Long term effects of colon ca chemo

ron50
ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
edited March 2014 in Long-Term Effects of Treatment #1
Hi,
I have just started my 13th year as a survivor of stage 3 colon ca into 6 nodes.
I had 48 sessions of 5fu backed up by 9 levamisole tablets each second week. There seems little evidence to support long term chemo effects . I believe that the chemo may well exarcerbate problems that are latent or dormant in our systems. Since chemo I have suffered acute pancreatitis followed by gallbladder removal. Several episodes of kidney stones. Chronic auto-immune problems including acute attacks of poly-arthritis on my joints causing severe inflammation,my kidneys resulting in excessive protein loss thru my urine and nerves causing irreversible neuropathy. Ironically my treatment has been another chemo agent,methotrexate,and it has controled my arthritis and my kidney functions have returned to near normal. My nephrologist believes either the original cancer or the treatment triggered my problems but he did point out that I have also survived for over twelve years. I guess I always wondered if there would be a price to pay for having chemo. I feel in my case it has been worth it. There certainly have been some low points but who is to say they would not have happened without cancer. They say life is about the journey not the destination,well it has not been boring,cheers Ron.

Comments

  • kkkelley1
    kkkelley1 Member Posts: 22
    #2
    colon ca survivor also 5 yrs
    Reding your note reassures me I'm not alone. After five years I'm also left with severe neuropathy both feet and now going up my legs. Sometimes it hard to feel that I'm grateful and the price was completly worth it, because I have this everyday reminder that has changed most all of my life. My brain, my feet, my legs, my immune system, my level of energy. For a while I thought it was just me, I was a baby, I wasn't fighting hard enough, I must have that horid "depression" it had to be me cause it couldn't be the chemo leftovers. Now research is slowly finding that yes it is and yes folks it may be the way it is. Funny though, that was encouraging to me because at least now I know that this may be the way it is. I don't have to keep looking for how or what I can start and keep a new me. One I didn't create or cause. I was just dealt this new hand and with encouragment and sometimes a lot of craddling from the big Guy upstairs and from new friends like you that help me feel that I'm not alone in this long term fight, then I can keep fighting to be happy in this new me.
  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #3
    kkkelley1 said:

    colon ca survivor also 5 yrs
    Reding your note reassures me I'm not alone. After five years I'm also left with severe neuropathy both feet and now going up my legs. Sometimes it hard to feel that I'm grateful and the price was completly worth it, because I have this everyday reminder that has changed most all of my life. My brain, my feet, my legs, my immune system, my level of energy. For a while I thought it was just me, I was a baby, I wasn't fighting hard enough, I must have that horid "depression" it had to be me cause it couldn't be the chemo leftovers. Now research is slowly finding that yes it is and yes folks it may be the way it is. Funny though, that was encouraging to me because at least now I know that this may be the way it is. I don't have to keep looking for how or what I can start and keep a new me. One I didn't create or cause. I was just dealt this new hand and with encouragment and sometimes a lot of craddling from the big Guy upstairs and from new friends like you that help me feel that I'm not alone in this long term fight, then I can keep fighting to be happy in this new me.

    theory of relativity
    G'day Kelly,
    I guess we start out as v8 super cars and unfortunately some of us get wrecked. In our case we are running on two cylinders and the exhaust is broken. But for some reason we remain eternal optomists and the next big quest becomes to make our two cylinders and broken exhaust go as fast as the original v8. Sometimes I get there for a short time then the wheels fall off. I guess the moral of our story is that we keep on trying,as easy as it is to give up ,it just isn't an option. Wishing you every happiness you can find and as few sad times as possible,Ron.
  • kkkelley1
    kkkelley1 Member Posts: 22
    #4
    ron50 said:

    theory of relativity
    G'day Kelly,
    I guess we start out as v8 super cars and unfortunately some of us get wrecked. In our case we are running on two cylinders and the exhaust is broken. But for some reason we remain eternal optomists and the next big quest becomes to make our two cylinders and broken exhaust go as fast as the original v8. Sometimes I get there for a short time then the wheels fall off. I guess the moral of our story is that we keep on trying,as easy as it is to give up ,it just isn't an option. Wishing you every happiness you can find and as few sad times as possible,Ron.

    what a catch
    That is quite the catch your picture with what kind, size and where did you catch it?
    Thanks for the note. Sometimes life is back on tract, then those other days I'm trying just to find and hunt for that part of me that is for ever gone. I really am beginning to accept and relax and enjoy even, the "NEW ME' as I like to put it. I took 45 years forming and shaping that v8 and then BAM like you said the wheels fell off and I couldn't even find them for such a long time. Now 5 years later giving up is not an option. I like that.
    Thanks for the note. May the big guy upstairs send peace your way.
    kim

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