chemo and last spring was given a "break" because she was doing so well. In June she started having trouble walking and they discovered a met to her spine. She had 21 rads and was scheduled for follow up PET scan next week. Last Friday,…
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Surgery
Been off the boards for a while. Recovery has been slow and harder than I had imagined. Surgeon said that the surgery had gone well and that there had been a second tumor on the liver that they removed (they also removed the Gall Bladder). Do not know about more chemo yet but expect 6 to 8 more rounds of FOLFOX when…
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Traveling with a bag
Hello there! Tis will be my first time to travel in the USA after being NED for 2 years from rectal ca. Are they strict at the airport with THE BAG. I really fear being pat down and being questioned by the airport authorities of my bag. I have travelled in Asia but they don't even ask about it or even frisk me near my…
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scan results
The results of my PET scan last week are currently hazy. It was done at a different facility than my scan in May so they didn't have the images for comparison. Also, m onc is out this week, so I can't get his input for two weeks. It does appear that there is progression of the tumors in my lungs and I have an "atypical…
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Planned chemotherapy cancelled
I am actually very pleased by this. I saw my oncologist today. After the lung nodule was found, he recommended surgery and follow-up chemo. Today was my first visit with him following the surgery. He now believes we should be in an observation mode, since he believes the potential benefits are outweighed by the known side…
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Cancer survivor is now a naturopathic doctor
Cancer survivor is now a naturopathic doctor You can see Doctor Joe Brown's incredible story at www.DoctorJoeBrown.com Dr. Joe Brown, Naturopathic Doctor, has more to offer to patients than his knowledge and expertise. He offers his personal experience in battling cancer. In 1998, Dr. Brown was diagnosed with late stage…
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2 years post surgery and still get pain at the surgery site ... anything similar?
Hello all, I hope this post finds you well. I have a quick question that I am hoping you might be able to help with. Quick history, I was dx'd in May of 2010, stage 4 rectal cancer with a single met to my liver. 6 weeks of radiaion prior to surgery. Had Surgery in September of 2010 for both the rectal tumor and the liver…