Treated like diabetes?

Vickilg

My CEA doubled to 30.6.  Doctor says we are limited in treatment because platelets are low and he does not see them coming back up.  Said he doesn't think we can get this into remission. He said that these days colorectal cancer can be treated like diabetes but that he cannot promise I will get that either.   What exactly does that mean?  Do people with diabetes live until they are old? 

PatchAdams

Chronic disease

I've heard that too.  Not regarding me, but Colorectal cancer in general.  I've seen remarks that say with new advances that CRC can be a chronic disease, much like diabetes.  

 

dmj101

Interesting comment to be 

Interesting comment to be  made by a doctor. I agree with Patch he probably meant like a chronic disease.. however I would ask the DR to explain what he meant to be for sure and put you at ease.

My Dr clearly told me when they found the mets in my lungs that we can control this but can't cure it or ever irradicate it totally from the body, since CRC growth microscopicly and since mine are so small in size but in volume evidence of mine to be slow growing. All this said means I will be being treating in some way forever and she also clearly stated to me that forever is a long time.. I know from time to time our forevers seem limited or at least varied but the best I can offer is value the forever.. don't take it for granted if possible.

Cea is not too bad .. sorry it is increasing.. I never heard of not being able to increase the platelet counts- is that because he wants you on chemo? Sometimes they infuse platelets? I really would ask for more details from him and what he has planned..

Hang in there...

Donna

PhillieG

Hi Vicki

I'm basically in the "Chronic Condition" stage. I will have been at this non-stop basically for 9 years come February. I just came back from chemo a little over an hour ago. I'd say 80% of the time I feel good to quite good. The chemo knocks me out for a bit but it's manageable. I'm in a position where I can usually just sleep. I've yet to be NED which is not the worst thing in the world. I'm not on the roller coaster of being NED then having a recurrence. What the chemo does for me is to keep a few small nodes growing slowly. It's certainly not the worst thing in the world Vicki

My mantra for a while as been that it could always be worse...

 

 

pete43lost_at_sea

i am on metformin and dca just startef

the new off label use is for cancer, have a google, ic'll put on my blog my links. i was put on metformin over the break over xmas from germany clinics. just have a google yourself, i started these new regime xmas day, a good omen. 

maybe your doctor is discussing the sugar and insulin theories with regard to crc. i found a page about dca and metfomin that was interesting and as always i am happy to try.

sorry about your news, 

 

hugs,

pete

 

 

 

dmj101

pete43lost_at_sea said:

i am on metformin and dca just startef

the new off label use is for cancer, have a google, ic'll put on my blog my links. i was put on metformin over the break over xmas from germany clinics. just have a google yourself, i started these new regime xmas day, a good omen. 

maybe your doctor is discussing the sugar and insulin theories with regard to crc. i found a page about dca and metfomin that was interesting and as always i am happy to try.

sorry about your news, 

 

hugs,

pete

 

 

 

Pete, know that you mentioned

Pete, know that you mentioned this I do recall seeing that article. Will you be on a constant dose of metformin or will they increase the dose as you go along like they do for diabetics..  Prior to my gastric bypass I was prediabetic and had horrifying issues with metformin- I was in the bathroom more of the day than out. I could never imagine trying to manage that along with Chemo and Colostomy.. Please let your DR know how you feel and are doing on the metformin honestly. I also recall getting lightheaded from metformin and feeling like the ground was coming up to me my head when I walked and not knowing it as metformin side effects.

 

dmj101

pete43lost_at_sea said:

i am on metformin and dca just startef

the new off label use is for cancer, have a google, ic'll put on my blog my links. i was put on metformin over the break over xmas from germany clinics. just have a google yourself, i started these new regime xmas day, a good omen. 

maybe your doctor is discussing the sugar and insulin theories with regard to crc. i found a page about dca and metfomin that was interesting and as always i am happy to try.

sorry about your news, 

 

hugs,

pete

 

 

 

Pete, now that you mentioned

Pete, now that you mentioned this I do recall seeing that article. Will you be on a constant dose of metformin or will they increase the dose as you go along like they do for diabetics..  Prior to my gastric bypass I was prediabetic and had horrifying issues with metformin- I was in the bathroom more of the day than out. I could never imagine trying to manage that along with Chemo and Colostomy.. Please let your DR know how you feel and are doing on the metformin honestly. I also recall getting lightheaded from metformin and feeling like the ground was coming up to me my head when I walked and not knowing it as metformin side effects.

 

pete43lost_at_sea

dmj101 said:

Pete, now that you mentioned

Pete, now that you mentioned this I do recall seeing that article. Will you be on a constant dose of metformin or will they increase the dose as you go along like they do for diabetics..  Prior to my gastric bypass I was prediabetic and had horrifying issues with metformin- I was in the bathroom more of the day than out. I could never imagine trying to manage that along with Chemo and Colostomy.. Please let your DR know how you feel and are doing on the metformin honestly. I also recall getting lightheaded from metformin and feeling like the ground was coming up to me my head when I walked and not knowing it as metformin side effects.

 

thanks donna, i be careful

the catch is the doctors who advised it are german, i am in sydney. i am doing these therapies unsupported at the moment. i had an unusual amount of gas and bathroom visits ysterday. i will keep researchimg.

hugs,

pete

Annabelle41415

PhillieG said:

Hi Vicki

I'm basically in the "Chronic Condition" stage. I will have been at this non-stop basically for 9 years come February. I just came back from chemo a little over an hour ago. I'd say 80% of the time I feel good to quite good. The chemo knocks me out for a bit but it's manageable. I'm in a position where I can usually just sleep. I've yet to be NED which is not the worst thing in the world. I'm not on the roller coaster of being NED then having a recurrence. What the chemo does for me is to keep a few small nodes growing slowly. It's certainly not the worst thing in the world Vicki

My mantra for a while as been that it could always be worse...

 

 

Wow

Is this on your property.  It is beautiful.  You always take such lovely pictures.  Still loving that one of you kayaking on the lake with the mist.  Never could get that picture out of my mind.

 

Annabelle41415

Look at Mary Tyler Moore she

Look at Mary Tyler Moore she has had diabetes since a young age and she has managed quite well.  I'm sorry that your count is going up and hoping that they can control it to a manageable stage.

Kim

ron50

dmj101 said:

Pete, now that you mentioned

Pete, now that you mentioned this I do recall seeing that article. Will you be on a constant dose of metformin or will they increase the dose as you go along like they do for diabetics..  Prior to my gastric bypass I was prediabetic and had horrifying issues with metformin- I was in the bathroom more of the day than out. I could never imagine trying to manage that along with Chemo and Colostomy.. Please let your DR know how you feel and are doing on the metformin honestly. I also recall getting lightheaded from metformin and feeling like the ground was coming up to me my head when I walked and not knowing it as metformin side effects.

 

I take 1000mg of metformin a day
Heavy doses of prednisone wiped out my pancreas. I started on 500mg daily then went to 1000. I have been taken off a lot of meds because of diarreah. It now appears that the drugs merely aggravated an existing problem. For 90% of people who lose their gall bladder all problems go for the other ten percent symptoms remain and chronic diarreah becomes the norm. I'm in this group. I have started taking an old cholesterol drug called Questran lite. It comes in 4 gramm sachets and i mix it with orange juice with pulp. It does not dissolve but clings to the pulp. Its action is to bind the bile acids and stops the diarreah. I have gone from 6-10 bms a day to two. It is not an invasive drug and does not appear to have any side effects. I gradually built the dose to 4mg to avoid initial constipation. It works for chemo related diarreah as well. Ask your doc about it.Ron.

wolfen

Annabelle41415 said:

Look at Mary Tyler Moore she

Look at Mary Tyler Moore she has had diabetes since a young age and she has managed quite well.  I'm sorry that your count is going up and hoping that they can control it to a manageable stage.

Kim

Vicki

I would imagine the doctor was using diabetes as an example of a chronic disease which can be controlled, as cancer can. Where cancer can metastasize to other parts of the body, diabetes can affect various parts of the body. My husband is 65, and has had diabetes for about 25 years. So, I would say that you can grow old with it. It can be managed with medication and diet and requires learning "your" normal and accepting it, just as cancer does.

You can do this!

Luv,

Wolfen

wawaju04976

PhillieG said:

Hi Vicki

I'm basically in the "Chronic Condition" stage. I will have been at this non-stop basically for 9 years come February. I just came back from chemo a little over an hour ago. I'd say 80% of the time I feel good to quite good. The chemo knocks me out for a bit but it's manageable. I'm in a position where I can usually just sleep. I've yet to be NED which is not the worst thing in the world. I'm not on the roller coaster of being NED then having a recurrence. What the chemo does for me is to keep a few small nodes growing slowly. It's certainly not the worst thing in the world Vicki

My mantra for a while as been that it could always be worse...

 

 

Thank you for sharing. Keep

Thank you for sharing. Keep going another nine (x3) years!!! This is good to know.

wawaju04976

PhillieG said:

Hi Vicki

I'm basically in the "Chronic Condition" stage. I will have been at this non-stop basically for 9 years come February. I just came back from chemo a little over an hour ago. I'd say 80% of the time I feel good to quite good. The chemo knocks me out for a bit but it's manageable. I'm in a position where I can usually just sleep. I've yet to be NED which is not the worst thing in the world. I'm not on the roller coaster of being NED then having a recurrence. What the chemo does for me is to keep a few small nodes growing slowly. It's certainly not the worst thing in the world Vicki

My mantra for a while as been that it could always be worse...

 

 

Thank you for sharing. Keep

Thank you for sharing. Keep going another nine (x3) years!!! This is good to know.

Vickilg

wolfen said:

Vicki

I would imagine the doctor was using diabetes as an example of a chronic disease which can be controlled, as cancer can. Where cancer can metastasize to other parts of the body, diabetes can affect various parts of the body. My husband is 65, and has had diabetes for about 25 years. So, I would say that you can grow old with it. It can be managed with medication and diet and requires learning "your" normal and accepting it, just as cancer does.

You can do this!

Luv,

Wolfen

Thank you...

Thank you for the responses and Wolfen, I truly love the "you can do this" comment.  Wishing everyone the best in 2013.

 

Vicki

PhillieG

Annabelle41415 said:

Wow

Is this on your property.  It is beautiful.  You always take such lovely pictures.  Still loving that one of you kayaking on the lake with the mist.  Never could get that picture out of my mind.

 

Hi Kim

I wish that was my place. It's a horse riding academy in NJ (yes! New Jersey) that I often pass. I recently got a "new" used Canon D20 digital SLR camera which is a nice one. It's from 2004 I think but it's a big upgrade from the $120 digital I've been using for years.

The kayaking in the mist is one of my favorites too. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

PhillieG

wawaju04976 said:

Thank you for sharing. Keep

Thank you for sharing. Keep going another nine (x3) years!!! This is good to know.

Thanks wawaju....

I tend to post that info only when I think it's relevant. When someone is just starting out then don't want to think about 9 years in the trenches but when others have been in there a while and hear chemo for life or chronic disease I feel this offers some hope.

scared99

Vickilg said:

Thank you...

Thank you for the responses and Wolfen, I truly love the "you can do this" comment.  Wishing everyone the best in 2013.

 

Vicki

Vic,  When my mom was

Vic,  When my mom was diagnosed in June  her oncologist said this to her.   He said with the proper response from treatment stage 4 can be controlled like a chronic condition.  He also told her the optimal scenario was treatment into remission and re treatment if a relapse would occur.   

jen2012

I don't really understand
I don't really understand this. Why do drs give that 2 yr prognosis then and why do some not even make it 2 yrs? My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last month and the doc said he could live a normal life with this...much different than what the onc said when she diagnosed my husband with stage 4 crc in August.

Vickilg

scared99 said:

Vic,  When my mom was

Vic,  When my mom was diagnosed in June  her oncologist said this to her.   He said with the proper response from treatment stage 4 can be controlled like a chronic condition.  He also told her the optimal scenario was treatment into remission and re treatment if a relapse would occur.   

Scarred99

Thank you for your response.  Gives me hope. 

scared99

jen2012 said:

I don't really understand
I don't really understand this. Why do drs give that 2 yr prognosis then and why do some not even make it 2 yrs? My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last month and the doc said he could live a normal life with this...much different than what the onc said when she diagnosed my husband with stage 4 crc in August.

Jen, I do not understand this

Jen, I do not understand this either.   My mom has dealt with two different oncologists.  One at a very large medical center and one at our home town hospital.   The one at the large medical center has always seemed more optimistic.   He said there would be no cure but they could treat it.    The doctor at the smaller hospital said that chemotherapy would not cure her cancer and offered her hospice.    She then went back to her original oncologist who told her hospice is out of the question unless she does not want to  try any more treatment.   He said he does not even consider hospice unless the patient wants no treatment.  He said he has seen people respond well to first line chemotherapy for years and then go onto the second line and so on... he cannot predict who willl respond to treatment and who will not... so thats why he said its possible to treat colon cancer as a chronic condition.