wife stage 3B Colon cancer

okthen said:

Just wanted to say hi and I
Just wanted to say hi and I am sorry about your wifes health troubles. My husband did not have WBC issues with his chemo ever, only platelet issues, his treatments were postponed due to that several times.
It is hard when there is a reaction to chemo that doesn't fall in the "usual" time frame, makes me, us, worry even more. My husband is having horrible neuropathy after only 4 oxal (Folfox) treatmens...his Onc just said the other day he doesn't "usually" see that until 8 treatments...
Did her doctor talk with you about WBC boosting medication, like Neulasta?...I hope I am remembering that name right....

snowyswitzerland said:

try not to panic
Your wife was me a year ago. I am stage 3 and also had 15 cm of my colon removed. I am also in a country where I don't speak the language and all my records come in German (I am British living in Switzerland).
A year later I have finished my chemo - I also had lots of problems with my WBC and lots of times my chemo had to be delayed. I now have check-ups every 3 months. This month will be my second check-up.
Please try not to panic. This group is amazing and so full of information. My biggest mistake was to surf the internet scaring myself sick. In the end I told myself I would live in the present and only worry about what was reality and not what my imagination conjured up for me! I have 2 young daughters so it was and still is very important for me to be positive for them. As my oncologist told me, until proven otherwise I have no reason to not be positive.
The other big thing for me was to cause a distraction. As crazy as it sounds I got two puppies whilst I was on chemo. These had been planned before I was diagnosed and I didn't what the cancer to win and for me to let my daughters down. It was tough getting up when I felt crap to let them pee - day and night! But more importantly it got me up and it meant I had to keep active, even when I could only shuffle and it took me over an hour to shower and get dressed.
Both yourself and your wife are not alone. Just take things a day at a time.
Anne

CherylHutch said:

No panic! We are here to help you through all of this!
Oh my goodness... I can just imagine what you and your wife are going through. An emotional rollercoaster that has no bounds. First, the joy of getting married and starting a new life (congratulations... you two will work this out together!), then the upheavel of having both your lives thrown upside down. So right now... the best advice is to just ignore all and any horror stories your imaginations are setting up for you. You have found this forum which is sooooo good that you have. You don't need to go out on the internet now and look up information because 90% of it is out of date or just plain wrong.

You come here with all your questions, no matter how small or inconsequential... we have so many experienced people here who have been through it all first hand. We can get you the answers to your questions... and the support you will get here is unbelievable.

Yes, language can certainly be a barrier... does her doctor or someone on his staff speak fluent English who can take the time to explain to you what the various reports mean? Or do you have a friend who you can have go over them and translate them to English? Either way... worse case scenerio, say you can't get an English translation.... when you go to her appointments (and there will be many, many of them), get yourself a nice big thick notebook. Write down questions in it whenever they hit you... even if its at 2am.... keep a section for all your questions. Of course, you can ask them here too, but there will be questions you want to ask her doctor... and when they give you the answers, write them down. This may sound silly and redundant, but seriously... our minds go into mini-shock and information overload so even if we THINK we are going to remember the answers, or understand the answers... it's amazing how much we don't remember them telling us. A big notebook will become your best friend, and probably one of the best pieces of advice I can give right now.

Now... as for her low WBC. Totally normal and not unusual at all. Some people, for some reason, have no problem with WBC... but the chemos we put in our bodies are really strong toxins. Yes, I say toxins because that is what they are... we are pumping our bodies with poison, with the goal being that that poison is going to kill off any cancer cells that might be floating around in our systems. Cancer cells that are so minute, they can't be picked up by the naked eye or even our imaging technology. Of course, as the chemo is killing off these bad cells, it is also killing off the good cells too... and that's when the WBC can get really low. Doctors monitor this because you don't want them to get so low that it becomes dangerous. You will note that she has to get blood work done before every chemo session... and this is why... so they can check that the WBC is high enough to continue with the next chemo session. If it isn't, then they will either give her a week or so delay so the WBC can build itself up again, or they will give her help with a shot.

Now, as for the chemo she's on (5FU + Oxiliplatin aka FOLFOX), this is a standard chemo that usually we all start out on. Some people tolerate it much better than others, only because we are all unique individuals... so no two people really have the same reaction. But there are common side affects that folk experience to different degrees. The one that most people have is the sensitivity to cold. If she feels this cold sensitivity, do not worry... it is so common that I'd be surprised if she didn't at some point.

So, I won't overwhelm you with more babble... you just make yourself home here and if your wife feels up to it, have her join us too. I was diagnosed back in December 2006 and still fighting the good fight

Cheryl
(Vancouver... west coast of Canada)

Buzzard said:

First of all a few explanations..........
WBC= white blood count...this is the immune system basically , it fights off all intruders as best it can..chemo sometimes while killing off bad cancer cells also destroys some good ones as well, these are the WBC or white blood cells....it also kills of rbc or red blood cells.....
OK, now when the WBC count goes down then they have to stop the chemo until it regains its strength or the low WBC count may compromise her bodys ability to fight off other infections, etcetera...It is normal for patients on Folfox...especially with Oxaliplatin being a main ingredient of the Folfox to cause the WBC to go low, the Oncologists will normally do one of two things, he will give her 1 injection of Neulasta, or 2-3 injections of Neupagen depends on what they want to use and availability there. This will cause her WBC to start back going up and will allow her to start her chemo treatments again very soon, say in a week or so. The injections may give her a slight headache or lower back pain. The reason is that she will be producing WBC at a higher rate than normal and she may be a little uncomfortable for a couple of days. Normally a Tylenol does the trick.

OK, something else....15 cms is about 7 inches...not much by most standards...she will come through like a champ but she will have side effects with the Folfox...some are very bad some aren't..dependant on her body makeup..but all are doable...

Keep coming here...we will keep you up to date on everything you ask us...This is the most current information you could ever possibly get anywhere..we are living survivors that know on a first hand basis what things are and how they may affect us, also how to deal with most of them...This place will keep you sane...we are here 24/7...

Remember, its not a disaster...its a part of your life that simply took a bad turn but will make each of you very much aware of the absolute beauty of the smallest things in life...You and your wife will see this as you travel this path...Keep reminding yourself, that this too will pass..and be kind to yourself as well as your wife..This does take a toll on the both of you..make sure to check yourself at the end of the day and assure that the 2 of you are still on the same page...This is an emotional journey as well as a physical one..Be kind to yourselves.......and keep in touch.....Love to you both

tootsie1 said:

Hi
Goodness, you do have a situation. I can't imagine worrying about someone you love and trying to understand information about the case in another language.

I'm glad you've found this group. You are NOT alone.

*hugs*
Gail