My sister just diagnosed

LynnKT

Hi,

I'm a recent breast cancer survivor and just found out that my dear sister has colon cancer. We are in shock. So far, we don't know the staging. Her colonoscopy revealed a walnut-sized tumor. I've since been doing some reading about the chemo drugs and treatments. Does anyone have any insights into how I can best support her? We're dealing with many unknowns for now.

Lovekitties

Hi Lynn
So sorry to hear about your sister's diagnosis.

If you will share the part of the country you are in, I am sure that folks on here from that area may share their experiences with doctors and hospitals. Helping her find the best of both available in your area will be a big help.

If your sister will allow it, we often suggest that a person accompany the patient to all appointments so as to take notes or to help her remember questions she wanted to ask.

It would also help is she were to come here to the board herself. Give her a chance to hear how others are doing, ask questions, get moral support.

She is lucky to have you on her team.

Marie who loves kitties

tootsie1

Be there
I'm sorry about both you and your sister! That's a lot to deal with in a short amount of time. You might remind her to take a notebook to make notes when she visits the oncologist. You also (if you're able) want to go to oncology appointments with her. Just being there, holding her hand, listening to her, all that will help.

*hugs*
Gail

Buckwirth

Staging is important
As treatment decisions will be a bit different for each.

If the tumor is in the colon, (as opposed to the rectum) she will not be facing radiation therapy.

If it is contained within the colon wall treatment will be surgery, perhaps followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. there is also the possibility of a temporary Ostomy.

I highly recommend Livestrong.org for the newly diagnosed, as well as ACS (the parent site here).

Others will chime in, but the best sharing will come as you know more about the stage and her doctors recommendations for treatment.

herdizziness

Lynn
You've been there with your breast cancer, and I'm sure your sister was there for you, so now it is simply reversed and you will do as others did for you.
So glad to hear you are a breast cancer SURVIVOR and you need to be positive for your sister becoming a colon cancer SURVIVOR.
Until she is staged and her exact cancer is known, it is difficult to inform you about the chemo's or rad's it's all so different, and even with each stage, each oncologist decides on their own protocol, so we couldn't even tell you what she would be on. However, once you find out, we can certainly inform you on how each of us reacted (and believe me, we all react differently).
I'm glad your sister has you beside her. Stay strong. Our hearts are with you both.
Winter Marie

John23

Lynn -
I agree with Winter Marie, but let me add this:

Staging really doesn't matter. I worry more about
those with stage one, than stage three or four.

Those with a DX of an earlier stage are all too often blind-sided
months later - while the later stages know well of what to expect
right from the start...... And the treatment "right from the start" for
the later stages, is usually more intense than with the earlier staging.

(I recently lost two friends with stage one. Prognosis changed within
two months, and they both died within 3 months of the new prognosis.)

Your sister needs your support. And as Winter-Marie said, she really
needs your presence at each of her medical consultations.

Helping her accept the reality, then helping her accept the fight,
is the best favor you can do for her. It's a battle we didn't ask for,
and one we never expected to have to deal with...... But we can
do battle better when we have the support of those around us.

My best wishes are with you all!

John

marqimark

Insight
You are doing what you need to be doing for your sister.

Keep being there for her.

Here's hoping for an early stage DX.
Hopefully surgery removes all visible cancer.
Some on here, depending on staging, will recommend avoiding chemo for early stage DX (3c or earlier) and going with a more holistic approach.
Others will reccomend doing exactly what the doctors say.
Chemo was very hard on my body and is on a large percent of us.


Prayers to you and your sister

Mark

buckeye2

I think you can be most
I think you can be most supportive by treating her exactly as you did pre diagnosis. Secondly I think keeping everything she says confidential is another huge help especially if you live in a small town. Having everyone knowing your business and talking about you is uncomfortable. My last suggestion is to not judge how she feels or what she does. She will need you to just listen. Lisa

Buzzard

buckeye2 said:

I think you can be most
I think you can be most supportive by treating her exactly as you did pre diagnosis. Secondly I think keeping everything she says confidential is another huge help especially if you live in a small town. Having everyone knowing your business and talking about you is uncomfortable. My last suggestion is to not judge how she feels or what she does. She will need you to just listen. Lisa

She will as we all did and do......
need someone that she can contact 24/7...Its not unlikely for her to wake up in the middle of the night and need someone to talk to, to calm her within. This place is my place for solace, I can come in here and in minutes have a friend talking to me, with me. Just having someone there when the house falls in is what we need.....Bless you for being there for her.......buzz

tanstaafl

actual quick support CC actions, pre-op
My wife was trashed following diagnoses of dysentery, -25% body mass in several weeks after a trip to an exotic locale. Then, "colon cancer...at least stage II" (really a IV) and near complete obstruction when discovered. Then I got her call overseas....

I asked for multiple biomarkers, but got no response beyond the initial CEA. What I wanted most was the CA19-9, a commonly available biomarker, and CSLEX1, if possible (it's available in Japan, apparently not much elsewhere). CA19-9 is commonly thought to be good only for pancreatic cancers, but it is actually a more general type biomarker for adenocarcinomas, with a terrific targetable therapy: cimetidine. Ultimately, the pathology sample of the tumor tissues can be definitively stained.

Immediately, I suggested that my wife adopt most of the LEF colorectal cancer protocol and general cancer recommendations including their maximum recommended dose of cimetidine for the pre-op period. We used many of their nutrient recommendations, amplified by other clinicians and researchers, with even double their doses for vitamin C and vitamin D3 (over 15,000iu/d temporarily for ~10 wks), and added high dose quinones of 500 mg coQ10 and menaquinone-4 (45 mg vitamin K2 is used in Japan for liver cancer and osteoporosis) instead of Avemar.

After surgery, we were naturally gratified to see the pathology report mention "necrosis" and "granulocytic inflamation" [massive attack], similar to some of the research papers on cimetidine, where the mesenteric invasion headed into the peritoneum just up and disintegrated at a cellular level. Every other surgeon that has seen her records has said there should be peritoneal mets amd/or that they have never seen this kind of necrosis of mets in their patients (they aren't considering "just" nutrients+cimetidine as neoadjuvant tx). Some of the oncologists seemed extremely pessimitic even though they were missing the crucial pathology report on the para-aortic mass (misreported as not there).

Now, we use even more coQ10, vitamins D3 and K2, in addition to her CIM-UFT-LV-PSK immunochemotherapy formula, than then, with frequent blood monitoring at least every 3-4 weeks.

tko683

Very sorry to hear about your sister
My advice is to be there for her like you are already doing. Offer to help her out in any way that she needs. Offer to go with her to the doctor and ask questions, take notes etc. You understand the world of cancer since you are a survivor so that should help. I also had breast cancer and now my husband was just recently diagnosed with colorectal so I completely understand how you feel. There are many similarities but also many differences. Sending you prayers for strength to get through this difficult time...Keep in touch with us here.