Small Cell

FearisaLiar

Diagnosed mid August 2021
Finished phase 2 Chemo a week ago.

Check Ur :

Not Dead Yet

My Colon Cancer Story

Part 1 : Very Special Indeed

10/6/2021

Tonight I noticed my scalp hurts, so I looked it up online and yes, it’s a thing. It typically coincides with hair falling-out during chemotherapy, so I took a small amount of hair between my thumb and forefinger and gave it a little tug. Sure enough, out came a significant amount of hair with no effort at all. Hmm…

And so, not quite knowing why, I believe it is time to write “My Colon Cancer Story” in not too much detail.

It all started on a beautiful Friday afternoon in August 2021.

This is true, but I am being facetious lets start with my first Colonoscopy…

My first Colonoscopy was at 55 years old. I did not much like the experience “butt” It was not a big deal, easy really. They told me to come back in 5 years instead of 10 because I was “Special”.

Note that Colon Cancers typically grow very slow, 10 or even 20 years before they are problematic, “typically”. More on typical vs atypical later.

This brings me to 60ish years old. Another Colonoscopy, and this time I was also “Special” and was told to come back in 5 years again. (Special means they found a couple noncancerous polyps, removed them while they were looking around and taking inventory. This is typical. )

And so… It all started on a beautiful Friday afternoon in August 2021. I had turned 65 earlier in the year. I thought that I might be due for a Colonoscopy and would need to schedule one for early 2022 (2020 too) as it had not been 5 years since my last one. However, I started bleeding from a place that no one should EVER bleed from. So… “this is new”, I thought “and not in a good way”. Off to ER we went. That experience was very bad “butt” long story short, after 3 days and many tests I was told I had a “Mass” in my Colon. “A mass?” I thought, “hmm…” after leaving the hospital and waiting a week for the pathology, I found out I was Very Special Indeed.

I did not have that pesky Colon Caner that takes 10 or even 20 years to develop.

I have a fast growing very aggressive Cancer that is typically found in lung Cancers.

Yes indeedy, I have a Small Cell Carcinoma, in my Colon. I am sorry to say that what I am about to write was not my first thought, but it was not long before I remembered. “GOD IS GOOD all the time”. “Whether I live or whether I die GOD IS GOOD all the time”.

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Well, He also gave me a brain to use so I prayed for the best outcome but prepared for the worse. Because to this day, God still does not ask my opinion before He takes Action. THANK GOD! You and I would all be in big trouble if He did that.

Anyway…

Small cell colon cancer only occurs in less than .5% in all the Colon Cancers. That would make this Cancer atypical as opposed to typical and “Very Special Indeed”.

Part 2: Appendix, Lymph nodes, and the Colon are wonderful things, they will be missed.

Next stop was a meeting with a surgeon. She explained that my Cancer

(whom I have now affectedly name Bob) was halfway between my small intestine and er… the exit. So, in my case the only way to rid myself of Bob was to open me up from the outside in.

They cut Bob out, a few feet or more probably much more, of colon. 31 lymph nodes and interestingly, my appendix as well were removed. I think this is interesting for 2 reasons. 1. I was not told they were going to remove my appendix until after it was a done deal (I rather liked my appendix). 2.The appendix is attached where the large and small colon meet. Now I don’t know what my appendix does or did rather, but I assume the doctors knew, and determined that it was in the way, and I didn’t really need it any longer, anyway.

So Bob, some colon, the lymph nodes attached to colon and my appendix are gone now. They shall be missed… well not Bob so much but I think that is understandable.

As it turns out all of this, was just in the nick of time. (What? Who is Nick and why do we care? https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/in-the-nick-of-time.html )

But I digress, just in the nick of time. Bob was growing very fast. He could have only been active since maybe March; about the same time, I got my Covid vaccine. Not that there could possibly be any connection between that and a rare < ½ of 1% Colon, Bob.

And Bob had moved into 7 of those pesky lymph nodes. So that sounds sort of bad I know but not so fast. Because of the location they were easily removed. They were not near any inside gushy parts that he could attack in the time he had. Thus, I say, “thank God, just in the nick of time” I blead from places no one should ever bleed from. Which allowed Bob to be found, cut out and so on.

So far, I have undergone ever test for Bob know to man. And… Bob is no where to be found in me! Unfortunately, Doctors and Nurses still need for earn a living. Not to mention pharmaceutical companies.

The Doctor suggest (referred to now as, Doctor Doogie) that I be injected with Platinum a dozen times or so just to be sure that Bob does not rear his ugly head again. Even though he is no where to be found. “Now, Platinum is very toxic”,Doctor Doogie said, “and could kill you, but if it doesn’t kill you, you should be fine for a while”. Hmm…

So I said, “Ok Doctor Doogie, give it your best shot”.

I have completed my first round of “Kill me if you can” and start Round 2 Monday.

The first round and the 2 weeks after were difficult. However, Doctor Doogie has assured me the next 3 rounds will be much worse. So here we go. My hair is falling out, my appetite is good and…

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust God

Clean house

Help others

God Bless your health.

DanNH

May God bless you and

May God bless you and vanquish Bob once and for all! Keep us posted about your treatments.

 

Dan

Trubrit

Welcome to the forum

I am with Dan; may Bob be one of those friends that are like ships, that pass in the night (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).  

I remember when my scalp felt like someone was poking it with needles all over. I couldn't even lay my head back against the couch.  Ah, memories!  These will be memories for you, one day. Until then, good luck with your treatments; and we look forward to getting to know you here, on the forum. 

Tru

LeeColonCancer2021

Thanks for sharing your story

Thanks for sharing your story!

I was just diagnosed last week and I'm still waiting for the colectomy surgery (which seems to be the easiest part).

Wish you all the best and good luck with the phase 2 chemo!

FearisaLiar

Okay... So...

I am cancer free! I believe I was Cancer free after they cut Bob out but my (insert your own bad word here) Oncologist Chemo-ed me and now says they can't find any cancer. As I said I think they would of had the same result after surgery. Oh well done now and feeling pretty good.

Couple odd things.

1. Chemo affected my emphysema riddled lungs very badly. My O2 saturation's are bad now compared to not so good, before chemo. Tests were done but no reason for this has been found yet. I hope and pray that the months ahead will bring me to pre chemo saturation's at least, or better :) . So I can get back to walking around, mowing the lawn helping my wife and so on (prayers greedily accepted)
2. Had Chemo induced Atrial Fibrillation after 3rd round which got me into ER and then a heart attack. Ended up with a stent. Sounds bad but it is not really. Atrial Fibrillation after round 4 (last chemo) and a month later. Doing good now.

GOD IS GOOD! Looking back at the timing for all this... well I should be dead twice over and it is not even the first time. I do not believe in luck, or serendipitous events, I do believe in Gods direct intervention and that is what has happened here to me.

Alive today by Gods Grace, Undeserved and Unworthy but so well Loved.

Thank God, my wife, my kids and my grand kids.

Love you all.

abita

Was it colon cancer or lung cancer that grew in your colon?

FearisaLiar

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1692288#Comment_1692288

Small cell colon cancer, no lung cancer. About 1/2 of 1% or less of all colon cancers.