5 Years Ago Today I was diagnosed with stage III B colon cancer

christinecarl
christinecarl Member Posts: 543 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hello,

I have not been on here for a long time, I think the last time I posted was after I had heard Buzz had died.  But you are all never far from my thoughts.  Sadly many of the people that held their hand out to me and talked me off that ledge, when I was scared out of my mind, are gone now.  I think about them a lot, they deserve to be here and I am not sure why they are not.

 

Five years ago today I ended up in the ER with severe stomach pains, after a CT scan I saw the ER Dr approach me, his face ashen and he told me the news.  It is a moment, like many of you know, that you never forget.  For the most part I try to never think of that day, as it is one of the worst moments of my life and such a painful memory even now.  But today I really just wanted to try to give anyone out there hope that it can be beat.  I got my life back, which I was not sure would ever happen.  My health is good and if it was not for the giant scar down my stomach, it is almost like it never happened, a bad dream.  I hope if you are out there and reading this, that you do not allow cancer to take away your happy, your dreams and your hope.  Blessing to you all for good health and peace.

Screw you cancer, you lose 5 years in a row.  Chris 5-Cancer 0

 

 

 

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Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #2
    Congratulations!

    It is wonderful to hear your story. Five years! YAY! Time for a happy dance, I think  image.

    I am also Stage 3B.

    Tell me, do you follow a strict diet? Do you cut out sugars as I've heard you should? I confess that since my first clear scan, I'm not being very careful with what I eat. Its almost like I want to make up for all those months I couldn't eat anything much. 

    Still, I want to be like you, five years clear and know that I probaly need to take care of myself.

    Any advice would be much appreciated. 

    HUGS!

  • christinecarl
    christinecarl Member Posts: 543 Member
    #3
    Trubrit said:

    Congratulations!

    It is wonderful to hear your story. Five years! YAY! Time for a happy dance, I think  image.

    I am also Stage 3B.

    Tell me, do you follow a strict diet? Do you cut out sugars as I've heard you should? I confess that since my first clear scan, I'm not being very careful with what I eat. Its almost like I want to make up for all those months I couldn't eat anything much. 

    Still, I want to be like you, five years clear and know that I probaly need to take care of myself.

    Any advice would be much appreciated. 

    HUGS!

    Thank you :)

    No I have not followed any diet, nor did I while going through chemo.  I still drank, smoked weed, ate red meat and carried on like my old self. I still do.  Luck maybe?  I just want to be me.  I hope you are able to continue on being you and saying F*Ck cancer every day.

  • LivinginNH
    LivinginNH Member Posts: 1,456 Member
    #4
    christinecarl said:

    Thank you :)

    No I have not followed any diet, nor did I while going through chemo.  I still drank, smoked weed, ate red meat and carried on like my old self. I still do.  Luck maybe?  I just want to be me.  I hope you are able to continue on being you and saying F*Ck cancer every day.

    Great news!!!

    Hey!  Congrats!!!!  I miss seeing you out here, hope to see you more often!  

    Wow, five years!  Go out and celebrate - and don't forget to do the naked happy dance !!  ;)

    Best wishes for a wonderful, and healthy, holiday season!

    Cyn

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #5
    Awesome

    I've thought alot about you through the years because I've known several of us that have been diagnosed around the same time.  I'm happy that you are doing good.  Thanks for the update and for keeping us in your thoughts.  Hope that you continue to do well.

    Kim

  • schnauzerheads
    schnauzerheads Member Posts: 53 Member
    #6
    Chris

    Keep rockin Chris!  I haven't been on here much at all, but I remember seeing your sweet face a couple of years ago when I first joined.  So happy to hear you're 5 years.

    I hadn't heard about Buzz, I always enjoyed reading his posts... he was an inspiration, I wish I could've met him.

    Thanks for sharing your story.. I got on here tonight for no particular reason, and seeing that put a smile on my face , and gave me hope.

     

    Kevin

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #7
    christinecarl said:

    Thank you :)

    No I have not followed any diet, nor did I while going through chemo.  I still drank, smoked weed, ate red meat and carried on like my old self. I still do.  Luck maybe?  I just want to be me.  I hope you are able to continue on being you and saying F*Ck cancer every day.

    G'day mate
    Congratulations , cancer was always going to have a problem with you and I am glad it has . Keep on rolling Christine may you have a lifetime of survival , Hugs Ron.
  • Chelsea71
    Chelsea71 Member Posts: 1,169 Member
    #8
    Five years is such an

    Five years is such an important milestone.  Congratulations!  Must be a great feeling.  Thanks for letting us know.  Gives so much hope to others.

    Chelsea

  • survgal
    survgal Member Posts: 13
    #9
    6 year survivor

    Great news & congrats to you! I am a 6 year stage 3 colon cancer survivor and a 3 year stage 1 breast cancer survivor. I am also living my life without changing my diet habits, stay positive and laugh often. So grateful to see my daughter graduate college and give driving lessons to my youngest daughter.  Hugs and love to all!!

  • HollyID
    HollyID Member Posts: 946 Member
    #10
    I think we should party!  I'm

    I think we should party!  I'm also a IIIB'er going on 4 years and in remission.

     

    I haven't changed my diet either.  I'm still a liquored up, red meat eating old woman.  Post surgery, when I asked my oncologist about changing my diet, he suggested to just keep doing what I was doing before.  Really, I have had to change some eating habits because some are a bit more toxic to my semi colon and I'll end up in the bathroom for a few hours, but other than that... it's steak (medium rare).  Immodium and I are BFF's.  Really, we are! 

     

    Christine, you rock! 

     

     

  • christinecarl
    christinecarl Member Posts: 543 Member
    #11
    HollyID said:

    I think we should party!  I'm

    I think we should party!  I'm also a IIIB'er going on 4 years and in remission.

     

    I haven't changed my diet either.  I'm still a liquored up, red meat eating old woman.  Post surgery, when I asked my oncologist about changing my diet, he suggested to just keep doing what I was doing before.  Really, I have had to change some eating habits because some are a bit more toxic to my semi colon and I'll end up in the bathroom for a few hours, but other than that... it's steak (medium rare).  Immodium and I are BFF's.  Really, we are! 

     

    Christine, you rock! 

     

     

    :)

    Thank you to all that have read this and to those that have chose to respond.  Over the years I have cried when we have lost our brothers and rejoiced in every victory as if it were my own.  I do not even want to think of what this journey would have been like, had I not found you all here.  I raise my glass in your honor.

     


     

    The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it, because the only people who really know where it is, are the ones who have gone over.

    -Hunter S. Thompson

     

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #12
    christinecarl said:

    :)

    Thank you to all that have read this and to those that have chose to respond.  Over the years I have cried when we have lost our brothers and rejoiced in every victory as if it were my own.  I do not even want to think of what this journey would have been like, had I not found you all here.  I raise my glass in your honor.

     


     

    The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it, because the only people who really know where it is, are the ones who have gone over.

    -Hunter S. Thompson

     

    Wonderful

    I'm still so glad that you chimmed in on your wonderful news.  Please update us more often if you think about it.  Wishing you the best for the future.  We always were within a couple days of diagnosis and I'll never forget that.  Sadly a lot that were diagnosed around our time are no longer here and that is sad, but we can always give other's strength by telling our stories.  Thanks for sharing yours.

    Hugs!  Kim

  • Luckygirl2
    Luckygirl2 Member Posts: 308
    #13
    Great news!

    I'm a 3b'r as well was 2 years in June..I have some lymph node issues going on, next CT is in January and more than likely a biopsy if it looks like the last two..hoping this is just a glitch and nothing major.  Looking forward to my five year date!  So happy for yours!  Continued blessings to you!

    Debbie

  • Coloncancerblows
    Coloncancerblows Member Posts: 296 Member
    #14
    Chris,
    Five years is awesome

    Chris,

    Five years is awesome news!  I also had stage 3B and have been cancer free for only 5 months.  I hope to have a 5 year anniversary too! 

    Hugs -

    Cynthia  Kiss

     

  • Gavin63
    Gavin63 Member Posts: 98 Member
    #15
    Hello Christine,
    So happy to

    Hello Christine,

    So happy to hear your success story of 5 years & thank you for sharing it with us. That gives lot of encouragement for newly diagnosed friends including me. I was diagnosed stage 3B CRC in July this year. Had my rectal resection end of July, followed by 28 fractions of Radiation with Xeloda & went through my 1st round of Chemo 1 week ago (Oxy & now on Xeloda) According to my Onc he is planning a total of 8 cycles of Oxy + Xeloda for me.  I will also fight this beast out full ahead with the help of the Lord & my lovely family & friends around me & my new found family in this wonderful forum (love you everyone)    

    I wish you for an eternal NED & a full life with your loved once. Please keep posting on your success and raise the hopes of others in this board.

    Gavin   

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #16
    HollyID said:

    I think we should party!  I'm

    I think we should party!  I'm also a IIIB'er going on 4 years and in remission.

     

    I haven't changed my diet either.  I'm still a liquored up, red meat eating old woman.  Post surgery, when I asked my oncologist about changing my diet, he suggested to just keep doing what I was doing before.  Really, I have had to change some eating habits because some are a bit more toxic to my semi colon and I'll end up in the bathroom for a few hours, but other than that... it's steak (medium rare).  Immodium and I are BFF's.  Really, we are! 

     

    Christine, you rock! 

     

     

    Pro Biotics maybe

    I asked my GI Doc about taking Pro Biotics, his advice was to go out and order a big steak. 

    My Oncologist on the other hand, when I told him I was buying a box of my favourite chocolates (love chocolates more than steak even) about had a conniption. "No, Mrs H. You must not eat chocolate." 

    I eat chocolate! Lindt, Toblerone, and as much English chocolate I can get my hands on, which isn't much, sadly. 

    Still, I can't help but feel that maybe I'm feeding some little cancer cells that are eager to grow. 

  • traci43
    traci43 Member Posts: 773 Member
    #17
    Yay! Yay! Yay!

    So very happy for you!  Keep on keeping on and continue to kick cancer's butt!  Traci

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #18
    Thanks Christine

    So glad to hear good stories.  I'm almost at year one=)  I took a whammy but I'm just going to keep going forward.  I can't wait to be writing Helen 5 cancer 0 but I'll take Helen .11, Cancer 0 for now!  You go!

  • marbleotis
    marbleotis Member Posts: 720 Member
    #19
    Wow

    What a great milestone.  I will be 2 years NED from CC 3B signet cell in Jan.

    I love your attitude!

    cancer really sucks - but we still have to keep kicking its butt!

     

  • UncleBuddy
    UncleBuddy Member Posts: 1,019 Member
    #20
    Congrats!!!

    It's great to hear that you kicked cancer's butt! I wish you a long, happy healthy life.

    Lin

  • thingy45
    thingy45 Member Posts: 632 Member
    #21
    Hi Chris

    Hi Chris, thanks for posting. Like you I am a IIIB survivor for 3 years now and counting. It did change my life. I opted for quality and not quantaty refused the chemo offered and radiation. I have to mention it was just a few months after I had lost my husband. I did not really care so much about me living or dying.

    I changed my eating habits, started juicing, stil do, protein  powder  and eat mainly chicken, turkey and salmon. I DO CHEAT, drink a glas of wine now and then with a nice steak and never gave up my cheese, I am Dutch born afterall.

    So glad to herar you are doing OK. I still miss Buzz, Lisa and a few more, they should be here with us I agree, but they are never far from my thoughts as all the people here on the board are. We are thrown together as a family.

    Thanks for passing by and telling us the good news,

    hugs, Marjan

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