Thursday is port day and my start to kicking it

paulette S
paulette S Member Posts: 42
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
So tomorrow at 9 am is my port . im nervous but anxious to get things moving. Monday i start chemo and radiation to shrink that tumor which i think you know i named MFer since i hate the F word. lol
im scared since i hear you all have pain for awhile and the thought of chemo and radiation scare me with all these side effects but i have to stay mentally positive and know that as it is wiping me out itis wiping out MFer. You guys are a great group and i hope that you dont mind if i join in. I need support beccause i am falling apart here.

Comments

  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    Join the club!
    Paulette,

    Everyone's reaction to radiation and chemo is different. I won't lie, it was tough for me, but look at me now - cancer free and heading for the home stretch. Yes, stay mentally positive. Talk with your doctor and nurses throughout the process...they are there to make it easier for you. Tell them ALL side effects, even if it seems small. And come here often. This club is not exclusive. You are already a member, prayed over and cared for! Ask us ANYTHING, because someone will have the answer.

    Many hugs, Vicki
  • neon356
    neon356 Member Posts: 137 Member
    Hi Paulette,
    Let

    Hi Paulette,
    Let the battle begin! Just remember that in time it will all be in the past. No more chemo, no more radiation, no more discomfort. Your mettle will be tested to the max and, believe me, you will be a better person for it when all is said and done. Good luck having the port put in. It won't be nearly as bad as you think. Keep in touch,... Carl
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    neon356 said:

    Hi Paulette,
    Let

    Hi Paulette,
    Let the battle begin! Just remember that in time it will all be in the past. No more chemo, no more radiation, no more discomfort. Your mettle will be tested to the max and, believe me, you will be a better person for it when all is said and done. Good luck having the port put in. It won't be nearly as bad as you think. Keep in touch,... Carl

    welcome
    hey,just got my port in on monday march 2. the procedure wasnt bad but this thing feels like a hard ball under my skin right under my collar bone. i have been staying on pain meds hoping it will ease up soon. i already did chemo pills[xeloda] and radiation before my surgery to shrink my tumor and now tuesday i will start the oxy and 5fu for the next 6 months, welcome aboard this ride,we will all make it if we hang on together God bless.......johnnybegood
  • sheri22
    sheri22 Member Posts: 273
    WELCOME TO THE CLUB
    Hey Paulette sorry for the reason you get to be here but you sound like a survivor already
    You got that attitude to do it I dont know what the radiation is like but I have stage 4
    and have been thru 3 rounds of chemo so far so good. Hope all goes well for you keep us posted good days and bad we are all here for you I know what you mean by being scared
    YOU WILL GET RID OF IT . They say attitude is a big part of the fight and just by your post you got what it takes to kick ****,
    prayers are with you

    Sheri22
  • quiet witness
    quiet witness Member Posts: 7
    Paulette
    Yeah the port wasn't fun but it was not that big of a deal either. A few days of discomfort, yes but you have likely had more psychological discomfort thinking about your MFer. I met a wonderful lady the day after I had my port placed and finished my first infusion. She was a 16 year survior, 77 years old and had stage 4 colon cancer. She told me to treat my side effects like a cold and just go forward. Please don't get me wrong. There have been many days I have not been able adhere to her advice but I do my best everyday so I can kick the MFer out of my life. I have just finished my 12 treatment of FOlFOX for Stage III colon cancer. Everyone has different side effects, but I am pulling for you to withstand your particular side effects and whip you MFer. Hang tough and keep your spirits up.

    David
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375

    Paulette
    Yeah the port wasn't fun but it was not that big of a deal either. A few days of discomfort, yes but you have likely had more psychological discomfort thinking about your MFer. I met a wonderful lady the day after I had my port placed and finished my first infusion. She was a 16 year survior, 77 years old and had stage 4 colon cancer. She told me to treat my side effects like a cold and just go forward. Please don't get me wrong. There have been many days I have not been able adhere to her advice but I do my best everyday so I can kick the MFer out of my life. I have just finished my 12 treatment of FOlFOX for Stage III colon cancer. Everyone has different side effects, but I am pulling for you to withstand your particular side effects and whip you MFer. Hang tough and keep your spirits up.

    David

    Survivors, that's us!
    Paulette... first, let me welcome you to our club, even though I really and truly wish you didn't have to be here. It's not fun, on the other hand, you are going to meet the most amazing people here :)

    David, I already love the 77 year old gal who was a 16 year survivor!! It's stories like that that all of us need to hear... over and over again!! Some of us might wonder... where are these 16 and 20 year survivors and why aren't they in here telling us all about their journey and how they won the battle? Well, chances are, they have no idea this little corner of the internet exists! Think about it... if they have survived for that many years, back when THEY were diagnosed with cancer, no one had computers in their homes (well, we may have had them, but they certainly weren't mainstream) and definitely the internet was not what it is today and available to the public. 20 years ago, those of us who were involved with computers were one "proprietary" online systems like GEnie, Prodigy, AOL (was just beginning), Compuserve, etc.... and these different network systems weren't connected to each other. We have come such a far way technology-wise, that today it's hard to imagine how we survived without our computers . So, the long-term survivors have gotten on with their lives, found the internet and are off doing the things they love and enjoy and have not even thought of looking for a cancer support group online since they have been cancer free, or cancer stable for so long! We all will be the old pioneers of online cancer support groups and 20 years from now will come back to talk to the newbies because we know these groups exist :)

    Paulette, whenever you feel somewhat overwhelmed, come back here and chatter away. We've all been there, or are all going through the same thing as you, or are going through treatment a second and third time. If it gets too overwhelming, don't be afraid to ask your doctor for some med help to calm the nerves.

    Remember... as much as cancer or the treatments can cause all sorts of various aches, pains, side affects... there are meds to keep one comfortable, if not side-affect free. If you were diagnosed with appendicitis and your appendix were about to burst, you wouldn't think twice about rushing in for emergency surgery and then taking whatever meds the doctor prescribed for after the surgery... and doing whatever you needed to do to recover from the surgery, even if it meant resting, resting, resting and not doing much of anything. You would do it and not think anything of it because you know it's just a matter of time and you will be as good as new. Well, nowadays, that is what cancer is like... you have to do the surgery/treatments, but you have every chance of recovering and getting on with your life.

    So you go, girl!!! Kick the kaka out of that MFer and let him/her know who's the boss :)

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl
  • glinka65
    glinka65 Member Posts: 132
    hey paulette
    i just got my port last week was a nervous wreck, bit all the great peeps in here helped me right through!!!! im a newbie as well so we are kinda in the same boat!! stay strong and belive in yourself!!! it helps!! we are all here for ya!!!! Tommy
  • Mike49
    Mike49 Member Posts: 261
    we all fall apart somedays
    Hang in there, we all have trouble keeping our heads together. This group is a great source, You will discover how strong you are as we have all found. Good luck
  • dixchi
    dixchi Member Posts: 431
    Mike49 said:

    we all fall apart somedays
    Hang in there, we all have trouble keeping our heads together. This group is a great source, You will discover how strong you are as we have all found. Good luck

    Day At A Time
    I have traveled the road of anxiety for months now since a recurrence of Ca to
    my liver and have found and used numerous ways to battle it. I cannot say enough
    good stuff about joining cancer support groups in your community and trying one
    of the many meditation forms such as guided imagery, tai chi, yoga. Those are
    positive things that can be done to take care of the secondary beast we all face.
    And somehow taking on anxiety as a battle just like we take on Ca seems to be
    the right approach. I have also gone the medication route with an anti=depressant
    which also helps. Take a day at a time and a mood at a time and know this
    is not going to last forever. The port was an anxiety trip for me too with tears
    in the pre-op room but I found myself with two of the sweetest nurses in the world
    who talked with me and took care of me. there are all kinds of surprises we just
    don't know are going to happen along this road. And the nurses at the treatment
    site for my chemo, I cannot say enough good things about how upbeat, supportive
    and wonderful they are.......so stay aware there are all kinds of ways to beat
    the anxiety beast.

    Hugs,
    Barbara
  • paulette S
    paulette S Member Posts: 42
    all done
    well port was placed on my left side. im a little uncomfortable and did take a percoset. it really helped me.
    Guess what? i am now on my way to kicking butt Monday. it was great- one minute im talking to the nurse and the next minute im waking in recovery. Awesome...
    thanks guys
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member

    all done
    well port was placed on my left side. im a little uncomfortable and did take a percoset. it really helped me.
    Guess what? i am now on my way to kicking butt Monday. it was great- one minute im talking to the nurse and the next minute im waking in recovery. Awesome...
    thanks guys

    Your journey....
    will be one that will go quick and you will be done before you realize it. The oxil gave me some pretty rough nausea but they have plenty of meds for that. You will do great, just keep the Drs and Nurses abreast of every nook and cranny. There is no reason to suffer through this. It will go quickly and be over before you know it. It simply made me nauseous for 4-5 days and that was it, if it hadn't been for that it would have been a cake walk....Just sit back and do what ya have to do to become what we all desire ...NED...Good Luck and God Bless ya hun.......
  • lmliess
    lmliess Member Posts: 329

    all done
    well port was placed on my left side. im a little uncomfortable and did take a percoset. it really helped me.
    Guess what? i am now on my way to kicking butt Monday. it was great- one minute im talking to the nurse and the next minute im waking in recovery. Awesome...
    thanks guys

    Hang in there
    Hi there and welcome. This is a great support group so you are in good hands! I finished radiation and first round of chemo (5FU)Jan 26, now I am waiting for my upcoming surgeries. When I did the radiation, I would first say my prayers, then as I laid on the table and heard the clicks and the beeps and the nurses coming in and out, I seriously cussed that tumor! Then I imagined it slowly melting away. My PET scan and my surgeon said it shrunk a great deal.

    SO hang in there - actually the time will go fast. (I know it doesn't seem like it right now.)
  • lmliess
    lmliess Member Posts: 329

    all done
    well port was placed on my left side. im a little uncomfortable and did take a percoset. it really helped me.
    Guess what? i am now on my way to kicking butt Monday. it was great- one minute im talking to the nurse and the next minute im waking in recovery. Awesome...
    thanks guys

    Hang in there
    Hi there and welcome. This is a great support group so you are in good hands! I finished radiation and first round of chemo (5FU)Jan 26, now I am waiting for my upcoming surgeries. When I did the radiation, I would first say my prayers, then as I laid on the table and heard the clicks and the beeps and the nurses coming in and out, I seriously cussed that tumor! Then I imagined it slowly melting away. My PET scan and my surgeon said it shrunk a great deal.

    SO hang in there - actually the time will go fast.
  • butterfly23
    butterfly23 Member Posts: 256
    Polly
    I love your name for your tumor, I never named mine however, I did name my port POLLY...
    I wish you well, put your boxing gloves on and stay strong and positive ALWAYS, we are all here for eachother!
    Hugs,
    Karyn
  • paulette S
    paulette S Member Posts: 42
    looking good
    Well i took off my bandages this morning and it really looks good. i was so afraid to look at the port. i have a little discomfort but mostly feel good. i thought it would be worse. Monday is the day for chemo and radiation. So here i come
    I also love Polly ha ha made me laugh
    BE WELL
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375

    looking good
    Well i took off my bandages this morning and it really looks good. i was so afraid to look at the port. i have a little discomfort but mostly feel good. i thought it would be worse. Monday is the day for chemo and radiation. So here i come
    I also love Polly ha ha made me laugh
    BE WELL

    Awwwwwright, Paulette!
    There ya go... you are one of the lucky ones where it really isn't as bad as our imaginations lead us to think it will be. Meanwhile, there are others who end up having a very painful experience. I have no idea why some have to suffer and others get to breeze through the experience. I wonder if it comes down to surgeons? There has to be some good reason for it!

    But now... you are ready for treatments to begin! And that too, hopefully won't be as bad as our imaginations lead us to believe it will. Again, everyone's mileage will vary... some do get sick and have side affects, and the rest of us sail through, waiting for the side affects to kick in.

    Again... is the explanation all about oncologists/nurses/staffing and whether they have prepped a patient or are on top of the symptoms? Or is it the patient not reporting the symptoms early enough so that the medical staff can fix them before they become a problem? Or is it just the luck of the draw... some people are going to go through hell and some are going to sail through it and that's just the way it is? I have no answers but just reading the posts here, there is such a variety of symptoms and the way people feel that there's no one expectation anyone can have :)

    Me... I was very lucky through treatment. Other than that nasty Oxaliplatin which did a number on my feet/legs and the occasional bout of bad diahrrea (which was no worse than what I had been suffering through prior to my DX)... I sailed through treatments with no real complaints. I was obviously one of the lucky ones (and I'm certainly not complaining about that!! LOL!). So I'll keep my fingers crossed that you, too, are one of the lucky ones :)

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl