Liver resection

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mom_2_3
mom_2_3 Member Posts: 953 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
We met the liver surgeon today. When he came in he said my response to chemo was "tremendous" so I was happy to hear that. He said I was resectable and that when he looked at my scans he was happy as it was an "easy" surgery compared to others. He said I had had 7 lesions in my tumor (2 more than I thought...that was depressing) but that 6 (I think) were on the left lobe and one on the right lobe. So he will completely remove the left lobe, remove the gallbladder and do a wedge resection on the one lesion in the right liver. He said if I needed more surgery for recurrence it would be possible.

So yahoo! Right now I am scheduled for 2/20. I was shocked when he said we would go into surgery next Friday. It all seemed rather sudden but it was what we were hoping to hear. In addition to the liver surgery I will have colon surgery as well as an HAI pump placement. The Dr actually used the word "cure". Not saying cure for me but that it is possible and that they currently have a 60% disease-free survival at 5 years as MSKCC. I think that's pretty good. He told me he has seen much worse livers than mine go onto long-term survival. He said that the rates of recurrence have been dropping and that there will be a 50% chance of recurrence with the pump, 70% chance of recurrence without so the pump is a no-brainer for us.
The DR said a couple of lesions had already calcified. Sounds good to me.

Right now my husband and I are taking it as baby steps. Each step we take forward we try not to look at getting to 5 years, to 10 years. Right now we pray for each step. We prayed for good news today and we got that. Next we pray for a good surgery. After that we will move on to the next prayer. I have to do all I can to make sure I am here for my kids (5, 3 and 3 months).

I am excited as I am looking forward to having the cancer out of my body. My onco said I would then have 6 rounds of chemo (probably FOLFOR or FULFURI plus FUDR in the hepatic pump). This will be about 6-7 months as these rounds are 5 week rounds.

So I thank everyone for their prayers as I believe it is through God's grace the cancer was discovered and it will be through His grace that get through this next step.

Amy

Comments

  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #2
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    Wonderful News!!
    Wow, that is just the best news to hear, I pray your surgery goes great, and what happy news for your family to hear. I am astounded at alot of good news on this board, I hope one day I can post some myself, with my luck though, who knows, I will be praying for you and your family next week, and if I ever hear my onc say she would ever give up doing anything more for me, I am going for a second opinion where you are!

    Hugsss and have a blessed day!
    ~Donna
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    #3
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    Great Attitude!
    Sounds like you have a sensible and caring doctor. That is the key, in my opinion. I am glad they aren't waiting and will do the surgery now. Know that we are behind you all the way.

    Many hugs and prayers, Vicki
  • mom_2_3
    mom_2_3 Member Posts: 953 Member
    #4
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    Shayenne said:

    Wonderful News!!
    Wow, that is just the best news to hear, I pray your surgery goes great, and what happy news for your family to hear. I am astounded at alot of good news on this board, I hope one day I can post some myself, with my luck though, who knows, I will be praying for you and your family next week, and if I ever hear my onc say she would ever give up doing anything more for me, I am going for a second opinion where you are!

    Hugsss and have a blessed day!
    ~Donna

    Check out...
    Donna,

    Check out these links:

    http://www.wqed.org/mag/features/0506/healing2.shtml
    http://www.perurocks.org/tracey-callahan/
    http://www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/2008/06/28/20080628swv-cancersurvivor0628.html

    Just a couple of colon cancer survivors. I keep these on my PC and re-read them before I go to bed at night. They remind me that there is no certain outcome to this disease and that at all stages of the cancer people have recovered. Don't ever give up your hope for becoming disease free.
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #5
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    VickiCO said:

    Great Attitude!
    Sounds like you have a sensible and caring doctor. That is the key, in my opinion. I am glad they aren't waiting and will do the surgery now. Know that we are behind you all the way.

    Many hugs and prayers, Vicki

    Thank You!
    Those links were wonderful! I just saved them and now have them on my computer, great stories!

    ~Donna
  • krystiesq
    krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
    #6
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    I agree
    Great attitude. It has been our motto too that, it's just one more procedure out of the way on the road to recovery. Keep it up and great links to the stories. I'm printing them out and putting them into my mom's chemo cooler. I'm putting all sorts of goodies in her cooler for chemo tomorrow, drinks, fruit, veggies, magazines, and survivor stories. Maybe I should find some to put in there every time for inspiration.
  • mom_2_3
    mom_2_3 Member Posts: 953 Member
    #7
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    krystiesq said:

    I agree
    Great attitude. It has been our motto too that, it's just one more procedure out of the way on the road to recovery. Keep it up and great links to the stories. I'm printing them out and putting them into my mom's chemo cooler. I'm putting all sorts of goodies in her cooler for chemo tomorrow, drinks, fruit, veggies, magazines, and survivor stories. Maybe I should find some to put in there every time for inspiration.

    Another couple of stories
    Here are a few more to tuck into your mom's cooler. What a nice idea and what a great daughter your mother has!!

    http://www.cancerguy.com/blog/about-me/
    http://www.fccc.edu/whyChoose/successStories/colorectal/dahl.html
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
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    mom_2_3 said:

    Another couple of stories
    Here are a few more to tuck into your mom's cooler. What a nice idea and what a great daughter your mother has!!

    http://www.cancerguy.com/blog/about-me/
    http://www.fccc.edu/whyChoose/successStories/colorectal/dahl.html

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #9
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    Great!
    Amy,

    That sounds wonderful! Good luck on your surgery. We'll all be praying you through it!

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • dixchi
    dixchi Member Posts: 431
    #10
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    tootsie1 said:

    Great!
    Amy,

    That sounds wonderful! Good luck on your surgery. We'll all be praying you through it!

    *hugs*
    Gail

    Best
    ....got you in my thoughts and prayers as you go into your surgery
    tomorrow.......and hope the recovery time is speedy and without
    a hitch.

    Hugs,
    Barbara
  • mom_2_3
    mom_2_3 Member Posts: 953 Member
    #11
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    dixchi said:

    Best
    ....got you in my thoughts and prayers as you go into your surgery
    tomorrow.......and hope the recovery time is speedy and without
    a hitch.

    Hugs,
    Barbara

    Thanks Barbara
    Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. I have to start drinking the dreaded Golytely in a few hours so not looking forward to that. I had to make one more grocery store run today to get some last minute supplies for the kids and my sister (who is staying with them while my husband shuttles back and forth to NYC) and it was not easy!!! I got them snacks (chips, cookies) that I usually don't buy them and my stomach was growling the entire time I was in the store!

    I am so excited (weird, huh?) about this surgery. My last surgery was 3 months ago when I went in for my c-section and I recovered very quickly from that so I pray to recover quickly from this. The worst part will be not lifting anything over 5-10 lbs for 6 weeks. Tough when you have a 13 lb baby but my wonderful MIL will be coming to stay with us for that time and help take care of her. And I plan on following the DR's orders to the letter. As long as I'm sitting the baby can be put in my arms. What I haven't figured out is how to avoid the 3 YO jumping all over my abdomen (we call her the "bull in the china shop...").

    Thanks again for your thoughts and I hope to be NED soon as you are!!!

    Amy
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #12
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    mom_2_3 said:

    Thanks Barbara
    Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. I have to start drinking the dreaded Golytely in a few hours so not looking forward to that. I had to make one more grocery store run today to get some last minute supplies for the kids and my sister (who is staying with them while my husband shuttles back and forth to NYC) and it was not easy!!! I got them snacks (chips, cookies) that I usually don't buy them and my stomach was growling the entire time I was in the store!

    I am so excited (weird, huh?) about this surgery. My last surgery was 3 months ago when I went in for my c-section and I recovered very quickly from that so I pray to recover quickly from this. The worst part will be not lifting anything over 5-10 lbs for 6 weeks. Tough when you have a 13 lb baby but my wonderful MIL will be coming to stay with us for that time and help take care of her. And I plan on following the DR's orders to the letter. As long as I'm sitting the baby can be put in my arms. What I haven't figured out is how to avoid the 3 YO jumping all over my abdomen (we call her the "bull in the china shop...").

    Thanks again for your thoughts and I hope to be NED soon as you are!!!

    Amy

    Great News Mom.......
    Keep the chin up.........God will carry you through this........God Bless ya Hun......
  • lmliess
    lmliess Member Posts: 329
    #13
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    Buzzard said:

    Great News Mom.......
    Keep the chin up.........God will carry you through this........God Bless ya Hun......

    Saying a prayer for you!
    Keep your spirits up and keep us posted when you feel better.

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