First day of chemo

vtspa6

My husband Tim finally had his first chemo treatment with FOLFOX (sp?).  After treatment they sent him home with a pump for 3 days.  Today he has been very tired and just yucky feeling.  Home nurse will come tomorrow to disconnect the pump.  Sure hope he feels better after that!  He will do this every 2 wks.  Oncologist will include Avastin with the following treatments.  I guess this is the start of a long, long process.

I asked why no radiation.  Dr said with stage 4 it would not do any good.  Does this sound right?  He has rectal cancer w/mets to the lungs.

Vicky

Trubrit

Hello

It is good when you start on the Chemo, because you actually feel like you are doing something. Waiting around, is the hardest thing. 

I hope your husband handles the Chemo regime well. It is always hard to predict how someone will handle it. I have always been a pretty strong, healthy person, but the Chemo knocked me down terribly. 

Try to keep your husband as active as he can. Push just a little past his comfort zone. In hindsight, I wish I had pushed myself just a little harder when I was doing Chemo. Sitting on the couch feeling awful may have been alieviated somewhat if I had taken a stroll up and down the road with my walker. 

That fatigue can hit hard though. When it was at its worst, I had to crawl to my couch, as all of my energy was gone. 

As for radiation. If you are not sure, I would get a second opinon. 

Sue - Trubrit

swimmer22

Aim for Surgery

 

Vicky--

I too was diagnosed at age 46 Stage IV rectal cancer with Mets to lungs.  My treatment plan consisted of VATS surgery immediately to remove the cancerous lung nodules.  I then did 6 treatments of Folflox with Avastin.  After that, I began radiation for 28 days accompanied with Xeloda.  I was very fortunate to have a complete response to the radiation, meaning my rectal tumor had been reduced to scar tissue.  I then had an LAR to remove the scar tissue (no active cancer found) and received a temporary ileostomy. 

 Following the LAR I had 12 treatments of Folfiri.  Once completed, my ileostomy was reversed. I have been fortunate to be cancer free since.

I think you need a second opinion here... I have been living with no evidence of disease now heading on the 4 year mark!  I would not be satisfied with a doctor that was not be looking to follow a proactive role in working to beat your husband's disease.  I am not alone here, there are numerous others that are living without evidence of disease who presented as a Stage IV patient.  

My opinion is surgery is always the gold standard... get the cancerous tissue out.  Your husband should be speaking with a lung surgeon regarding those lung Mets.  My oncologist told me rectal cancer with lung Mets often times provide a higher opportunity for cure over metastatic disease spread affecting the liver. 

Get to a national cancer institute for a second opinion…. Best of luck to your husband.

 

 

 

vtspa6

swimmer22 said:

Aim for Surgery

 

Vicky--

I too was diagnosed at age 46 Stage IV rectal cancer with Mets to lungs.  My treatment plan consisted of VATS surgery immediately to remove the cancerous lung nodules.  I then did 6 treatments of Folflox with Avastin.  After that, I began radiation for 28 days accompanied with Xeloda.  I was very fortunate to have a complete response to the radiation, meaning my rectal tumor had been reduced to scar tissue.  I then had an LAR to remove the scar tissue (no active cancer found) and received a temporary ileostomy. 

 Following the LAR I had 12 treatments of Folfiri.  Once completed, my ileostomy was reversed. I have been fortunate to be cancer free since.

I think you need a second opinion here... I have been living with no evidence of disease now heading on the 4 year mark!  I would not be satisfied with a doctor that was not be looking to follow a proactive role in working to beat your husband's disease.  I am not alone here, there are numerous others that are living without evidence of disease who presented as a Stage IV patient.  

My opinion is surgery is always the gold standard... get the cancerous tissue out.  Your husband should be speaking with a lung surgeon regarding those lung Mets.  My oncologist told me rectal cancer with lung Mets often times provide a higher opportunity for cure over metastatic disease spread affecting the liver. 

Get to a national cancer institute for a second opinion…. Best of luck to your husband.

 

 

 

Swimmer22

Thanks for the reply.  I also asked if the lung nodules can be 'cut out'.  Oncologist stated that since there are so many (at least 10 nodules in each lobe) this cannot be done at this time.  He said if they shrink with chemo maybe.  I think the rectal tumor has a better shot at getting removed when it shrinks.  Did you have many nodules also?  Most are small except for 2 which each are in a seperate lobe.

DaveHereInFlorida

Im on the same

Im on the same regimen...Folfox 5 .     It is a long road to recovery so he needs to be as patient as possible with everything.  Its alot of  inconvenience, trepidation ,  emotional roller coaster,  loss of energy and appetite,  and as his chemo proceeds there will most likely appear some new side effects as was my case by treatment #4  .   It will be taxing on you too .   I hope your husband gets the same results as i have on Folfox  cause  God is causing it to really pound away at my cancer  .   Staying close to God thru this whole thing is vitally important . Its a good time for humility , surrender, and trusting in his plan for your husbands life.

DD3

Got to

love FOLFOX.  My wife went through FOLFOX too.  After being "unhooked" on Friday she would spend the weekend in bed.  She just said she felt blah.  I would just let her be and get whatever she asked for.  The following Monday she would start to bounce back. She would start her walking regimen.  She would walk 45 minutes a day.  She felt staying active helped her. 

You are so correct.  This is a long process or as some on here say.... "it's a marathon not a sprint."  So true.

Radiation seems to vary with stage IV.  I might get a second opinion on that or have the Oncologist explain exactly why it wouldn't help. 

Good luck and God bless you and your husband.