stage 11

grandma713

I am new to this chat room but I would love to hear about your experiences with colon cancer. I was diagnosed last October. I had Stage 1/11. No lymph node involvement and the surgical margins were clear. The doctors did not recommend chemo at this time and so far I am feeling great. I go and have CEA tests every 3 months. The levels were low before the surgery but dropped even lower at my first 3 month checkup. I am back to my full schedule now and overall I feel great. What I would like to know is what I should do now to improve my chances of NOT having a recurrence. I have been told a recurrence usually occurs in the liver. I just want to do all I can to prevent this from happening to me again. I have changed my diet to eating much less red meat, trying to exercise more and taking vitamin supplements. I just dont have anyone to talk to about colon cancer. Thanks in advance everyone.

spongebob

Well, Grandma, you came to the right place to meet people to talk to about cancer!

We're cancer-talkin' fools (I mean that "fool" part quite figuratively) and always ready to chat with another semi-colon!

Congrats on your incredible success - you're going to be an inspiration to many folks who visit this site and need to hear some success stories to help ease their fears.

Welcome!

- SpongeBob

kangatoo

spongebob said:

Well, Grandma, you came to the right place to meet people to talk to about cancer!

We're cancer-talkin' fools (I mean that "fool" part quite figuratively) and always ready to chat with another semi-colon!

Congrats on your incredible success - you're going to be an inspiration to many folks who visit this site and need to hear some success stories to help ease their fears.

Welcome!

- SpongeBob

Hiya Grandma--welcome to the group.Welcome from "down under".
I guess we all ask the same questions.Seeing as my mum died of cancer(brain tumour) I have resigned myself to the fact it is genetics that caused mine.You were fortunate not to have had chemo so am a little envious.Ido the same as you said and go easy on red meats--I also take multi-vits. and try to excercise more--basically healthy living.Only trouble is I still smoke---
Yep---thats gunna get a comment from Emily 4 sure!
I guess being really positive is great Grandma but I think(personal opinion) once we get this horrible mutation in our bodies it is gunna be pretty hard to shake.After my surgery and chemo I was told that my chances of secondaries was 20%.Thats pretty tall odds 'cos someones gotta be in those numbers.
Hang in there Grandma---yu just might be lucky enough to be an 80% er!
cheers from us upside down people
luv n huggs kanga n Jen

grandma047

Oh my, another grandma. We'll have to be careful and not confuse folks. LOL. All I can say about not getting a recurrence is that sometimes nothing you can do can keep you from having one. Not to worry you-but here's my story....
Had colon resection in July, 2003 stage II, no lymph nodes involved, no spread, good margins. Not further treatment recommended. Only difference that with you, I never did get to where I felt good again. Continued bleeding. Had flex sig in Sept. Suture site was narrowed so they used a balloon and opened it. No cancer SEEN then, I assume. Still kept having problems. Finally, In January another colonoscopy was ordered. Showed the cancer had returned had the suture site. I am now having chemo, 5FU continuous-in my 5th week, one more to go and radiation. Finish it up next week. I will have a 4-6 week break and surgery again and a permanent colostomy and more chemo. This is just my story. Thank God, everyone is different. I just know that all it takes is one cell getting away and then it starts multiplying. I wish now that I had made them do chemo, but I didn't. I don't even know if it would have made a difference. There is no colon cancer in my family, only breast cancer. So, it came out of no where. I just turned 50, so hadn't had a routine colonoscopy then. Well, I wish you luck. Just think hard before deciding to not have treatments.
Judy H.(two Judy's too)(grandma047-two grandma's now too) LOL

grandma713

grandma047 said:

Oh my, another grandma. We'll have to be careful and not confuse folks. LOL. All I can say about not getting a recurrence is that sometimes nothing you can do can keep you from having one. Not to worry you-but here's my story....
Had colon resection in July, 2003 stage II, no lymph nodes involved, no spread, good margins. Not further treatment recommended. Only difference that with you, I never did get to where I felt good again. Continued bleeding. Had flex sig in Sept. Suture site was narrowed so they used a balloon and opened it. No cancer SEEN then, I assume. Still kept having problems. Finally, In January another colonoscopy was ordered. Showed the cancer had returned had the suture site. I am now having chemo, 5FU continuous-in my 5th week, one more to go and radiation. Finish it up next week. I will have a 4-6 week break and surgery again and a permanent colostomy and more chemo. This is just my story. Thank God, everyone is different. I just know that all it takes is one cell getting away and then it starts multiplying. I wish now that I had made them do chemo, but I didn't. I don't even know if it would have made a difference. There is no colon cancer in my family, only breast cancer. So, it came out of no where. I just turned 50, so hadn't had a routine colonoscopy then. Well, I wish you luck. Just think hard before deciding to not have treatments.
Judy H.(two Judy's too)(grandma047-two grandma's now too) LOL

Thanks everyone I appreciate the posts. Like I told Limey, I am also in the fear stage of doing everything that I can not to have this return. I do feel good and for that I am thankful. I did talk to the drs about chemo in great length and even took my case to Texas..but the concurred with my dr here, so I didnt have it. Now I just want to try to make sure that I do everything possible to take care of myself. I go week after next for my 2nd CEA test. I was on cloud 9 after the first one and now I am anxious about the next one. I guess it is something that you just have to live with. I agree with you that we cant know if chemo would have done you any good or if it would have done me any good.. I have a strong faith and I know God is in control of everything and I am trying desperately to keep that as my number one focus. I have my next colonscomy in October one year after my surgery. That will be an anxious day for me for sure! How is the chemo going for you?

grandma713

oh I am changing my sign in name to franny that way people cant confuse us grandma's