One year

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PamRav
PamRav Member Posts: 348 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

ago today I was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer with metastasis to my liver.   It’s easy to remember the fear, anguish and despair I felt that day and for the following weeks.   Since that day I’ve had a port inserted, chemo to shrink the tumors.  Surgery to remove the colon cancer, resection and abalation  of the liver.  more chemo.  More liver surgery.  A little more chemo.  I’ve had numerous CT scans, PET scans, MRI of the pancreas.  More lab tests than I can count.  I’ve had pain and bowel issues galore.  Plenty of chemo issues, but none to serious. I’ve learned to meditate  I went and go to yoga class.  Go to support sessions.  

AND I MADE IT THROUGH!

So to all of those newly diagnosed, and those currently in treatment, YOU CAN DO IT!

It’s a long and winding road but stay strong, stay positive and take good care of yourself.

Happy new year to everyone and best wishes for good health for all of us In 2018.

Pam 

Comments

  • Ruthmomto4
    Ruthmomto4 Member Posts: 708 Member
    #2
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    Congratulations Pam!

    one year behind you and here is hoping for MANY more that are much less eventful medically!

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #3
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    Glad you made it through, and

    Glad you made it through, and thanks for the encouragement! I am currently already had my colon surgery and am on chemo to shrink the 3 lesions on my liver so they can be removed. I try to keep positive. But with Tues being my 4th infusion, and then 10 days later seeing if they have shrunk enough, then surgery, I have been able to think of little else. I have a great surgeon, people have surgery all the time, and yet, I am so nervous about it. I feel like once that is done, and all the tumors are gone, I can deal with the remaining 8 infusions knowing that the cancer is out, and the chemo is just to kill any hidden little cancer cells. But this next month is going to be hard. Stories like yours, where it is like mine, help me so much. Only difference is I won't get ablation, he will remove them and I had my colon surgery as emergency before chemo as soon as it was found because the tumor had perforated my colon.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    #4
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    One year out!

    image   Its been a rough one, Pam, but I'm glad that one year is over. May your next year be not quite so challenging and may you see many years ahead. 

    Tru

  • Lily Flower
    Lily Flower Member Posts: 260 Member
    #5
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    Congratulations, Pam on your

    Congratulations, Pam on your one year and many more to follow!

  • lizard44
    lizard44 Member Posts: 409 Member
    #6
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    Congratulations, Pam

    May you make it through many more such milestones while you stay strong, stay positive and take good care of yourself.

    Grace/lizard44

     

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    edited December 2017 #7
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    Hugs Pam

    survival is a series of small steps and you have passed the first, Ron.

  • Cindy225
    Cindy225 Member Posts: 172 Member
    edited December 2017 #8
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    One Year...

    So happy for you Pam, what you've been through and your inspiring positive attitude! Thank you for sharing...

    I had a mini moment after my oncologist and surgeon cleared me after one year with no restrictions to be as active as I want to be. It may sound silly and trite but I went to the gym today and picked up the 5 lb weights and started my old routine after one year and then did 50 sit ups on the exercise ball. It was overwhelming.  I welled up with tears of joy to be back ... 

    Quoting Pam "Happy new year to everyone and best wishes for good health for all of us in 2018".

    Cindy

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #9
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    Wow

    Congratulations on your one year being a survivor.  It's always an amazing and terrifying date that we remember the worst day of our life.  So glad that you came on the board to share your story.  You have been through a lot in the last year and I'm wishing you a very good 2018.

    Kim

  • nkeelty
    nkeelty Member Posts: 18 Member
    #10
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    Many more years to you!!!

    Many more years to you!!!

  • 2018fighter
    2018fighter Member Posts: 3
    #11
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    Thank you

    I’m sitting here in ny eve contemplating my fight in the upcoming year to battle my stage 2/3tumor in my sigmoid colon and being scared at my future, I want to sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting your inspiring message.  You just gave my hope....as I work on wrapping my brain around the fight of my life that’s starting in a few short weeks. 

     

    Congrats to you and thank you.

  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    #12
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    Congratulations Pam! And

    Congratulations Pam! And Happy New Year! May 2018 bring good health, much happiness, and oodles of Blessing!

    Thanks for sharing your inspiring story.

  • PADAVE1
    PADAVE1 Member Posts: 10
    #13
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    Great attitude Pam!

    As someone else mentioned Pam - 1 step at a time is very OK - I'm trying to learn this as well - not easy - way to go!

    I just joined the Board today - hellow everyone - sort of a New Years resolution to do this.  I'm a stge IV with mets guy - 2016 was my stge 3 / resection / FOLFOX year - post chemo reg I was clear for ~3months - 2017 turned into liver & lung mets VATs surgery now FOLFIRI Avastin year. - prettty frustrating.  I just completed my 8th treatment - mets shrinking but hard to quantify end game - which is tough - 2 more treatments before next scan.  What I have a hard time grappling with is - i'm 100% C asymptomatic - friends don't quite understand this either - hard to explain that all of my physical nonesense is chemo related - is this common with others?

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