Off to surgery tomorrow

Well it has been just about 2 weeks now. I went back to work yesterday for 5 hours. So far I have made it 6 hours today. I am going to try to make a full 8 hour day. Also cutting back on the pain meds as much as I can tolerate. I walk and or try to ride the stationary bike every day. I saw my surgeon Tuesday and he said again that he got good margains and was pleased with the way I am healing as he always is from my past liver surgeries. I hope to get on my Harley in another week or two. I see my oncologist on 10/5 to discuss doing some systemic chemo. Most likely Irinotecan ughhh and Cryamza which is an angiogenesis drug similar to Avastin origonally approved for pancreatic cancer and recently approved for MCRC. It has been a loooong 3 months doing 4 rounds of SBRT then 2 ablations followed by 6 days in the hospital for lung infection and finally surgery so it will be tough to motivate myself to doing chemo again.

sflgirl said:

Wondering about restarting your chemo

Hi Jeff,

I'm wondering if you have kept a port during all this time Since you may be starting systemic chemo again.  And how that makes you feel if the answer is yes.

i am finishing my 12th Round on Stage 4 liver mets.  First series of chemo.  I want to get the port out but don't want to make a dumb non-realistic decision.  Just wondered what a long term survivor thinks.

thanks, 

Andrea

I have had 2 PICC lines and 2 ports over the years. I currently don't have either. I had them removed as soon as I was done with treatmnet. Two reasons for this are I hate having that reminder in my body and I have had a couple of DVTS  (blood clots) around the the catheter where it enters the vein.

Easyflip said:

You

know super models take out ribs to look skinnier. New career? Best wishes man!

Easyflip/Richard

I read that on line when I was researching rib surgery.

lp1964 said:

Hey Jeff,

I know you are going through a hard time, but it sounds like things are going the right direction. So you are held together by a mesh too. Welcome to the club. My intestines are held in by a huge mesh too, so far no problems. With that, the colostomy bag and a CPAP mask I feel more and more like a bionic man. More and more plastic parts lol. Science and medicine is a wonderful thing.

All the best man, 

Laz

Thanks Laz. Actually they decided not to use the mesh since they took out the entire 2 lowest ribs. They filled up my right lung to its full capacity after they removed the ribs to see if the lung expanded below the last remaining rib and it didnt. So my surgeon opted against the mesh to reduce the chance of post operative infection. I trust his opinion. He is the same surgeon that did the 3 liver resections. And he was the chairman of the entire surgical department at VCU which is a NC I certified hospital. I hope you are still doing well and remain NED.