Full recovery and beyond?

since I had surgery for small bowel cancer I feel on top of the world. I've started to gain weight and my energy levels are stepping up, I feel I have my mojo back. I've just spent a week with my daughter and we sorted her small garden out. She's been my carer for two years travelling from work in London back down to my village and her garden had overgrown, now after a week we have made it into a neat garden full of summer plants and mown lawn. It's given me the boost to live and enjoy life again. I get up in the morning feeling full of enthusiasm to start my day. I spent 6 months getting weaker and weaker and felt down all the time because of the pain and sickness of the undiscovered tumour and the loss of my partner, now I'm me again. There is life after cancer.

jackflash22 said:

Feeling better

since I had surgery for small bowel cancer I feel on top of the world. I've started to gain weight and my energy levels are stepping up, I feel I have my mojo back. I've just spent a week with my daughter and we sorted her small garden out. She's been my carer for two years travelling from work in London back down to my village and her garden had overgrown, now after a week we have made it into a neat garden full of summer plants and mown lawn. It's given me the boost to live and enjoy life again. I get up in the morning feeling full of enthusiasm to start my day. I spent 6 months getting weaker and weaker and felt down all the time because of the pain and sickness of the undiscovered tumour and the loss of my partner, now I'm me again. There is life after cancer.

I am glad to hear how well you are doing, I don’t know if this is a new picture of you are not, if it is you are looking fantastic. Keep up what you are doing

Tim

donfoo said:

better than before...

On some aspects of life, my current condition is better than before cancer. My outlook on life, what's important, and what is just noise is vastly superior than before cancer. Every day is now a  true gift and I NEVER have a bad day or complain. I do have less good days and some frustrations but every one is still accepted with gratitude and thanks. 

Having just crossed two years post with no signs of recurrence and no signficiant long term side effects, I feel great both physically and mentally. In fact, my mental state is in a far better place than before cancer. My life was loafing along with no great inspiration or passion but my mind was failing as well. My mother died the previous year from Alzheimer's and I felt doomed to the same fate. Work was less than fulfilling and quite hard to maintain skills and motivation.

Now a couple years post, I am doing really great, feeling rejuvinated and thankful for a second life. In fact, I am competing and staying with the pack of Silicon Valley software engineers half my age, holding my own applying cutting edge technologies at a world class company you all use when you buy, sell, and pay for stuff via the Internet.

I hope my message inspires those who are really down and beat up as the treatments take their toll on your body and mind. I know some days are so bad, you end up counting hours to just make it to the next dose of medication or some painfree rest. You do get through this in the near term and do recover and get much better. Hopefully, you get the bonus of an improved soul and outlook on life and the joy and gift each day brings. Enjoy!

Other than being abi-normal?

I was on high blood presure meds but since treatment I have been off. I also use to have sleep apnea, my wife claimed I snored and stopped breathing. Since the operation I have been off the machine. The surgeon did tell me he would take care of the apnea. Plus I have a different outlook on life. In a few minutes I plan on having the second cup of coffee  while sitting outside in the woods with my 4 legged friend I'll look up and say thanks.

Enjoy the day

      Jeff

Full or nearly full recovery is possible. With all the new advances in therapy, full recovery is probably more common today. My cancer went misdiagnosed for about two years as my body continued to rebel. Today I feel so much better than three years ago. My blood pressure, blood sugar, blood counts, and weight are good again, and my energy is coming back. The hair that was lost to radiation treatment is growing back even though they said it would not. I can eat almost any food, but have little desire for sweets, which is an awesome side effect. There are little annoyances like having to be very mindful when swallowing, doing daily neck and tongue exercises, or not being able to sing, but I'm very greatful that God granted me a return to health. I'm praying for the same for you!

Mikemetz said:

Two kinds of recovery for me
I have recovered from cancer fully--NED for 6+ years. However, I am still struggling to recover from my treatments, especially the rads. I had a left jaw resection a year ago, due to ORN--which has not healed fully. So, back for another surgery in 10 days. They are not expecting to do a resection on the other side, but that is still a possibility.

But, otherwise I lead a good abi-normal life, with very few things off limits to me.

Mike

PM,

At times, especially since some of my best friends have succombed to this shixxy disease, I don't always post my positive results. I also saw a post from ElaineH asking the same question.  So here goes:

I was diagnosed in January of 2010 - Stage IV with bi-lateral mets.  They found 11 lymph nodes with cancer, 10 on one side, 1 on the other.  There was more than likely more on the second side, but due to the lymph nodes wrapping around both jugular veins, that was all they removed.  Comes to find out you can't survie with both jugulars gone, so they only took one out.  My ENT surgeon, who has worked on a few others here, is a great guy and is usually very positive.  My wife told me later  that he came out of the operating room with tears in his eyes because my cancer was much worse than he anticipated and he didn't give me a very good chance of making it. 

That was 5 years ago.  I lost 75# during TX and was 1 1/2 years in recovering.  I have gained weight back (hopefully healthy weight).  I exercise daily, hiking a great deal, kayaking and other things I enjoy such as fishing and travelling with my wife and friends.  I try and give back when I can and volunteer when I have time.  Physically I can't say I'm better than I was, but then again I'm 5 years older.  BUT I feel great and there is nothing I can't do or at least try.  Just went on an 18 mile hike thru some rough country outside of town.  Rehabbing an old house (just retired) and had to cut down several trees - split 3 cords of wood last week.  So, yes physically you can come back.  More important is attitude.  I try to be the best person I can be now and don't fret the petty stuff. One of my heroes on this board, Marine, always says he tries to do something nice for someone each day (paraphrasing here).  I'm not as good a guy as he is, but I'm trying.  Do I have issues - yes.  But luckily mine are minor. 

PM, ElaineH and all the other newbies - no gurantees on anything, but with the way the medical profession has progressed on this disease, there is no reason not to anticipate a full recovery. 

Positive thoughts to everyone!

Greg