Getting Spleen Taking Out

Hey Vicki

You and JGB will be getting the same procedure.  The medical articles I read stated that platelet level would rise...I was in line for this procedure to be done...but Oxy was about to end, so I elected not to do the procedure.

Article also states that when one's spleen is removed, that one is more susceptible to regular illnesses....but, the chances of any of that would be secondary to the firefight you are in right now.

What I did not have the chance to find out was....will your platelet level still rise and fall?  How quick and how much recovery does it take?  Do the levels stay static?  Or is there an up and rise associated with this?

Oxy cuts the platelets down bad...literally tore mine 1/3 each treatment...like 100 down to 70....like 70 down to 52.

So, what is going to be fascinating is how the platelets rebuild.

As for what your onc said, perhaps, he is referring to long term remission...I can't see how if you get this procedure and tolerate more chemo treatments, especially Folfiri, that you will not have some kind of positive response.

You should experience shrinkage...and/or no new growth. 

We just have to stop it right here for now....and not get too far ahead of ourselves. 

Let's show the onc what your body will do...now, is the time you have to dig a little bit deeper, as hard as that is right now.

The rubber is about to meet the road....and I think these next events will definitely chart your cancer journey and tell you where you are going. 

Play out this hand completely...don't fold yet!

Hugs/Craig

Momof2plusteentwins said:

Vicki
I don't understand how he can say no. How does he know how your body will respond to chemo. I have seen people here have chemo take care of liver, lung, and peritoneum cancer and go into remission. I believe there is always hope. Good luck with surgery.
Sandy

my surgen called today and i go in for pre op tomarrow and will have a spleenectomy next thursday feb.7.i opted not to have them go in my groin and shoot the radiation to my spleen and let it die out as my docs told me there is alot of pain with that procedure.just put me to sleep and take the darn thing out.the highest my platelets will go is 72 and thats on a good day.they mostly been staying around 65 to 68.i have exhausted all other options and i am struggling emotionally with this.mainly due to the reality of what started out as 3 spots in one lung and 2 in the other.my chemo onc just would never tell me how many spots i actually have he would just say according to the ct report you have multiple.my surgen is the only one who tells me straight up like it is and since i have not been on avastin since june 2012 and just been on xeloda only i now have a total of 38 lung nodules so i will never be able to have any kind of surgery on my lungs   WHAM what a blow that was i sure didnt see that one coming.so Vicki we got to get in fight mode if we are going to get thru this spleen thing.i am with you if you are with me.one thing i do want to ask you did your docs tell you that the procedure you are going to have is not 100 percent effective because thats what my docs told me that is another reason why i just want them to take mine out i did not want to go thru all that pain for nothing.good luck and let me know how you are doing....Godbless....johnnybegood

It will be great when you can get your platelets high enough to get treatment. This crazy cancer ride it is nice not having treatmentnut in the back of our minds we know those little bugger tumors are up to no good and we need the darn chemo. Pray everything goes great for you.  Jeff

I have spoken to 8 oncologists now. The first question I ask is whether they cured anyone with stage 4 mcrc, and the second question i ask whether they know of anyone that was cured. The answer has always been NO and NO. The consensus is that advanced stage 4 is not curable at least not with chemo. Statistcally, the 5 year survival is 4-6%, but that does not mean cure. If chemo is sucessful in reducing mets enough so that u are eligible for a colon or liver resection your odds improve. This is not likely in my case hence why I started down the road less traveled. I am pursuing various immunotherapies, devascularization and potential metabolic treatments using the thyroid. I believe chemo can prolong life, has done for me, but I also believe that it is a dead end. Cancer will mutate and learn t repair dns damage caused by chemo, you then go on second line. eventually second line also fails. Spontaneous remissions do happen and the chance is 1 in about 60000. Usually they happen after another infection which triggers the immune system. This is why I believe the immune system is the key to a stage 4 cure.

Ren

renw said:

Platellets

In regards to red blood cells, I tried nettle tea. It seems to have worked for me and my platellets have been in the normal range since I started drinking 3 cups per day despite chemo. before they have always been low.

For white blood cells I find betaglucans work well.

 http://www.allnatural.net/herbpages/stinging-nettle.shtml

 

Ren

Just want to say best of luck to both of you with your procedures.    I have what they think is a tumor on my spleen,(it hasn't been biopsied, but after ten months off chemo it's grown some)   have no clue why my spleen wasn't removed during my surgery.    I didn't know they could kill your entire spleen with radiation by cutting off the blood supply!!!   I too was told by my oncologist no cure for this, but they can "control it" with chemotherapy.   My surgeon said  they just don't know what this cancer will do.  My other surgeons attitude was to deal with it and control it like a chronic condition.    

and JBG too.  My SIL's sister had this surgery done in her fight against lymphoma, and she did fine.  Reached remission and lived for many years afterwards (she did pass away a couple of years ago, but it wasn't cancer-related).  I hope all goes well with you, and that this is a step towards beating back the beast.  Reaching remission may be a challenge, but I've seen enough cases of people who have achieved it against the odds to believe that it is impossible.  Sending you strength and hugs~AA

johnnybegood said:

Vicki

just checking in on you before i make the 180 mile round trip to my 2nd home which is louisville,ky where all my doctors and hospital is where i have my surgeries.i am having my surgery laproscopically that is how my liver resection and rfa on my liver was done.he expects me to be in hospital 4 to 5 days trying not to push me too hard to go home because i too have been thru so much already.my surgen is a Godsend.i wish we could be together to have this done but i will be checking on you to make sure you are ok.pm me if you want(HUGS)...Godbless....johnnybegood

Wishing you the best of luck with your procedure.  Lots of positive energy coming your way.