How Many Times?

PhillieG
PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I was wondering how many operations a person can have? I am soon approaching my 5th in 4 years. My 3rd in my lungs. Also, I have a lot of trouble with the operations and my bowels shutting down from the meds. Does anyone else have this problem? I know I'm lucky that I can still have the option of surgery, but it sucks just the same. Whenever I get a chemo break (2 months at christmas) I get new growths. I am beginning to think the breaks are not such a great idea.
BTW: I have stage IV colon cancer.

Comments

  • sladich
    sladich Member Posts: 429 Member
    #2
    I'm also Stage IV and have had 3 major operations and numerous other procedures. I feel the same way that I'm lucky that surgery is still an option but come on.... Best of luck! Debbie
  • impactzone
    impactzone Member Posts: 555 Member
    #3
    3 here in 1.5 years..colon, liver and lung along with 10 months of chemo and one pulmonary embolism. But...I took my son and a friend skiing yesterday and it was all worth it. I know it is so hard but maybe, just maybe today is the day... I keep saying that to myself almost if looking for treasure. Hey today may be the day I feel good, today may be the day we get this disease out. I know its just wishful thinking but hey today may be the day. All my best and keep fighting
    Impactzone
  • Limey
    Limey Member Posts: 446 Member
    #4
    only two surgeries here and i don't qualify for any more unless some miracle happens. I have been off and on chemo since 2004. each time i stop, the tumors grow. I still am believing that this time will be the charm. I don't know how many surgeries one can have but I wish I could have more. I hope your next one is the charm for you and it ends the cycle of cancer.
    best of luck.
    Mark
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    #5
    I don't know the answer to your question, but I know that you must be a VERY strong person. You are amazing and strong. I know sometimes you probably don't think so, but look at everything you have done! I can't advise you on the proper course of action, but I know a survivor when I see one. Hugs.
  • KFalvey
    KFalvey Member Posts: 118 Member
    #6
    I'm Stage IV also and have had 6 surgeries in 3 years; 3 in a 5 month period last year, one in each lung and another resection of the colon. It's not fun, is taking longer to recover from each one, but better than the alternative. I'm not in a hurry to do chemo anymore. It doesn't seem to be working for me and right now I'm monitoring my cancer by my CEA. It is a good indicator for me and it's at 1.0 so I'm doing all I can to boost my immune system to fight of any remaining cancer cells. I also feel as though I'm running out of parts to be removed without greatly affecting my quality of life, so I better fix the problem now. Good Luck to you with your upcoming surgery. God Bless.
    Kandy
  • MarkWalz
    MarkWalz Member Posts: 58
    #7
    I have had 5 surgries in 2.5 years, 58 treatments of radiation and countless months of chemo. It seems to me too, that as soon as I have a surgery another tumor pops up. One doctor refered to it as the game, "wack a mole", it is the game played a pizza places. It has these moles pop up and you hit it and another pops up and you hit that one and another pops up, and it neve seems to end. This is exactly what we are going through.
    I guess as long as you have the strength to endure we can have as many surgries as needed. I only have 1/3 of my liver left. I am supposed to have a resection of my lung after chemo to take care of three more tumors in my liver. This just after having surgery last August to remove three other tumors. It was in October they discovered three more tumors. Now I am starting a new chemo this Friday. I guess we just need to ask God to give us strength to fight all this. That is the way I fight this. Without Him, I could never do all this.

    Praying for you,

    Mark
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #8
    Thanks everyone for your comments, input and prayers. It's often easy to lose track of how lucky I am that I can still have surgery and that as much as cancer sucks and the 150 or so rounds of chemo that I've had over the past 4 years, I'm lucky to be alive and have a relatively decent quality of life. It could be much worse.

    On a side note, does the input box that we have to use for comments drives me nuts. I've emailed "THEM" about it and asked if they can fix it. Being in the web business, I know that it's pretty easy to make it larger. Maybe if enough people request a change they may do it. I think we've all suffered enough
    ;-)

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