Smokeyjoe, Joemetz, other MIA

Greetings everyone.

sorry i haven't been on here much lately.  It's been a busy couple months.

Trying to work some more... I work about 2 to 3 days a week and also have been doing some more writing (and working) from home when not busy with the chemo side effects.

I try to work more, as my business has been busy and needs my attention on some big things going on... plus, it makes me feel better to "accomplish stuff" or to feel "accomplished".

My two youngest kids have been very busy with high school basketball for my senior and my 7th grader is a serious swimmer and this is peak of her season as well.  the two older sons are each in college and they don't keep us as busy, but still busyness  happening.

today (feb 22nd) is officially my 50th birthday. And, back in November 2011 when i was dx'd with this cancer battle, no one gave me a flying chance in hell of making it to my 50th. So, this day is a big milestone to me and my wife and family.

As for the chemo treatments... I've on my 3rd round of Erbitux + Iranotecan (this was just after 3 rounds of FolFuri)... along with about every other possible chemo combination over the past 2 years.  The "round" is a six week cycle... 4 weeks of both, then 2 weeks of Erbitux alone. But, this week... due to extremely low magnesium levels, I am on an Erbitux Break... so we'll restart the treatments next week.

Magnesium is traveling between .8 to .9... yet last week we got it up to 1.3 which is the highest we've seen in a few months. The side effects of low mag, low hemaglobin and other crap from these two chemo drugs have been wearing me down pretty good. I've lost more weight, and my body seems to require 9 to 10 hours of sleep per day. So, when i add in work and the personal side of life... the time for me on the computer for blogs and CSN is what's taken a back seat in my list of priorities or my list of things to invest my time into.

honestly, I also had a few difficult months as many old time friends that i met over the past two and a half years here on CSN and other colon cancer blog sites have lost their battles, and i was supper worried/depress/axious and just bumbed out that cancer takes so many lifes... so I told myself i needed to take a break. So, that's another thing that pulled me away from this site.

I am friends with many of you on FaceBook, and today when i logged into FAcebook i saw a post that you asked about me on CSN so I came here right away to post a quick update.  If you'd like to connect on Facebook or other places... here's where you can find me.:

https://www.facebook.com/joe.metzger.142

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joemetzger

http://www.linkedin.com/in/joemetzger

https://twitter.com/joemetzger

http://www.metzgers.com/

http://www.metzgers.com/about-us/our-team/leadership/joe-metzger.html 

also... even though i might not be here on CSN posting or writing... I am still active and willing to help anyone who needs help or who needs some cheer leading or feedback on anything i can help with.

virtual hugs to all.

Joe

joemetz said:

JoeMetz is here!

Greetings everyone.

 

sorry i haven't been on here much lately.  It's been a busy couple months.

Trying to work some more... I work about 2 to 3 days a week and also have been doing some more writing (and working) from home when not busy with the chemo side effects.

I try to work more, as my business has been busy and needs my attention on some big things going on... plus, it makes me feel better to "accomplish stuff" or to feel "accomplished".

My two youngest kids have been very busy with high school basketball for my senior and my 7th grader is a serious swimmer and this is peak of her season as well.  the two older sons are each in college and they don't keep us as busy, but still busyness  happening.

today (feb 22nd) is officially my 50th birthday. And, back in November 2011 when i was dx'd with this cancer battle, no one gave me a flying chance in hell of making it to my 50th. So, this day is a big milestone to me and my wife and family.

As for the chemo treatments... I've on my 3rd round of Erbitux + Iranotecan (this was just after 3 rounds of FolFuri)... along with about every other possible chemo combination over the past 2 years.  The "round" is a six week cycle... 4 weeks of both, then 2 weeks of Erbitux alone. But, this week... due to extremely low magnesium levels, I am on an Erbitux Break... so we'll restart the treatments next week.

Magnesium is traveling between .8 to .9... yet last week we got it up to 1.3 which is the highest we've seen in a few months. The side effects of low mag, low hemaglobin and other crap from these two chemo drugs have been wearing me down pretty good. I've lost more weight, and my body seems to require 9 to 10 hours of sleep per day. So, when i add in work and the personal side of life... the time for me on the computer for blogs and CSN is what's taken a back seat in my list of priorities or my list of things to invest my time into.

honestly, I also had a few difficult months as many old time friends that i met over the past two and a half years here on CSN and other colon cancer blog sites have lost their battles, and i was supper worried/depress/axious and just bumbed out that cancer takes so many lifes... so I told myself i needed to take a break. So, that's another thing that pulled me away from this site.

I am friends with many of you on FaceBook, and today when i logged into FAcebook i saw a post that you asked about me on CSN so I came here right away to post a quick update.  If you'd like to connect on Facebook or other places... here's where you can find me.:

https://www.facebook.com/joe.metzger.142

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joemetzger

http://www.linkedin.com/in/joemetzger

https://twitter.com/joemetzger

http://www.metzgers.com/

http://www.metzgers.com/about-us/our-team/leadership/joe-metzger.html 

also... even though i might not be here on CSN posting or writing... I am still active and willing to help anyone who needs help or who needs some cheer leading or feedback on anything i can help with.

virtual hugs to all.

 

Joe

 

 

...Joe. As hard as it is you seem to be doing alright. I'm so glad that you can maintain some normalcy while going through this. 

I think about you all the time,

Laz

Happy birthday Joe. I am only 6 months behind. Way to go continueing to live your life on your terms.

jen2012 said:

Weve had a few tough months
Weve had a few tough months here. My husband had leg and hip pain in sept that became unbearable by mid october, when he had to stop working. Cea was rising but still in normal range. Spent a week in hospital with scan after scan. Some scans showed bone lesions. He had lesions at diagnosis but biopsies were always negative. Oct biopsy was also negative , but showed he had myositis ossificans. They sent him home to recover. One night in nov he couldnt even stand. We had to call an ambulance to come for him. It was a nightmare....in trying to get him out of the house, the emt broke his femur. Xrays showed broken right femur and hairline fracture on left. Surgical biopsy was positive for crc. Cea up to 79. So rods in both legs, 3 weeks in hospital, 2 weeks at rehab. Came home right before christmas and is still out of work. He is getting out for short trips now and i think many of his issues right now, sleepiness,etc are due to fentanyl. Hes just using a cane now though so big improvement. Back on folfox and after 5 treatments, CEA is 2.2!

Sorry Jen but I gotta ask how in the world did the emt break his femur?

jen2012 said:

Weve had a few tough months
Weve had a few tough months here. My husband had leg and hip pain in sept that became unbearable by mid october, when he had to stop working. Cea was rising but still in normal range. Spent a week in hospital with scan after scan. Some scans showed bone lesions. He had lesions at diagnosis but biopsies were always negative. Oct biopsy was also negative , but showed he had myositis ossificans. They sent him home to recover. One night in nov he couldnt even stand. We had to call an ambulance to come for him. It was a nightmare....in trying to get him out of the house, the emt broke his femur. Xrays showed broken right femur and hairline fracture on left. Surgical biopsy was positive for crc. Cea up to 79. So rods in both legs, 3 weeks in hospital, 2 weeks at rehab. Came home right before christmas and is still out of work. He is getting out for short trips now and i think many of his issues right now, sleepiness,etc are due to fentanyl. Hes just using a cane now though so big improvement. Back on folfox and after 5 treatments, CEA is 2.2!

I knew about everything you have been going through but to read it again makes me so sad. I glad his cea dropped way down. Has he experienced much nueropathy yet. I hope not since he is just getting on his feet again.

jen2012 said:

Hi Jeff, he still had

Hi Jeff, he still had neuropathy from folfox last yr, but this last time in the hospital they put him on neurotin and he can feel the bottoms of his feet again!  Hopefully it continues to work.

Thats good news. I still have nueropathy from 8 years ago. I might do FOLFOX again in the future.

joemetz said:

JoeMetz is here!

Greetings everyone.

 

sorry i haven't been on here much lately.  It's been a busy couple months.

Trying to work some more... I work about 2 to 3 days a week and also have been doing some more writing (and working) from home when not busy with the chemo side effects.

I try to work more, as my business has been busy and needs my attention on some big things going on... plus, it makes me feel better to "accomplish stuff" or to feel "accomplished".

My two youngest kids have been very busy with high school basketball for my senior and my 7th grader is a serious swimmer and this is peak of her season as well.  the two older sons are each in college and they don't keep us as busy, but still busyness  happening.

today (feb 22nd) is officially my 50th birthday. And, back in November 2011 when i was dx'd with this cancer battle, no one gave me a flying chance in hell of making it to my 50th. So, this day is a big milestone to me and my wife and family.

As for the chemo treatments... I've on my 3rd round of Erbitux + Iranotecan (this was just after 3 rounds of FolFuri)... along with about every other possible chemo combination over the past 2 years.  The "round" is a six week cycle... 4 weeks of both, then 2 weeks of Erbitux alone. But, this week... due to extremely low magnesium levels, I am on an Erbitux Break... so we'll restart the treatments next week.

Magnesium is traveling between .8 to .9... yet last week we got it up to 1.3 which is the highest we've seen in a few months. The side effects of low mag, low hemaglobin and other crap from these two chemo drugs have been wearing me down pretty good. I've lost more weight, and my body seems to require 9 to 10 hours of sleep per day. So, when i add in work and the personal side of life... the time for me on the computer for blogs and CSN is what's taken a back seat in my list of priorities or my list of things to invest my time into.

honestly, I also had a few difficult months as many old time friends that i met over the past two and a half years here on CSN and other colon cancer blog sites have lost their battles, and i was supper worried/depress/axious and just bumbed out that cancer takes so many lifes... so I told myself i needed to take a break. So, that's another thing that pulled me away from this site.

I am friends with many of you on FaceBook, and today when i logged into FAcebook i saw a post that you asked about me on CSN so I came here right away to post a quick update.  If you'd like to connect on Facebook or other places... here's where you can find me.:

https://www.facebook.com/joe.metzger.142

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joemetzger

http://www.linkedin.com/in/joemetzger

https://twitter.com/joemetzger

http://www.metzgers.com/

http://www.metzgers.com/about-us/our-team/leadership/joe-metzger.html 

also... even though i might not be here on CSN posting or writing... I am still active and willing to help anyone who needs help or who needs some cheer leading or feedback on anything i can help with.

virtual hugs to all.

 

Joe

 

 

Happy 50th!!  Thanks for updating and sharing your good news.  Fifty is nifty!

jen2012 said:

That is horrible and scary

That is horrible and scary Bailee!  How is he doing now?

He's doin ok.  Still working full time.  Started erbitux at Christmas time because the ironitecan wasnt working.  This is third chemo regimen.  This one is every week instead of every two which stinks. next scan in March so we will see how this is working.