Glad to find you

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bigal88
bigal88 Member Posts: 14
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Im glad to find this forum.Im a stage 4 newbie and only posted a few times.I have friends and family that I can talk to whenever about whatever I want. But it's so comforting to come here and read what others are going through.And to get questions answered by people who have walked in my shoes.Ive not been able to answer any questions because I'm new to this but I will when I can.Im still recovering from colon resection and should start treatment within 2 weeks.Ive been off work since May 10 because of resection.Im a creature of habit.I already feel like a shell of the man I once was.Before this I worked 6 or 7 days a week.Going back to work Monday dr would allow me to be off a lot longer but I think I'm ready and want to get some normalcy back in my life.Im planing on working through treatments.I know that this road is going to get harder but each time that it does I plan on being stronger than the obstacles I face.My faith comforts me in knowing I won't walk this road alone.Wish me luck!

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  • sflgirl
    sflgirl Member Posts: 220 Member
    #2
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    Staying busy

    First, good luck!  

    I agree with you, going to work helps.  I think if you feel physically able that going back to work can keep some normality in your life.  I went back to work in the third week after colon resection.  And am working through chemo rounds.  I'll admit it can be tough the first couple of days after infusion and 46 hour pump but it's doable.  

    I know you will be able to do it!  I wish you well.  Please let us know what your treatments are going to be.

    Best,

    Andrea

  • bigal88
    bigal88 Member Posts: 14
    #3
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    sflgirl said:

    Staying busy

    First, good luck!  

    I agree with you, going to work helps.  I think if you feel physically able that going back to work can keep some normality in your life.  I went back to work in the third week after colon resection.  And am working through chemo rounds.  I'll admit it can be tough the first couple of days after infusion and 46 hour pump but it's doable.  

    I know you will be able to do it!  I wish you well.  Please let us know what your treatments are going to be.

    Best,

    Andrea

    Treatment

    for my treatment look at my post further down the page." Anyone ever had this cancer cocktail".

  • sflgirl
    sflgirl Member Posts: 220 Member
    #4
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    bigal88 said:

    Treatment

    for my treatment look at my post further down the page." Anyone ever had this cancer cocktail".

    Ah yes

    i had that treatment plus added ironitecan (folfoxiri).  It worked very well, particularly the Avastin I believe. It's not fun with the pump but you can do it.  What days of the week are you wearing the pump?  I get infused on Thursdays and wear the pump Fri. and Sat.  Recover Sunday and back to work Monday.  

    There is one guy here that has a non-battery pump (NewHere).  if he checks in he might be able to guide you on what to ask for if available to you.  It sounds much better than the battery powered pump that many of us have.

  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #5
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    sflgirl said:

    Ah yes

    i had that treatment plus added ironitecan (folfoxiri).  It worked very well, particularly the Avastin I believe. It's not fun with the pump but you can do it.  What days of the week are you wearing the pump?  I get infused on Thursdays and wear the pump Fri. and Sat.  Recover Sunday and back to work Monday.  

    There is one guy here that has a non-battery pump (NewHere).  if he checks in he might be able to guide you on what to ask for if available to you.  It sounds much better than the battery powered pump that many of us have.

    Battery vs mechanical pump

    That depends on the medical group/chemo supplier.  My friends at Memorial Sloan Kettering had the mechanical pump (self-compressing; no motor) but since I had my chemo at a different facility, even tho MSK oversaw it, I had it with an electronic pump.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but I didn't have a choice.  It just depends on the one your facility provides.  

    The electronic pump distributes the chemo more evenly over exactly 46 hours.  The mechanical pump is dependent on your activity level - can take longer, can take less time.

    I had your exact chemo mix, also known as FolFox +Avastin (7 years ago) and worked through it.

    Alice

  • bigal88
    bigal88 Member Posts: 14
    #6
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    sflgirl said:

    Ah yes

    i had that treatment plus added ironitecan (folfoxiri).  It worked very well, particularly the Avastin I believe. It's not fun with the pump but you can do it.  What days of the week are you wearing the pump?  I get infused on Thursdays and wear the pump Fri. and Sat.  Recover Sunday and back to work Monday.  

    There is one guy here that has a non-battery pump (NewHere).  if he checks in he might be able to guide you on what to ask for if available to you.  It sounds much better than the battery powered pump that many of us have.

    Pump schedule

    I will be wearing a non-battery pump.I can start infusion&pump on whatever day I wish Monday-Friday. I'm wanting to do this were 2 of my worst days are saturday&Sunday and Monday-Friday are my better days so I can work.I know my better days can still be bad and this will be hard but this is what I'm trying for.I will be starting this in about 2 weeks.

     

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #7
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    bigal88 said:

    Pump schedule

    I will be wearing a non-battery pump.I can start infusion&pump on whatever day I wish Monday-Friday. I'm wanting to do this were 2 of my worst days are saturday&Sunday and Monday-Friday are my better days so I can work.I know my better days can still be bad and this will be hard but this is what I'm trying for.I will be starting this in about 2 weeks.

     

    Good luck Gal

    I hope your tretments are successful and that you can enjoy cancer free survival. I have been ca free post stage 3c colon cancer into 6 nodes in jan 1998. Ron.

  • UncleBuddy
    UncleBuddy Member Posts: 1,019 Member
    #8
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    ron50 said:

    Good luck Gal

    I hope your tretments are successful and that you can enjoy cancer free survival. I have been ca free post stage 3c colon cancer into 6 nodes in jan 1998. Ron.

    Ron

    You give a lot of us hope. I'm glad you're doing okay. I know side effects haven't been kind to you. 

    Lin

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