-
The dreaded "stoma" and do I have any say
hey folks, i am at the point where surgery is friday, and the colostomy will be permanent. i met with the stoma nurse, and i was pretty much dismissed with the exact phrase of "forget about the stoma." i am finally coming to peace with the idea of this being permanent, but I don't want a protruding "spout." stoma nurse…
-
Anyone hear from Maxicat?
Hi Team, Has anyone heard from Maxicat? I have not seen any updates in a while. I know she was 3b signet cell (like me) and then she was facing breast cancer. I don't really look at any other forums so I thought someone else may have seen something. I think of her often and hope she is doing well. Thanks
-
Proxy...what to do..dysfunctional family
hey everyone, i am having APR next week, and am now feeling much better about it (in case you read my previous posts of angst) and they would like a proxy just in case. i was the "person to notify" and the responsible person when my parents passed and needed someone there for them. My older sister, though we have had no…
-
HERNIA REPAIR AND ILEOSTOMY REVERSAL
I was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer with mets to the liver in fall, 2013. I ended up with surgical removal of two cancerous polyps, followed by six rounds of chemo and an iliostomy when the reconnection blew (sepsis) after I got home. Emergency surgery fixed that one. A year later the larger lobe of my liver was…
-
Janderson scan results.
It was a mixed bag that Misun and I are both pleased about. One spot shrunk. 2 other spots don't show up on the scan. The other tiny spots on my lungs and splean are all stable. There is however another fast growing spot on my chest wall just past the margains from my last survey that we have to deal. We are going to use…
-
A bit of good news about my lung mets
So I have the three spots in my left lung that the PET scan said were cancer mets. My radiologist called this morning to tell me that two are cancer mets and the third one is just a spot. The two that are are very close together so when I get the radiation I'll have less area damaged than anticipated previously. As far as…
-
Liver mets :(
liver mets confirmed yesterday...on husbands 50th birthday. Wanted to hit the idiot doctor who thought it was a good day for that news. Not bad enough that he has to be in the hospital on his birthday. We did get good news the day before that the brain MRI was ok. Neuro thought he had a brain met...was a bit of sinusitis…
-
Two Primary Cancers Diagnosed at the same time, Cecum Cancer & Follicular Lymphoma
The last few months I been dealing with Acid Reflex/ Gerd. I had an endoscope and colonoscopy by a local GI DR. He found the cause of the acid reflex (so he thought), H-Pylori that I had caught in some third world country. as a child. (I have had gasritis for years. I was just told to keep changing my eating habits. Eat…
-
HAI Pump Therapy. Why Isn't It Used More?
I got scan results Wednesday. Things look stable which is always great news for me. I still have two questionable spots in my lung that may or may not be something. I've been on Xeloda and Avastin for the past 2+ years and I'm continuing with that. ALWAYS get a second opinion. What was very interesting today was that my…
-
Pre-op testing for APR today
well, no surprise at this point. Went for pre-op testing and had blood-pressure and heart rate, weight check. Then had a discussion with a nurse. She added to my medical record, and told me what I should and should not take for meds. Heart rate was a bit crazy at 101. Bp 139/74...very high for me. I'm just floored and…
-
Annual Scans coming up, never seems to be any less scary
Hello ALL, Just checking in, I have my annual scans in a few weeks, got the colonoscopy next week too, oh fun fun fun. I hate to admit it but i am a little behind, was supposed to already have completed the colonoscopy. Although i dont expect any issues with either i cant help but to be scared, anxious, nerveous and…
-
"instructions" for my APR surgery...tylenol...walking after 3 hours!!!
Well, just when I thought I had finally made peace with having the APR... And it's a fantastic hospital, but I can't believe a major surgery is going to be policed over pain relief...they "minimize" narcotics, but what am I supposed to do instead---take two tylenol and scream into a pillow. well...I got some instructions…
-
It appears I am not the only one in my family.
I ran into my cousin Bill at the supermarket on thursday. He is my mothers brothers son. We never see much of each other mainly because of distance but we all usually keep to ourselves. Bill has had a very tough life , he spent many years in the Aust Airforce and served in Vietnam and Malaysia. During a regular medical…
-
groin xray questions
2 cancer tumors removed from my colon retacal area and then they shoved my but throught my stomic 12 rounds of chemo 3 times but i still get cancer nodes in my right groin surgy 3 times to remove 2 tumors each time in the right groin this time doc wants to try radatanion to kill every thing in groin area becuse there non…
-
probable lung cancer recurrence
My Mom was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2012 the tumor was contained she had surgery to remove it and underwent chemo and radiation treatments. She was doing well, levels were staying in normal range then at a check up in 2014 she had a cough which she thought was just a cold, it wasnt bad just irritating…
-
Happy Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentine's Day! May life surround you with people who adore you and appreciate your love. Laz
-
Janderson...how are you?
hey Jeff, thinking of you. How are things going?
-
Radiation Mapping Question
So I went for the mapping for the radiation for the mets in my lung today. I remember having this done for the tumour a couple of years ago and I had three stickers at that time. Now I have three spots that are not that close together and they only gave me three stickers again. And this time it's supposed to be very…
-
My joke protocol at cost saving; I wouldn't mind if we got better MEDICAL care
UCSP "Universal Cost Saving Protocol" (How hospitals could cut costs without actual patient suffering) No more free meals: you came here for healthcare; we are not a five star restaurant. MP Meal Protocol: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are a $2.00 surcharge. If you cannot pay, we will bill you to your home. If you have an…
-
Life without my soulmate
4 weeks ago, my husband passed away after a 4 1/2 year long battle with colorectal cancer. We had been together for 38 years since we were 17 years old and I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest. I don't know how I will ever be able to live without him. He fought so hard and suffered so much like all of you…
-
A special condolence thread for Daffodil58 - Her beloved husband has passed away
My last post My husband passed away at the end of November, just a few weeks before his 59th birthday. Not even close to the prognosis given at his diagnosis. I miss him terribly. ---------------------------------------------------- Daffodil58 posted in her older thread http://csn.cancer.org/node/294109 of her husband's…
-
Dr. Visit Update
Hello everyone. I'm actually sitting in the chair right now, at UMHS. Today is my second from last ERBITUX® (cetuximab) infusion. My last treatement is scheduled for 2/25. And woo hoo -- under 1.0 CEA once again. What a wonderful update.However, I wanted to share a specific part of my update with you all, on the CSN…
-
no appetite and bloating
Hello everyone! I have now completed 10 Folfox treatments. I did 7 with full dose and 8-10 treatments were with reduced dose oxaliplatin. I am planning the last two treatments to be 5FU only. Over the last couple of weeks I have had a new epigastric pain, bloating and nausea. These symptoms seem all to familiar to my small…
-
New to colostomy and embarassing gas
I recently had to have APR surgery with permanent colostomy and I was wondering if anyone has any advice about how to deal with gas in social situations. I have always been a very prideful person and this is the hardest part of the whole ordeal for me. Any suggestions?
-
One Year All Clear
Oncologist went back through all the scans, says he sees no changes. (Reports have +/- 1 or 2 mm between them all, just variance of technique and too small really to size anyway.) Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my surgery. Time to schedule next scan and colonoscopy. (Yes even the thought of a colonscopy is pretty…
-
Scans for NewHere and many others
I hope your scan went well today, New. When do you get your results? There have been a slew of us with scans these past few weeks. Hope to hear from everyone when the results are in. Sue - Trubrit
-
CEA 1.0 and CLEAR SCANS - WOO HOO!
Bring on the Dancing Man for me - YAY! And this is what I actually feel like doing , but at my age, I'd better stick with the . I confess, with all of the recent Cacner related deaths in the news, and friends here struggling so, this set of tests was especially hard for me, and I was very apprehensive about the results.…
-
Low magnesium
My brother was on Vectibix but his magnesium levels have dropped to .9 and his heart function has gone down to 25% (ejection fraction rate). They had to take him off Vectix for now until they can get his magnesium under control and the heart function up. They need to figure out whether it's the low magnesium causing the…
-
Sickness and PET Scan
i am going have him call tomorrow and ask, but my husband went to the dr yet again for this ongoing cold. His throat was really bad, his ear were full of fluid, his glands in his neck are all swollen but his chest and lungs are clear. Due to how long it's been going on and that he can't shake it they gave him an…
-
Does your grade change?
So when I originally had the cancer two years ago and had the surgery, etc. I was graded at 3B with three out of eleven lymph nodes involved. Now that I have mets in my lung am I a stage 4? Or does the grading stay the same as it was originally? I can ask my onc but I don't have an appointment for a few weeks and I'm just…