A Note Of Thanks To Every Member Here And.....

Peter_S
Peter_S Member Posts: 109

We're off to see the surgeon tomorrow and I wanted to say thank you to everyone for the incredibly kind support I've received here in this forum. I now have what I think is an excellent list of questions and without question a better idea of what to expect from the surgery to post operative care and so much more.

 

Today makes exactly two weeks almost to the exact hour that I was told I had colon cancer and would need surgery. I think it's safe to say if you can name the emotion, I've experienced it since that day.

 

No doubt there's plenty more ahead both good and bad. There may be other forums out there, bigger perhaps maybe busier but for me, I feel I couldn't have been luckier to have found you all. My heartfelt thanks again and I'll fill you in after the appointment.

 

Be Well,

 

Peter

Comments

  • myAZmountain
    myAZmountain Member Posts: 417 Member
    HOpe that your appointment

    HOpe that your appointment goes well and you really find a great surgeon and treatment plan!! You got this!!

  • Canadian Sandy
    Canadian Sandy Member Posts: 783 Member
    Thanks for the thanks Peter.

    Thanks for the thanks Peter. Good luck on your journey.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Family

    You have become part of a family that will support you through thick and thin and will always have an ear to your symtoms, fears, future, and jubilations, etc.  We are a family here and even though you never wanted to join, we are glad you found us and will continue to be here when you need us.  Wishing you the best of luck this week and in the future.

    Kim

  • plsletitrain
    plsletitrain Member Posts: 252 Member
    Always welcome

    As much as we wish we could've met each other here on a different platform, we gotta deal with what's given to us.  Good luck on your appointment and keep us posted.  We have all been there and we offer to give you as much information and insight as we can.

  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    cimetidine and pre surgical supplements for colon cancer

    I'd look at taking 800- 1000 mg cimetidine before and after surgery for a week or two.  It is  previously discussed quite a bit for extra immune and cancer response, specifically for surgery but the surgeons haven't been officially instructed and don't know.   

    My wife took more cimetidine, 1600 mg/day , because women often tolerate the hihg dose better, along with a lot of the Life Extension supplements before surgery. She has done **lot better** than most in her situation.

    Life Extension articles

     Life Extension Foundation's intro to CRC 

     cancer surgery

     Beyond colonscopy   

     Preventing surgery induced metastasis 

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109

    HOpe that your appointment

    HOpe that your appointment goes well and you really find a great surgeon and treatment plan!! You got this!!

    Thanks AZ

    I love that expression "you got this" I really do, it makes me feel great so thank you for that, you you got this yourself my friend, thank you

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109

    Thanks for the thanks Peter.

    Thanks for the thanks Peter. Good luck on your journey.

    Sandy thank you

    I appreciate that, so very much. It's a comfort to know that others have been where I'm about to go, and in surprising ways are better off for it.

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109

    Family

    You have become part of a family that will support you through thick and thin and will always have an ear to your symtoms, fears, future, and jubilations, etc.  We are a family here and even though you never wanted to join, we are glad you found us and will continue to be here when you need us.  Wishing you the best of luck this week and in the future.

    Kim

    You've hit the nail on it's proverbial head

    Family is everything - there's the family you're born into but there's also family of choice. For a lot of us the latter is the most important of all. So you're right as rain. Kim, you were one of the first to welcome me here it's hard to fathom that two weeks have flown by, they really have and it's been a roller coaster of fear, laughter, shared pain and sorrow but also a doorway to new understanding and a chance to make new friends.As you can see it's a little after 4 AM I've gotten little sleep, I don't know why I'm so anxious it's just a consultation no surgery today, Sean and the dogs are all snoozing and I'm on my third cup of joe. Thank you for all the kind support it really helps ~ Peter

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109

    Always welcome

    As much as we wish we could've met each other here on a different platform, we gotta deal with what's given to us.  Good luck on your appointment and keep us posted.  We have all been there and we offer to give you as much information and insight as we can.

    I appreciate it

    I sincerly do so thank you for the well wishes, it may be an over used phrase but "it is what it is" this forum makes having cancer easier to deal with on countless levels, than's again for the support ~ Peter

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109
    tanstaafl said:

    cimetidine and pre surgical supplements for colon cancer

    I'd look at taking 800- 1000 mg cimetidine before and after surgery for a week or two.  It is  previously discussed quite a bit for extra immune and cancer response, specifically for surgery but the surgeons haven't been officially instructed and don't know.   

    My wife took more cimetidine, 1600 mg/day , because women often tolerate the hihg dose better, along with a lot of the Life Extension supplements before surgery. She has done **lot better** than most in her situation.

    Life Extension articles

     Life Extension Foundation's intro to CRC 

     cancer surgery

     Beyond colonscopy   

     Preventing surgery induced metastasis 

    Interesting Stuff, Thank You

    I appreciate the words of support and am so very gald your wife is doing well. Upon first glance I can tell you right way this info looks interesting. My vitamin D levels are always low, I'm a diabetic (uncontrolled) so blood panels have become routine. I take 60,000 units of Vit D once a week via perscription but I often forget to take it, your post here reminded me to pop one of these little green gel caps. I wish I could avoid surgery but I can't I'm in a race against bowel rupture - time isn't on my side. Information sure is though so thanks much for the links you didn't post them in vain as I'll be reading them, and carefully. Thanks again and please stay well - Peter 

  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    Peter_S said:

    Interesting Stuff, Thank You

    I appreciate the words of support and am so very gald your wife is doing well. Upon first glance I can tell you right way this info looks interesting. My vitamin D levels are always low, I'm a diabetic (uncontrolled) so blood panels have become routine. I take 60,000 units of Vit D once a week via perscription but I often forget to take it, your post here reminded me to pop one of these little green gel caps. I wish I could avoid surgery but I can't I'm in a race against bowel rupture - time isn't on my side. Information sure is though so thanks much for the links you didn't post them in vain as I'll be reading them, and carefully. Thanks again and please stay well - Peter 

    I had low Vitamin D as well, and was up to 2 of those capsules a week, but my body wouldn't absorb that.  An Integrative Med MD commented that the prescription is D2; the over-the-counter is D3 and better absorbed.  Within a few weeks of switching to D3 (10,000 iu/day) my vitamin D was normalized.  I still require 10,000 iu/day - any less and my D-levels drop.  But a year on the Rx vitamin D did nothing (plus the D2 can upset your stomach).  Ask about switching to OTC D3.

    Wishing you the best as you go through all of this.  My next surgery is coming up in Feb.

    Alice

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109
    abrub said:

    I had low Vitamin D as well, and was up to 2 of those capsules a week, but my body wouldn't absorb that.  An Integrative Med MD commented that the prescription is D2; the over-the-counter is D3 and better absorbed.  Within a few weeks of switching to D3 (10,000 iu/day) my vitamin D was normalized.  I still require 10,000 iu/day - any less and my D-levels drop.  But a year on the Rx vitamin D did nothing (plus the D2 can upset your stomach).  Ask about switching to OTC D3.

    Wishing you the best as you go through all of this.  My next surgery is coming up in Feb.

    Alice

    Hi Songbird Thanks For The Suggestion..

    Whenever I start to wonder why I'm so to the bone tired, completely exhausted and feel like a deflated balloon it's almost always because I've forgotten to take my vitamin D. Forgetting to take my meds is an on going battle and often right after I've popped a few pills I can't remember if I've taken them or not. From here it's a crap shoot, do I double dose? do I miss a dose? either way it keeps life interesting. Any attempt you should (and I don't mean to imply that you would) or would care suggest a pill box, shot glasses, an adorable assistant - man servant to bring me my never ending parade of pills and injectables would be futile and useless. I appreciate any suggestion you may have had and appreciate even more your not suggesting your suggestion.

     

    It's odd to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your story and even your blog posts because I'm so terribly sorry that you've had such a rough time of it - it's inspirational and you're a very, very good writer which again, makes your posts, backstory and the blog entries really delightful to read in the sense that I appreciate good writing but please know that in this case I just wish it was fiction. Thanks for the suggestion of the OTC D3 I'll ask the endocrinologist about it, she's pretty good about doing everything under the sun to help me keep chugging along. Hope all is well, I love to see that little blue bird and read your posts.

     

    Peter
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    Peter_S said:

    Hi Songbird Thanks For The Suggestion..

    Whenever I start to wonder why I'm so to the bone tired, completely exhausted and feel like a deflated balloon it's almost always because I've forgotten to take my vitamin D. Forgetting to take my meds is an on going battle and often right after I've popped a few pills I can't remember if I've taken them or not. From here it's a crap shoot, do I double dose? do I miss a dose? either way it keeps life interesting. Any attempt you should (and I don't mean to imply that you would) or would care suggest a pill box, shot glasses, an adorable assistant - man servant to bring me my never ending parade of pills and injectables would be futile and useless. I appreciate any suggestion you may have had and appreciate even more your not suggesting your suggestion.

     

    It's odd to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your story and even your blog posts because I'm so terribly sorry that you've had such a rough time of it - it's inspirational and you're a very, very good writer which again, makes your posts, backstory and the blog entries really delightful to read in the sense that I appreciate good writing but please know that in this case I just wish it was fiction. Thanks for the suggestion of the OTC D3 I'll ask the endocrinologist about it, she's pretty good about doing everything under the sun to help me keep chugging along. Hope all is well, I love to see that little blue bird and read your posts.

     

    Peter
    I did send you a private mail

    Don't know  if you saw it, but it would be under your CSN Email.   I've given up trying to remember if I've taken my pills.  I now have a stacking pill container (7 that screw together).  Once a week, I line them up; take out all my morning meds (including my vitamin D, which is daily for me) put the appropriate number of each pill into a container (labeled with the day of week).  Then when I do my morning ablutions, I take today's container, dump its contents into a little bowl (my fingers can't grab from all the stuff in each container, and then I know I've taken everything.  I used to have pill bottles lined up, but if my husband asked me a question while I was at the sink, I'd lose track, and do the "did I or didn't I take that one?"  This has worked wonderfully for me.

    I also purchased mini-ziplock bags for pills, so that when I travel, each one has a full day's worth of pills.  Much easier to keep track.

    I'm glad you're enjoying my writing; I do work hard for clarity and completeness.  And yes, I, too, wish it was fiction.  (But I'd be accused of being a lousy fiction writer with the tales I've told!)

     

    Oh, and today I saw 2 new birds at our feeders:  a Pine Siskin and a white crowned sparrow.  The list of birds we've seen from our house is up to 67 different species!  (But my bluebird photo is one of my favorites!)

    Alice

     

    I'm in your corner.

  • CaroleFL
    CaroleFL Member Posts: 15
    edited October 2018 #15
    Thank you for sharing!

    I'm new to this forum, Peter. Take care and thank you for sharing your gratitude and hope. You made me feel like I found the right home! Carole

  • p14175
    p14175 Member Posts: 11
    edited October 2018 #16
    I hope this doesn't sound too impersonal

    When my sister had her mastectomy (she had breast cancer 15 years ago), her husband told me that there was a checklist for treating her cancer, but she wanted to do it her way. The doctors and nurses had a hard time keeping her 'on the path'.  He also told me that all the people on her team were basically technicians. They knew their roles in making her healthy again. If she followed the checklist she would be okay.   When I was I diagnosed with colon cancer and bladder cancer,  I accepted the fact that if I follow my checklist, everything will work out.  Even before my surgery I looked at the whole thing as an adventure and I still do.  I am sure that at some later date I'll say OMG! I went through that?!

    Linda

     

     

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109

    Always welcome

    As much as we wish we could've met each other here on a different platform, we gotta deal with what's given to us.  Good luck on your appointment and keep us posted.  We have all been there and we offer to give you as much information and insight as we can.

    And I'm Forever Grateful...

    Having the support of people who have been where I am and when I am about to go is so important to be that it's hard to convey. Then there's to freedom to talk about what people without colon cancer could never talk about, there's nothing to gross or awful or out of bounds - talk about a judgement free zone. Maybe I can give something back I sure hope so, because I want to - I've been greedy but I think that's ok because I'll get what I need to get through it all in part and a big part, because of all of you - Peter 

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109
    abrub said:

    I did send you a private mail

    Don't know  if you saw it, but it would be under your CSN Email.   I've given up trying to remember if I've taken my pills.  I now have a stacking pill container (7 that screw together).  Once a week, I line them up; take out all my morning meds (including my vitamin D, which is daily for me) put the appropriate number of each pill into a container (labeled with the day of week).  Then when I do my morning ablutions, I take today's container, dump its contents into a little bowl (my fingers can't grab from all the stuff in each container, and then I know I've taken everything.  I used to have pill bottles lined up, but if my husband asked me a question while I was at the sink, I'd lose track, and do the "did I or didn't I take that one?"  This has worked wonderfully for me.

    I also purchased mini-ziplock bags for pills, so that when I travel, each one has a full day's worth of pills.  Much easier to keep track.

    I'm glad you're enjoying my writing; I do work hard for clarity and completeness.  And yes, I, too, wish it was fiction.  (But I'd be accused of being a lousy fiction writer with the tales I've told!)

     

    Oh, and today I saw 2 new birds at our feeders:  a Pine Siskin and a white crowned sparrow.  The list of birds we've seen from our house is up to 67 different species!  (But my bluebird photo is one of my favorites!)

    Alice

     

    I'm in your corner.

    To The Moon Alice, Bang Zoom!....

    I couldn't resist I'm a die hard Honeymooners fan, and fellow bird lover. Now the bird loving I've expressed in an overdue letter because I thought I had replied to your letter in my broken brain but of coursed I had not, so I wrote you a novella about parrots - I hope I haven't spolied anything. Zip lock bags eh? that's a new one and dare I say worth trying, it could be a win-win I'll get meds organized and plus I'll get to feel like a drug king pin at rule over my international cartel. I'll give it a go and we really do have zip lock bags in the house, so I'm halfway there.

    What kinf od feeder do you have? I really want a hummingbird feeder but winters climbing over the backyard fence here in CT so I think it's too cold for them, plus the nectar would freeze.

    You would be a great writer of fiction, just write the truth, lie about it and Viola you're hanging out with Oprah. I get 50% off the top please, the bills are already starting to pile up and the real fun hasn't even started - Peter

     

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109
    CaroleFL said:

    Thank you for sharing!

    I'm new to this forum, Peter. Take care and thank you for sharing your gratitude and hope. You made me feel like I found the right home! Carole

    Welcome Home Carole...

    I'm new here too, I joined the day I was diagnosed...you're home, there's nothing but support here and I have no vested reason or alternative motive to say this, there's no shortaage of forums, this place is special and people try their best to help, little is sugar coated and hope pushes you on. If I've been able to offer a sliver of hope, I don't know what to say - except take it where you can and know you'll be OK...BTW, I love your picture I can hear the waves. I hope you'll come around when you can and as often as you can, be well and thank you for the kind words. - Peter 

  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    Peter_S said:

    To The Moon Alice, Bang Zoom!....

    I couldn't resist I'm a die hard Honeymooners fan, and fellow bird lover. Now the bird loving I've expressed in an overdue letter because I thought I had replied to your letter in my broken brain but of coursed I had not, so I wrote you a novella about parrots - I hope I haven't spolied anything. Zip lock bags eh? that's a new one and dare I say worth trying, it could be a win-win I'll get meds organized and plus I'll get to feel like a drug king pin at rule over my international cartel. I'll give it a go and we really do have zip lock bags in the house, so I'm halfway there.

    What kinf od feeder do you have? I really want a hummingbird feeder but winters climbing over the backyard fence here in CT so I think it's too cold for them, plus the nectar would freeze.

    You would be a great writer of fiction, just write the truth, lie about it and Viola you're hanging out with Oprah. I get 50% off the top please, the bills are already starting to pile up and the real fun hasn't even started - Peter

     

    Hummingbird feeders go out in April/May.

    We just took ours down.  We have squirrel-proof seed feeders and also suet feeders.  I get incredible joy and peace just being in my home, looking out the windows!  And yes, I watched the Honeymooners.  Jackie Gleason's iconic round house was a few miles from where I grew up!

    50% off the top sounds about right   Cool

  • Peter_S
    Peter_S Member Posts: 109
    abrub said:

    Hummingbird feeders go out in April/May.

    We just took ours down.  We have squirrel-proof seed feeders and also suet feeders.  I get incredible joy and peace just being in my home, looking out the windows!  And yes, I watched the Honeymooners.  Jackie Gleason's iconic round house was a few miles from where I grew up!

    50% off the top sounds about right   Cool

    For the $66/k answer who wrote the theme song 2 The Honeymooners

    Ding Ding, times up sorry, Jackie Gleason wrote the theme song and how cool that you lived so close to his house. I'm a homebody too so I can relate on a molecular level. There's no place I would rather be then home in bed with Harley & Elvis (our bullies) they're masters in the art of napping and I've been a good student. Home is where the heart is and ain't that the truth - Peter