New kid needs info please

Love2Cats

Hello,

I am a 47 Y/O female, with stage 4 colon cancer. I had a sucessful bowel resection in December 2010. Tomorrow I go for my first chemo treatment.My chemotherapy will consist of FU-5, Leucovorin, Oxaliplantin and Avastin.

The questions I have are;

1. I have heard that after people have tumors removed, that there is a possiblity that this can cause the cancer to release more cancer cells, and spread within the body even more. Is this true? Or, is it safe to have a bowel resection, because instead of individually carving away at the tumor, that the tumor is encapsulated in the section of colon that is removed, so the chance of it spreading are less than an individual tumor removal.

2. I will be receiving chemo every 2 weeks. Will I be constantly fatigued, or will there be times during the week after the treatment, where I will have normal, or near normal energy? Will I be able to do light workouts at the gym? Can I workout with the chemo box taped to my body?

3. Does anybody know any good websites for stage 4 cancer patients, that discuss survival rates?

Thanks so much for your time.

just4Brooks

Welcome to the site
First of all I wanted to welcome you to the CSN board. You have found the best site for information on the internet because we lived through cancer or we are fighting cancer. As far as working out your going to have to wait and see how you feel during treatment. It seems to hit everybody a little differntly. For me, Sometimes it was all I could do to get out of bed and get dressed. LOL Also before you do anything talk to your doc.

Again Welcome to the boead

Brooks

just4Brooks

Welcome to the site
First of all I wanted to welcome you to the CSN board. You have found the best site for information on the internet because we lived through cancer or we are fighting cancer. As far as working out your going to have to wait and see how you feel during treatment. It seems to hit everybody a little differntly. For me, Sometimes it was all I could do to get out of bed and get dressed. LOL Also before you do anything talk to your doc.

Again Welcome to the boead

Brooks

just4Brooks

Welcome to the site
First of all I wanted to welcome you to the CSN board. You have found the best site for information on the internet because we lived through cancer or we are fighting cancer. As far as working out your going to have to wait and see how you feel during treatment. It seems to hit everybody a little differntly. For me, Sometimes it was all I could do to get out of bed and get dressed. LOL Also before you do anything talk to your doc.

Again Welcome to the boead

Brooks

jararno

Fatigue
Hi!

I was diagnosed with Stage 3C Colon Cancer. I had 12 Folfox treatments which was every 2 weeks for 6 months. I was very fatigued and slept most of the treatment weeks. I regained some strength the off weeks, but never felt like doing much. I am normally a "couch potato" and can't give you an answer on the exercise. I would think that a modified exercise program might be very good for you, but I would make sure your ONC agrees.

The pump that I had to drag with me was pretty big and was awkward. It was about 10 inches by 3 inches long and somewhat heavy. It came in a very ugly beltbag! I have heard that there are much smaller versions....Hopefully you can get a lighter one!

As to survival rates....I would go with the attitude that you will beat this crap and forget about stats. I do know that there are many people on this board who have shown that the statistics can be wrong and that there are many options to beating the beast.

Best Luck and Wishes as you start your Chemo. Stay as active as you feel that you can, but realize that your body will need more rest than usual.

Take Care,

Barb

bruins1971

Welcome to our little family
Hey there Cat lover I wanted to welcome you to the family that nobody wants to be part of. Heck in some normal families that is the case anyways, lol.... No but seriously you have come to the right place to find love, support and information. Many of us here myself included are stage 4 and have been through the ringer but all of us are fighting like Hell to defeat this demon called cancer.

As for your treatments they seem right on target as to the one that many of us have been through myself included although I was not given Avastin as my Oncologist and colon surgeon but felt it was best not to use it as it can slow down the healing process after a surgery. There are other drugs that can be used in it's place that do the same type of job called Erbitux and Vectibix you might want to inquire into how they feel about those instead of the Avastin since you just had surgery.

Working out with the chemo bag on your hip is probably not the best idea as you could get the cord hook on something plus I doubt you'll want to be working out while on chemo. The chemo will build up in your body over time and at first you might be like wow this is not bad. For me it took about 5-6 rounds of chemo before it really was built up in my system and then I was more tired, rashes and then there is the dumb sensitivity to cold and the neuropathy in the hands and feet that come from the chemo mostly from the Oxaliplatin.

As far as worrying about the survival rates try not to look them up for they internet will only depress you for most of the numbers are not good. Those numbers range from 5% up to 15% but they are old numbers now we have a much better chance of living especially if you are able to remove the tumors with surgery. I was told by my oncologist at the beginning that I had a 30-50% chance of seeing the 5 year mark. I looked him in the face and said cool but God tells me I have a 100% chance. He smiled and said you are going to do great for it's that type of attitude that will help you win. You stated you were stage 4 but did not mention what organ the cancer had spread to. For me it was the liver with two tumors one on each lobe but by the grace of God they removed all of it and after 12 rounds of chemo I pray that when I get my CT scan this week it will show me cancer free and finally I will be able to say I am NED which means No Evidence of Disease. You will see that used allot on this site.

Again welcome to this site and feel free to befriend anyone you feel a connection with as you can use CSN email to talk on a personal level with people as well as the general posting.

God Bless,
Bobby in Dallas

Lovekitties

Welcome
I take it from your screen name that you have two cats...so do I.

As to your questions, it used to be that folks said if you were 'opened up' to get to the cancer that the air getting to it caused it to spread. I don't believe there is any medical info which supports what I consider an old wives tale. It is my understanding that the primary concerns during surgery are to get all of the visible tumor and have 'clear margins'. That just means that the outside of the part removed has no cancer cells present. As for taking a secion of the colon versus taking just the tumor, I think it more likely is dependent on how the tumor is attached and if it has broken thru the wall of the colon. I am not a medical person, but these are my understandings of the issue you raised.

I can't tell you about chemo reactions, as I didn't have chemo, but you also need to consult with your surgeon regarding exercise. In some cases over doing it or doing the wrong types of exercise can cause hernias at the surgery site and potentially other difficulties. A lot depends on how extensive your surgery was. In my case, lots of parts that used to be there are now gone so there is 'empty space' for things to move around as they shouldn't if I over do.

Keep coming back. There is likely someone here who can answer most any question, and we all are here to offer support if you are feeling down or just need to vent.

Marie who loves kitties

tootsie1

Hi
Hi!

Just wanted to say hello and welcome you to the site. I think you'll find so much good information here!

Hoping your chemo goes well.

*hugs*
Gail

Lori-S

Hi Love2
Welcome to the board. As others have said, each person seems to respond in their own individual way to chemo. You really have to wait and see. And as time goes on the accumulation of chemo seems to make the side effects more noticeable. It's really individual.

As for workouts at the gym, I myself haven't gone back to the gym as I've had a tough time with chemo and hernias. I do make my 3 miles walks each day on the off week but, cannot manage it at all on my chemo weeks. PLEASE be careful ... after resection we are very highly likely to get hernias and or adheshions (internal scar tissue). Out intestines do not like to be messed with and they never seem to be the same after surgery. This is the reason that I haven't made it back to the gym ... though I had a great core muscle workout prior to resection, I now have 2 hernias to deal with and I can't do anything that requires exertion with my core muscle group. Make sure to discuss with yoursurgeon/GI doc that you want to go back to the gym and you might want to wear one of the girdle/supports for your mid-section if you do workout.

The chemo box doesn't need to be taped as they give it to you in a fanny pack. Just wrap the strap around your waist and buckle it.

Again, welcome and sorry you have to be here.

Unknown

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

herdizziness

Hello
I too, had surgery in December of 2010, contrary to what Bruins1971 just told you above about Avastin, 5 weeks after the surgery it is considered quite normal to go on Avastin. I started Avastin this past Friday, my surgery was December 20th, where I had a colon resection, liver resection and ureter resection, and am doing just fine on the Avastin. I'm 51 female with Stage IV. They will keep an eye on your blood pressure and protein in urine as both can and usually do happen while on Avastin, I already had high blood pressure prior to Avastin so I can't blame the drug on that, but I do hear it happens quite a bit.
I was fine after two or three days when I first started the chemo's which were for me originally (when I first started chemo)Oxyplatinin, Avastin and Xeloda. You seem to have a heavier load then I had, so I can't tell you how you're going to feel. It's such an individual thing, some are exhausted and others are not.
As for the websites for survival rates, mostly all those are OUT OF DATE, if you look at them they are at least 4 or 5 years old, and with the advent of newer chemo's since then, the survival rates are way off.
Winter Marie
P.S. I have 3 cats, LOL

AnneCan

Welcome
Welcome to this fantastic club. I hope you get the answers you are looking for. Fatigue varies with each person, but I think virtually everyone gets it.

coloCan

AnneCan said:

Welcome
Welcome to this fantastic club. I hope you get the answers you are looking for. Fatigue varies with each person, but I think virtually everyone gets it.

As your immune system will be more compomised with each
round of chemo and as gyms are great breeding grounds for germs,etc. you might be better off (assuming you still have energy to do so, which is great if you do while undergoing treatment) exercising at home, away from strangers and potential health problems.....
I'd lifted over forty years at home til my (unknown to me at the time)growing tumor hurt too much to do so....That and subsequent treatment stopped everything for almost two years but now, not even a year since chemmo ended, doing only DBs and bodyweight exercises and "muscle memory" is clearly confirmed........

As for stage 4 and web sites:you're probably better off awaiting stage 4 people here to reply with their "life's experiences" which will prove more enlightening than what you might read elsewhere..


Wishing you the best of results in your treatment......steve