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My husband
My husband, Dale, died on Tuesday morning from pneumonia. He was fighting to recover from the surgery that drained the abscess compressing his spinal cord and was just overwhelmed with infection. He was diagnosed with rectal cancer in January 2002 and discovered the lung metastasis in October 2003. Erbitux was effective in…
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CEA counts
I completed my chemo in April. Had my follow up colonoscopy (my tumor had been too large to complete the initial colonoscopy in August of 2004), it was clear. I went in for routine blood work and my CEA count came back at 17. We retested my blood and a week later it had jumped to 21.9. I am now scheduled for a PET on the…
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Erbitux, dry skin and vitamin E
Hi all, I'm on Erbitux for the past 22 weeks and the dry skin thing is getting me. My rash isn't too bad anymore, it's moved to my legs but the cracked fingertips bug me. Has anyone taken Vitamin E to help with the dry skin. I've heard it's good for skin but have not tried it yet. I see my Onc on monday to go over last…
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Common thread for metastatic cured
HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE!!!!!! A review of all the people in the world who have had metastatic colon cancer and have had no evidence of disease for 5 or more years. I would like to know what they believe contributed to their success. I personally know only one person who fits this description, but I understand there are…
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your best diarrhea treatments?
taking a survey to see how you all manage diarrhea and cramping. The oxaliplatin is really doing a job on me. the diarrhea starts about 2 days after the infusion. It lasts 3-4 days. The cramping is really uncomfortable. I'm up to 8 imodium per day and pulled out some lomotil that i had left over from 2 years ago(i know, I…
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my granny is gone
hello all. my granny passed away on sat morning. she was a fighter and at 80 yrs old she took some pain with little complaing. i was blessed to take care of her even at 2 am on fri but i knew she was slipping away. i have taken the next 2 treatments off as i am exhausted and just need a break. i am still waiting on scans…
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Female Radiation Side Effect
***Question for women!!!**** You've been warned! Hi, I finished radiation to my pelvis are to treat rectal cacner on July 11th. I haven't felt comfortable remaining sexually active since my rectal cancer diagnosis, so I used a vaginal dilator to try to minimize narrowing and closing off of the vagina which can happen from…
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blood transfusion tomorrow
Hi everyone, I hope you are all feeling well. I will be having a blood transfusion tomorrow because of low counts. I know that this will make me feel better as I've been extremely wiped out, but it is very frustrating to have to spend all day sitting at the hospital tomorrow. Yuck!!!!!!!!!! I finally had a day with no…
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Palooza 4 ~ Halifax, NS Canada
Palooza 4 Dear fellow semi-colons as we say goodbye to 2005 Andy & I would like to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and good health & prosperity in 2006. 2006 Semi-Annual Palooza's . Palooza 3, Austin Texas in late April , further details to be announced... Palooza 4, Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. So set…
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oxaliplatin is it changing the stats?
When my husb. Tim was diagnosed stage 3 colon cancer with 8 positive lymph nodes I looked up all the information and stats I could find. The infor was grim and scarry. The info was also pre oxaliplatin for first time cancer patients. Does anyone have good news for me about survival rates for a 52 year old in Tim's…
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possible changes to my chemo
Last week, I posted how I was worried about by care. I have been on Erbitux and Camptosar for eight weeks because of recurrent liver metastases (6) and peritoneal lymph nodes (4). I had a scare last week as my CEA went to 49 and my onc. freaked. She said that she wanted to stop taking CEAs and CAT scans and just continue…
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Dry eyes at night - why?
I have taken most of the different kinds of chemo currently aimed at metastatic colon cancer to my lungs and liver. I have also had the colon surgery, liver surgery, and surgery on both lungs and also 4 stents placed in my bile duct. All of this began about 3 years ago. I wake up to go to the bathroom most night at about…
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night sweats
In answer to some of my posts a few people have mentioned night sweats..I wonder how common they are and how much it has to do with liver/lung mets?..or the chemo. My husband has had 2 treatments of folfiri and avastin and both times the night of the treatment he wakes up 2-3 times with drenching night sweats... please let…
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thanks
thanks to everyone who responded to my Folfiri/Avastin questions. I start tommorrow morning better equipped & informed thanks to all of you. Love, bud/Nanuk
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Mucus Drainage
OK, the totally "anal" one is back. I haven't been here for a while. I've checked out every Med web site on the internet and could find nothing on my problem, then I thought WOW, check with the PROs. So here goes--The end of last Jan. I developed a radiation ulcer in my anus.(caused by the internal radiation treatments) My…
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Still waiting on scans....
Belated Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had some good food and shared some love with great people. I know my blessings have been kept close to heart since diagnosis. To still be here, having the opportunity to fight, never having achieved a remission is such a blessing. I know how lucky I am and give thanks every day.…
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My mom
My mom had the bile duct unclogged and a stint in today. She is so relieved that she can start feeling better. We are so glad we got the 2nd opinion!
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Folfiri plus Avastin
I start Folfiri/Avastin next week, which I believe consists of 5fu, Irinotecan-(CPT-11), Leucovarin + methotrexate, & Avastin. Side effects seem to run the gamut, from Congestive heart failure to severe nausea & diarrhea, low blood counts,bleeding, & death.. Is there anyone out there who has had this protocol w/o side…
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Bert & Mom
Hi everyone. We've been holding our own out here in unbelievably hot, sunny Southern California. Just thought I'd let you all know what's been going on. Bert continues to do well :o ). Two PETs, three CATs, and a recent colonoscopy have all shown no evidence of disease :o )....thank you God! He has now completed four…
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New Member
Hi, Everyone... I just found this forum tonight. I thought that perhaps I could be of help to someone who may be going through what I went through 18 years ago after I was diagnosed with cancer of the mesentary at age 37. The mesentary is the blood supply to the small intestine. The cancer was wrapped around the majority…
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Grim Outlook
Hi folks. What a wonderful resource you have assembled here. I am hoping to bend your ears for a moment because It seems I am running out of options for survival. I am a 27 year old male, otherwise in good health, who was diagnosed with an "Adenocarcinoma of the Descending Sigmoid Colon" in Feb. of this year. My tumor was…
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One year ago...
One year ago today I was celebrating my 50th birthday in Hawaii unaware that in 3 weeks I'd be diagnosed with colon cancer and spend New Years Eve in the hospital after having a laprascopic right hemicolectomy. Over the past year there were challenges learning to cope with the emotions of cancer, and challenges at work. In…
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Happy Birthday Stacy Gleason
Hi Everyone, Let's all join in and wish Stacy a very Happy Birthday. This wonderful lady turns 38 years young on December 2nd... So girlfriend have a great Birthday and who know's maybe we'll go for that drive in a convertible in 2006... Also, We have reached an agreement with Hotel Delta Halifax for Palooza 4 on room…
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question about annual colonoscopy
My annual colonoscopy is in 2 weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make the stuff you have to drink more palatable. Just thinking about it makes me gag. I wish you all a very nice Thanksgiving tomorrow. Regards, Arlene
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Lower Rectal Cancer
My friend has cancer of the rectum very close to his anus (large mass). I'd appreciate any words from those out there that have/had this condition, treatments they are doing/have had, where they're at now and/or anything else that may be useful to my friend. He is not going to any support group which I think would be good…
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I'm Planning on Survival
Hi fellow semi colon-ites. I had send an update a week or so ago about my cancer coming back and it now being stage 4 with tumors attached to the left and right side of the colon and one rotten bugger in the tissue by the colon. So far, no detections of mets to the lungs or liver. This is really quite new to me so I am…
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stage 1V's please respond
Well my hubby had his second folfiri plus avastin treatment..during which time the Onc finally shared the results of his CAt scan that he had before the trial (he thought the referring Dr had spoken to him- but it turns out he hadn't had a full CAT- just an abdominal one previously)- but anyway it showed a met in the lung…
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Good Liver Surgery Stories?
Hello : ) I am due to have surgery to remove the entire left lobe of my liver and my gall bladder sometime around the end of December or beginning of January. This is to remove a 3cm metstasis in the left lobe. My oncologist scared me a couple weeks ago by describing the surgery as being "very bloody". And then I happened…
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Thanks for replies
Thanks for all the replies to my post. had a lovely b'day and am now proud possessor of beautiful red boots. Am wondering if George Best was well known in other parts of the globe? Scan results on Tuesday next, hopefully. Tara, i am feeding the faith and starving the doubt. Thanks for the advice. Byeee Margo Byeeee
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thanks - worrying less
I want to thank all of you. You gave me some great suggestions and I'm following up on a lot of them. I've made some new appointments with the docs to look into other treatments. I can't believe that Erbitux and Cpt11 is the only treatment out there for liver mets. Also, I was told it was inoperable by one surgeon. I need…