New to the group

vchildbeloved

Hi, recently diagnosed with stage III colon cancer, had surgery and waiting for chemo treatment because 1 lymph node tested positive. I've heard so many stories about what you can't eat after a cancer diagnosis. I don't know what to believe and half the time what to do. Sugar is one of the things that I have been warned about. Can you help me try to sort through some of this?
Thanks, Val

pamness

I was diagnosed stage 3A - 2 positive lymph nodes. What you can and can't eat varies from person to person. It will also depend on your treatment - and order of treatment - for me I did surgery, then chemo (folfox) - then radiation with 5FU, I didn't have any trouble with food until the radiation part. However, I didn't feel well during much of the chemo so I didn't feel like eating much of anything. Welcome to the group. If you want to tell us more details about your treatment plan, people can probably give you more informed information/opinions/personal experience. All the best.

Pam

Dibs

Hello, I had stage III with several lymph nodes positive and only have nine inches of my colon left due to FAP and the number of polyps I had related to that. Had 6 months of chemo but no radiation. That was in 1999. I eat anything I want. Fatty foods and 'fast foods' don't stay in my system for long and carbonated beverages can make me pretty uncomfortable so I avoid them. I eat a pretty healthy and balanced diet with lots of grilled foods, fresh vegetables, good carbs, love spicy foods, etc, but I'm a sucker for ice cream and the occassional Starbucks frapaccino. The biggest problem for me is that I don't retain water as well as I used to (do you notice your skin drying out faster?)so I really need to drink lots of extra water and avoid things that are diuretics like caffeinated drinks (soda, coffee, tea). When I get sick with a stomach bug/flu I 'flush' the nutrients and water out of my system faster than the average person so I can get dehydrated easier and need to watch out for that. This can also mean the therapeutic level of my medications can drop drastically so my doctor and I had to work out a plan to compensate for this when it happened the first time. This might be something you will want to considering talking to your doctor about should you get sick. Other than that I live a pretty active normal life. Everyone's body responds a little different so some of this will just come to you by trial and error. Your body will also adjust to some things in time. Don't be afraid to try new things...life is too wonderful and precious to tip toe through. Experience it fully every day!!!

Do at least one nice thing for yourself EVERY day!
Dibs

Joy1216

I consulted with the nutritionist at the cancer center where my oncologist practiced. You might want to consider meeting with a nutritionist who specializes in cancer patients.
Joy

rmap59

Hi Val,
Welcome to the best group therapy you can find. These people have been a Godsend for me. I was dx stage 3 rectal no nodes involved but due to the size of the tumor I had surgery, radiation/chemo. As far as what to eat you may have to test the waters on most stuff. I stay away from anything really spicy, lettuce, but still have problems, just have to adjust to them the best you can. Since my cancer was in the rectum from the research I have done and these good people I think it might be a little easier if you get to keep your rectum. So hopefully you may not have as much trouble. It is hard for me to stay away from sugar. My mother-in-law is a baker and it is torture to give up the cakes and cookies and cobblers she makes so I just try and moderate. During treatment I ate anything that sounded good as I didnt have much appetite so the nutritionist told me okay. I hope that your treatment is uneventful and your appetite stays good. Post whenever you need to and you will get answers and support.
Robin

vchildbeloved

This is Valerie again.
Thanks to your wonderful response to me. My chemo treatment is a combo of 5fu, Oxaliplatin,Leucovorin, and maybe erbitux. I was suppose to have started this coming Tues. but they scheduled me for May 19th instead. I find myself anxious to begin for fear that the cancer will start growing back as a result of that 1 positive node. I try to overcome the thoughts of fear, but still find that I have those emotional moments. As far as food is concerned, I have been eating organic, my husband heard that that is very healthy and I drink soy milk instead of regular milk. My brother had the same type of cancer same poitive lymph nodes, but his doctors told him that he did not need any of the treatments. They just monitored him for 7 years and he's been fine. Why does some need the chemo and some don't even though they have the same diagnosis. He had two massive tumors and they took most of his colon. SO.....many questions on this journey!!

You're great people.

pamness

Dibs said:

Hello, I had stage III with several lymph nodes positive and only have nine inches of my colon left due to FAP and the number of polyps I had related to that. Had 6 months of chemo but no radiation. That was in 1999. I eat anything I want. Fatty foods and 'fast foods' don't stay in my system for long and carbonated beverages can make me pretty uncomfortable so I avoid them. I eat a pretty healthy and balanced diet with lots of grilled foods, fresh vegetables, good carbs, love spicy foods, etc, but I'm a sucker for ice cream and the occassional Starbucks frapaccino. The biggest problem for me is that I don't retain water as well as I used to (do you notice your skin drying out faster?)so I really need to drink lots of extra water and avoid things that are diuretics like caffeinated drinks (soda, coffee, tea). When I get sick with a stomach bug/flu I 'flush' the nutrients and water out of my system faster than the average person so I can get dehydrated easier and need to watch out for that. This can also mean the therapeutic level of my medications can drop drastically so my doctor and I had to work out a plan to compensate for this when it happened the first time. This might be something you will want to considering talking to your doctor about should you get sick. Other than that I live a pretty active normal life. Everyone's body responds a little different so some of this will just come to you by trial and error. Your body will also adjust to some things in time. Don't be afraid to try new things...life is too wonderful and precious to tip toe through. Experience it fully every day!!!

Do at least one nice thing for yourself EVERY day!
Dibs

Wow, I am 6 mos. out of treatment. I hope I do as well as you do foodwise as time passes.
Pam

pamness

vchildbeloved said:

This is Valerie again.
Thanks to your wonderful response to me. My chemo treatment is a combo of 5fu, Oxaliplatin,Leucovorin, and maybe erbitux. I was suppose to have started this coming Tues. but they scheduled me for May 19th instead. I find myself anxious to begin for fear that the cancer will start growing back as a result of that 1 positive node. I try to overcome the thoughts of fear, but still find that I have those emotional moments. As far as food is concerned, I have been eating organic, my husband heard that that is very healthy and I drink soy milk instead of regular milk. My brother had the same type of cancer same poitive lymph nodes, but his doctors told him that he did not need any of the treatments. They just monitored him for 7 years and he's been fine. Why does some need the chemo and some don't even though they have the same diagnosis. He had two massive tumors and they took most of his colon. SO.....many questions on this journey!!

You're great people.

In general, colon cancer is very slow, a few weeks shouldn't make any difference. I understand that you probably want to get going and get done. I hope all goes well for you, I didn't do ebuterix but I did the rest. Don't know why some treatments are different. Will you be having surgery? Please let us know how things go. It is a very emotionally trying experience.
Pam

vchildbeloved

pamness said:

In general, colon cancer is very slow, a few weeks shouldn't make any difference. I understand that you probably want to get going and get done. I hope all goes well for you, I didn't do ebuterix but I did the rest. Don't know why some treatments are different. Will you be having surgery? Please let us know how things go. It is a very emotionally trying experience.
Pam

I have had surgery already. It will be 1 month this Monday. Still having trouble after I eat. Stomach feels like it's roaming around, other than that I feel pretty good.

2bhealed

Hi Val!

Welcome to the Semi-Colons!

I, like you, was Stage III colon cancer--mine being in the sigmoid colon. I had the surgery to remove the tumor and had 2/19 lymph nodes test positive. Therefore adjuvant chemo of 5FU was recommended. This was in 2001 and all the other things were not being offered for first line chemos.

For some info on chemo I suggest checking out:

www.cancerdecisions.com

anyway, I declined the chemo and instead did chemia--which is "the juice of the plant". In other words, I juiced fresh organic veggies for the adundance of enzymes and because they alkalize your pH. Cancer likes acid but not alkaline.

Meats, dairy, sugar, alcohol, whites (flours and grains) all make your pH acidic. Veggies and fruits help alkalize.

Cancer is connected to an insulin uptake (which we who have had PET scans can attest to since we are injected with sugared radioactive stuff). So that's why the sugar is not an optimal thing to eat.

So rather than subject myself to the chemo (like my sister did) I took the dietary route and have lived almost 7 years cancer free!

Because of this I will never fear secondary cancers, I never had peripheral neuropathy, chemo induced diarrhea or mouth sores or erbitux rashes, nor do I fear kidney and/or heart damage (permanent).

Chemo is some tough stuff so they tell me and arming yourself with top rate nutrition, I think, is key to healing from cancer.

I second the suggestion to find a nutritionist--better yet--a Naturopathic doctor who can help you figure out what would work best for you and your body chemistry. Doctors don't study nutrition--they study and practice medicine. My experience is they really don't give good nutritional advice--especially for something like colon cancer which is 80% dietary related. Go figure!

anyway, welcome to the boards and I wish you all the best.

peace, emily the juice chick!

jsabol

Hi Val,
Sorry you have to be here, but welcome to the group. Like you, I was stage III, 1 positive node (didn't they remove it when they biopsied it?), and chemo for 6 months. This July, I will be 4 years out of treatment, and have No Evidence of Disease (which means so far, so good!)
Two separate issues here; nutrition during chemo is very important, and our American diet is known for not being healthy. (Does your onc's office have doughnuts out, like mine used to? They have now switched to healthy snacks.) I really lost my appetite during chemo, so had to pay extra attention to small healthy meals.
Long range, I have come to understand that red meat, processed foods (just read the ingredient list on a frozen dinner) , and low fiber are implicated as contributing to increased risk of colon cancer. I have continued my previously pretty healthy diet, but now eat more organically and do lots of my own cooking; even the simple stuff beats anything put out by a drive through. There are lots of other theories being explored, but those have been the high points for me.
Best of luck; stay strong and focused. As I was told when I first signed on, you will get through this, one step at a time. Judy

KathiM

jsabol said:

Hi Val,
Sorry you have to be here, but welcome to the group. Like you, I was stage III, 1 positive node (didn't they remove it when they biopsied it?), and chemo for 6 months. This July, I will be 4 years out of treatment, and have No Evidence of Disease (which means so far, so good!)
Two separate issues here; nutrition during chemo is very important, and our American diet is known for not being healthy. (Does your onc's office have doughnuts out, like mine used to? They have now switched to healthy snacks.) I really lost my appetite during chemo, so had to pay extra attention to small healthy meals.
Long range, I have come to understand that red meat, processed foods (just read the ingredient list on a frozen dinner) , and low fiber are implicated as contributing to increased risk of colon cancer. I have continued my previously pretty healthy diet, but now eat more organically and do lots of my own cooking; even the simple stuff beats anything put out by a drive through. There are lots of other theories being explored, but those have been the high points for me.
Best of luck; stay strong and focused. As I was told when I first signed on, you will get through this, one step at a time. Judy

I agree with Judy. I, too, was stage III (but it was rectal cancer). I have changed my diet, but still 'sin' on occasion and enjoy every minute! Moderation is the key...and enjoying life!!! I celebrated 3 years NED on May 6.

Fast foods are rare in my diet these days, although before cancer, it was a steady stream. I also can't eat popcorn-lol-I suffer for 3 days...I eat red meat 2 times a month, otherwise it's fish and chicken, made at home, baked usually. LOTS of fresh fruits and vegies!

I do not use artificial sweeteners. Not any basis in nutrition, I just don't. If I use sugar, it's unrefined, 'raw' sugar (found out bleach is used to make sugar white). Otherwise, just a sensible diet. Oh, and I have trouble with dairy, so I drink lactose-free milk.

Hugs, Kathi