New to site looking for support

We're sorry you had to join us, but now that you are here, I can assure you that you've come to the right place for support, information, love and sometimes even a good laugh. 

I'm also stage 3. 3B. I did nine rounds of FOLFOX and 30 rounds of Radiation. There are different types of chemo, which one are you on? 

It is very normal to feel weak. Weak, tired, up one day, down the next.  It does get better, but sometimes worse before it gets better. 

You'll soon see that each person is affected differently by the cancer and the treatments, so lots of advice which you can sieve through and use what fits you the best. 

I am sorry that you don't have a support group and I hope you find one soon. Freinds really help. 

Pretty soon you'll be the one sharing support and comfort, but until you get there, feel free to ask us anything. Nothing is off limits when it comes to colon cancer. No embarrasment, as we're pretty much all travelling the same road. 

So, welcome again. Post often. And blessings!

Glad you found us as support from those on the same road is a very big help.

As already said, the treatments and sequences can vary because of our individual circumstances and the doctors we see.  Most important is that you have confidence in your medical team.

It is also important to keep your doctor(s) in the know about how you are dealing with the treatments.  Don't hesitate to tell them about your fatigue, nausea or anything else which may come up.  Any change is important and should be noted.  In some cases they may be able to change things up or give you meds or supplements to help counter the effects.

This group is from all over the USA with some from other countries around the world.  So it is always helpful to know a general location (country/state) so that responses to any questions can be more direct when needed.

My best to you as you progress thru the treatments.

Marie who loves kitties

Sorry to read of your diagnosis Jeremy.  I too had stage 3 rectal cancer.  Right now I've been NED (no evidence of disease) for over two years.  Like you, I was on Xeloda seven days a week.  The chemoradiation was pretty rough for me at the end.  Have you been given the info you need to help with side effects as they might accumulate?  Feel free to ask questions to help you get through each step.  Everyone is different and some people don't have that many issues with parts of the treatment while others do.  That's why it is good to ask questions so people who have had your particular issues can chime in to help out.

Hang in there!

Laura

Jeremy2323 said:

Thank you all, it looks like

Thank you all, it looks like i came to the right place! Right now they have me on 1650 mg of xeloda in the morning and 1650 mg at night. I take that seven days a week and have radiation m-f.  I will do that for five and a half weeks. My oncologist said he doesnt believe it spread to the lymph nodes but wont know for sure till surgery. Does that sound normal?

i had a chemo pump giving me fu5 24/7 while getting radiation m-f for 5 weeks.  Then surgery. Some complications,but colonoscopy following year showed me NED(no evedence of disease).  Been Ned ever since.aslmost 4 yrs.  Good luck to you!!! Don't knock the bad days, you wouldn't recognize the good days without them. LOL

Helen321 said:

Hi Jeremy, I'm Helen, I'm

Hi Jeremy, I'm Helen, I'm 44 and had Stage III rectal as well.  The chemo and radiation do suck but it's over before you know it.  The good news is that it's totally curable so keep pushing forward, get it out of your body and then get back to life.  I had two surgeries and now I'm on the road to recovery, one year out NED (No evidence of disease).  One thing I will say, if you are doing IV chemo, get a port!  It's an easy slip in surgery and it saves your arm a lot of heartache, you can use it for bloodwork, chemo and scans.  Also use the creams that they tell you to use from day one on your feet, hands and butt (I used Aquafor and that worked pretty well).  Cotton socks and gloves work well even though they are messy.   If you're doing IV chemo like oxaliplatin. at some point you will probably have a problem touching anything cold so you'll need gloves in places with air conditioning and the freezer aisle at the supermarket.  It looks a little funny when you're walking around in warm clothes (with gloves) in the supermarket while everyone else in in shorts but you do what ya gotta do.   In the beginning you have no problems from chemo and radiation but by the end it can be very painful.    Those three areas should be treated very well from day one for prevention.  I push brocolli sprouts because my neighbor got me into them.  They're on all the cancer hospital websites so I swear that eating a peanut butter brocolli sprout sandwich with almond milk daily helped me (not the best tasting but I could feel the healing in the chewing, that's my story and I'm sticking to it).  People thought I was nuts the way I chewed them, but that's okay.   As far as feelings, I went from scared, to okay I'm doing something about this, wow this really hurts when is this going to end is this really my life and now I'm back to wooo hooo I'm alive suckas!  So just keep pushing forward and hang in there=) 

Helen, I like your run on description of feelings, Yep, an emotional roller coaster for sure.  Glad you are doing so well. 

I am currently two year NED     Here's to staying there.

Your posting is very uplifting.

I am glad you found this network. I too am new here. My brother is fighting the same battle you are. He was diagnosed with stage 3b colon/rectal cancer this January 2014. He is 31 years old. He also had to do radiantion and chemo treatments first for 5 weeks. He is now taking a break and will be going through surgery to remove the tumor. The doctors did radiation and chemo first to shrink the tumor before surgery.  He is doing pretty good...his main challlenges are coping and fighting anxiety. He has had alot of discomfort and pain also. The radiation caused him to have more pain than he had originally when he was diagnosed with cancer. His bowel movements are never consistant. He is back and forth between diarreah and constipation.  He takes pain medication and anti-anxiety medication to help him cope. He has to take fiber (Miralax) when he gets constipated. He has good days and some bad days. I find that trying not to think about the illness too much is helpful. Taking a break from thinking about it can be very refreshing and strengthening.