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My Visit With The ONC Today
My initial background is copied below this message if you wish to read the history of all this... Hi all!!!!! Here is an update for you on my cancer journey: Found out today from my oncologist that the CAT scans I had last week show something of concern in the prostate organ. It is about the size of the point end of a ball…
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Write Congress
No matter which side of the political spectrum you are on it is time to write your Senators/Representatives. In today's USA Today , 5D in the Life section, is an article indicating that the administration is proposing cutting the budget of the National Cancer Institute for the second straight year. One of the reasons given…
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Spreading to the Lungs Question
Hello: My dad is stage IV (recurrence in September 06 - multiple mets in the liver). He started avastin in October. As of January 1, his cea went from 186 to 100. His cea was taken last monday but we do not have the results. Since he is still on for the appointment, I am assuming that the number did not go up. Usually, if…
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thank you and update
Dear all, Thank you to those who replied. Here is the update. The doctor took out the 5 cm successfully, but not all of the 3 cm tumor that lies in between the main arteries. He put radioactive agents to kill the cells. What is that? Does anyone know? He said that it would take the pump and chemo to take care of the…
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Coughing and Chemo?
Hi all, Carl is on FOLFOX with Avastin, just had his 4th treatment. He is having a weird side effect that the onc says isn't caused by the chemo drugs (I beg to differ). After every treatment, he gets a dry cough for 4-5 days which then goes away but comes back the day of chemo. He also gets a raspy voice which seems worse…
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Colon Palooza 5
Greetings all! Reminder....there are only a limited number of rooms set aside @ the Hilton Nashville for Colon Palooza 5 scheduled for Sept 12 to Sept 16, 2007!! Have you reserved YOUR room yet???? Once the rooms are gone, there will be no guarantee on the great rate I've secured applying to additional rooms. Call today…
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Long absence
Hi, I have not posted for a long time but my husband was dx in July 2003 and has done very well until now. We are a little concerned as his CEA levels have been going up gradually and he has to have another done next month along with his annual scan. In the meantime, I was dx with lymphoma and have just completed six…
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Stage 4-you know it can be beaten....
I posted back in September about a friend with stage 4 colon cancer, mets to the liver. They wouldn't even do surgery....put him on agressive chemo. Well, surprise! The chemo worked so well (he lost 45 pounds, and has a feeding tube, granted) that he had resection surgery on Monday, with removal of the gall bladder, 60% of…
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Your thoughts on prognosis
My husband was diagnosed July06 with rectal colon cancer. MRI suggested it was stage II (T3). MRI also showed some suspicious enlarged lymph nodes one away from the area. Had chemo/radiation before surgery. Surgery went well. Did bioposy during surgery on node out of area, was benign. Pathology came back T2, NO, MO - keep…
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Muscle Spasms
Hello all. This is my first time posting, but have been using this great resource since I was diagnosed with rectal, stage IIB, July 2006. My treatment program was 5FU infusions and six weeks of radiation. My follow up sigmoid in October showed no signs of disease. Now I am showing signs that the beast may be returning,…
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Done with treatment and feeling mixed emotions
I read this site everyday, but am not much of a poster. Since being diagnosed with rectal cancer in May '06, I've had the chemo/radiation combo, surgery, and just finished my 8 treatments of Folfox last night. I should be jumping for joy and running as far away from the oncologist's office as fast as I can. But my main…
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This is my story. Your input appreciated.
I am a 60 year old male in the eastern Atlanta, GA area. I went for a scheduled routine colonostomy Dec 14th, 2006 unaware of any symptoms of any kind. Healthy as a horse. He found a tumor in the ceccum, the area between the large and small intestine where the small int. dumps liquid into the large. Too big to snare, and…
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OUT OF HOSPITAL
Hello everyone. I just got out of the hospital. I am beside myself. As you all know from my previous messgaes, I have been incapacitiated with compression fractures of my back. My ribs keep fracturing for no reason at all. I have been bed bound since Nov. 2006. I now have developed DVT in my leg which is extremely painful.…
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update-good vibes needed
Hi all, I have not been posting for a while, just want to give an update of my father. His CEA has been rising steadily, 4.1, 7.8 then 12.8. PET scanned ordered last Tuesday and showed 2 new tumors on his liver, 5cm and 3 cm( near the main artery, yikes). Liver resection (this is his second resection since last April…
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first posting
This is my first posting, I had stage 3 colorectal, diagnosed August of 05, had my ileostomy takedown end of last June. I cant believe how many people were told they had hemorrhoids, same here, for 2 years! Had a sigmoid and they completely missed it, finally got diagnosed at 39 years old. Still having a hell of a time…
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Stage 4 Survivor so far so good ~
My Story a repeat for some of you. Just to brighten your day and give you all some hope I will tell you my story. I was 38 years old mother of three teenagers diagnosed in Feb. 03 with Stage 4 rectal cancer with mets to liver I had 1 large and 3 smaller tumors on my liver. I started out with chemo oxaliplation sp?,…
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Trying to make it through "forever"
Hi everyone. I am sitting here the night before another treatment and I am having my normal emotional break down. I hate going. If we had stuck to my original plan of treatment this would be my last month of chemo...that was before they found it in my lungs. Now the doctors are telling me that I will doing treatment for…
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My Mother
Hi guys, Well, my mother had a colonoscopy 2 years ago and had a total of 19 polyps removed, several of which were adenomas. She was supposed to go back last year for another scope but she put it off until this year. This time 15 polyps were found, 5 adenomas, two of which were too big to have removed during the scope. So…
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Surgery is coming!!!!
Hi all, Finally have my surgery scheduled for February 5th. Am nervous, but ready to get this show on the road. I am more than likely going to wake up with a permanent colostomy. I would appreciate any info on life after surgery. What to expect??? Any advice??? I am worried about the pain. My surgeon is ordering DepoDur,…
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how many times can you do this?
How many times can one have liver resections? The highest number I have heard is 4. Does anyone here have more than one liver resection? My dad just had his second resection and details are in my previous post. His cancer camce back to the liver. I just cannot imagine numerous open surgeries. Carm
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Friday Yummies
Hi Guys: Now that I've run out of clean jokes for our Friday giggles, I am having to come up with another plan :) Thanks to Carm and Scouty, I got the idea of the Friday Yummies - to share some my favorite healthy food trivia and recipes. So, here we go, the first of the food yummies. Have a great weekend! Ying…
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can there be NO chemo after surgery
Two days ago I posted the I was dx with CR and am facing more scopes and tests. I have asked a lot of Q's and have gotten a lot of great info from experienced CR survivors. The surgeon said that I might not have to have chemo after. So, here is another question. Has anyone had the APR for tumor removal and not had to have…
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Eye Issues
First, let me say that the folks here are the best. I have learned so much on this board and I pray for each and everyone of you. I am in the middle of my 8th treatment (5-FU/ Avastin/Oxaliplatin, Leucovorin, etc). After the last treatment, I started getting burning, itching and watery eyes. My Oncologist said it was from…
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2 Down 10 to go....side effects
Hi Everyone, Hope all is well with all of you. Well my husband got thru his 2 treatment quite well but I have questions as usual (so glad you all are here!)anyways as each treatment comes and goes will the side effects stick around longer. My husband pretty much feels okay on the first 2 days of chemo but on the third day…
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just dx and have questions
I was just told today that I will have to have surgery to remove rectum mass of 2cm. Since it it within 5cm of the anal line?? the colon cannot be connected so there will have to be a colostomy. This was not the news I wanted to hear. What can I expect as for as time in hospital for surgery, taking care of the stoma and…
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Clinical Trials
Has anyone gone through or currently going through a clinical trial for their treatment? Your thoughts on the experience would be greatly appreciated.
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Cancer Info for Newbies
A friend of mine sent me the following, and although I know most of it (mostly through trial and error), I thought the newbies on this board might find the information helpful. Monica 1. Every person has cancer cells in their body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few…
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the beast is back
well everyone i went for my 3 month check-up and my CEA is 87, yes sign that the beast is back. im very scared as this is my second battle with it, i go for testing this week so i will find out where it has shown its ugly head again. has anyone ever went through it twice. i dont want to go through this all over again but i…
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Decreased chemo dose
Hi, am wondering if anyone has had to go further than their original 12 treatments after having their chemo doses decreased? Hubby had to have Oxi stopped after 8 tx's and the 5-FU was cut in half as well. Any info will be appreciated:) Thanks, Ginny
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Interesting Article
Dr. Weil had this on his site this morning, I also get his daily e-newsletters, great to subscribe to. This info is even being published by the NCI! Calcium Supplements Can Prevent Polyps Taking calcium supplements daily may protect more than just your bones. New research from Dartmouth Medical School shows that taking…