2/25

Phil64
Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
edited February 2017 in Colorectal Cancer #1

Today is one year since my last Erbitux treatment. I went in for scans and CEA test on Thursday. CEA is less than 1.0 and scans are all clear.  NED continues! 

Techically I have been in remission for two years now, since 12/5/2014. That is the date of my last surgery. I received monthly Erbitux treatments from February 2015 through February 2016 in hopes of killing off any remaining rogue cancer cells.

I consider myself extremely blessed. Having gone through numerous recurrences and seven surgeries. Wow, yes seven surgeries. And now NED. Thank God. 

Now if I can figure out what to do about the contrast they use for CT scans???  This scan was my second time getting sick from the contrast injection. Bad stuff. I even took anti nausea medication as a preventative measure. I wonder if I'm simply allergic to the chemical? I also wonder how I managed so many other scans without vomiting? I do remember feeling nautious in the past but not to the point of actually vomiting.

Anyway. The point is I am NED!

Happy Day. 

Comments

  • Canadian Sandy
    Canadian Sandy Member Posts: 784 Member
    #2
    Congratulations! 

    Congratulations! 

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #3
    Happy Days!

    image

    May you ever be NED!

    I wonder if continued use of the contrast has made you sensitive to it. The body can only take so much. 

    TRU

  • db8ne1
    db8ne1 Member Posts: 142 Member
    edited February 2017 #4
    Congrats!

    Happy to hear the great news!

    I've never had issues with scans (and I've had many) - until the last one.  When I went to sit up after the scan, I had horrible nausea.  Tech said that happens often.  I hope not.  I'm due again in a few months.

    Hope it was a one time thing - for both of us!

    J

  • Bellen
    Bellen Member Posts: 281 Member
    edited February 2017 #5
    Contrast dye
    Hi Phil64 - I have a small intestinal stricture which causes partial bowel blockages - very painful spasms that last for hours If I get one. The milky contrast that I usually drank to highlight CT scan says right on it not to have if have bowel blockage - well I was told to drink anyway and it caused a blockage. Ever since this happened, I have been insistent that I not drink this prior. Once they gave me a really terrible solution prior to an upper x-ray. Was sick for a few days - awful stuff. But, this last scan, the hospital said they had a new contrast called Telebrix (I believe it is spelled this way) - very tolerable, big glass mixed with water, and really not much of a taste - not bad at all. Did not get sick or feel bad afterwards. I wrote it down because I wanted to remember it for future scans.
  • traci43
    traci43 Member Posts: 773 Member
    edited February 2017 #6
    Happy day indeed!

    Congratulations, you've been through a lot and it's great to hear you're NED!!!!!  Maybe you have become allergic to the contrast.  Isn't it iodine-based?  If so, that's not that uncommon.  Hope they figure it out.  Traci

  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    #7
    Canadian Sandy said:

    Congratulations! 

    Congratulations! 

    Thank you Sandy.

    Thank you Sandy.

  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    #8
    Trubrit said:

    Happy Days!

    image

    May you ever be NED!

    I wonder if continued use of the contrast has made you sensitive to it. The body can only take so much. 

    TRU

    Thank you Sue. And thanks for

    Thank you Sue. And thanks for the thought. Maybe the continued use has simply caught up with me. 

  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    edited February 2017 #9
    db8ne1 said:

    Congrats!

    Happy to hear the great news!

    I've never had issues with scans (and I've had many) - until the last one.  When I went to sit up after the scan, I had horrible nausea.  Tech said that happens often.  I hope not.  I'm due again in a few months.

    Hope it was a one time thing - for both of us!

    J

    Thanks J.

    Thanks J.

    I hope the scans will be fine for both of us going forward.

  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    edited February 2017 #10
    Bellen said:

    Contrast dye
    Hi Phil64 - I have a small intestinal stricture which causes partial bowel blockages - very painful spasms that last for hours If I get one. The milky contrast that I usually drank to highlight CT scan says right on it not to have if have bowel blockage - well I was told to drink anyway and it caused a blockage. Ever since this happened, I have been insistent that I not drink this prior. Once they gave me a really terrible solution prior to an upper x-ray. Was sick for a few days - awful stuff. But, this last scan, the hospital said they had a new contrast called Telebrix (I believe it is spelled this way) - very tolerable, big glass mixed with water, and really not much of a taste - not bad at all. Did not get sick or feel bad afterwards. I wrote it down because I wanted to remember it for future scans.

    Thanks Bellen. I will discuss

    Thanks Bellen. I will discuss these options with my doctor. 

  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    edited February 2017 #11
    traci43 said:

    Happy day indeed!

    Congratulations, you've been through a lot and it's great to hear you're NED!!!!!  Maybe you have become allergic to the contrast.  Isn't it iodine-based?  If so, that's not that uncommon.  Hope they figure it out.  Traci

    Thanks Traci. Yes I do

    Thanks Traci. Yes I do believe it's iodine based. I sure hope we can explore options. Maybe one might be to skip the injection. 

  • wolfen
    wolfen Member Posts: 1,324 Member
    edited February 2017 #12
    Phil

    So glad to hear your good news!

    Please, please be cautious concerning the contrast dye. It caused kidney failure in my husband. He was diabetic and never should have received it, but it cetainly could have adverse effects on others also.

    Luv,

    Wolfen

  • impactzone
    impactzone Member Posts: 555 Member
    #13
    Congratulations! Always glad

    Congratulations! Always glad to hear good news

     

  • PamRav
    PamRav Member Posts: 348 Member
    edited February 2017 #14
    Congrats!!

    Always lovely to heard of another with NED!!!

    Gives hope to all of us who are in the midst of this great battle.  

  • marbleotis
    marbleotis Member Posts: 720 Member
    #15
    Just love reading this

    NED, NED and more NED!

  • nateswife
    nateswife Member Posts: 65 Member
    edited February 2017 #16
    Congrats on being NED for 2

    Congrats on being NED for 2 years, Phil! That is an accomplishment to be proud of. I'm sure that it took courage, dogged determination and a lot of FIGHT to get there. 

  • Phil64
    Phil64 Member Posts: 838 Member
    #17
    nateswife said:

    Congrats on being NED for 2

    Congrats on being NED for 2 years, Phil! That is an accomplishment to be proud of. I'm sure that it took courage, dogged determination and a lot of FIGHT to get there. 

    And a few tears, Some sad and

    And a few tears, Some sad and some happy, and a lot of support and love.

    Not unlike many of my fellow soldiers on this site. 

    one soldier influenced me a ton. That would be Craig for those that remember him. A few things he said stuck with me. That this is a marathon, so pace yourself. And he once said "we fight because that is what we do!"

    So "just do it!"

     

  • beaumontdave
    beaumontdave Member Posts: 1,289 Member
    edited March 2017 #18
    Congrats Phil, that's great

    Congrats Phil, that's great news. Now on to three.....................................Dave

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #19
    Hooray Phil!!!! I'm SO happy

    Hooray Phil!!!! I'm SO happy for you!!

    Jan

  • Easyflip
    Easyflip Member Posts: 588 Member
    #20
    Great news

    and I remember Craig the lion. I'm NED 2 and 1/2 years now and I think we fight in honor of our friends that didn't make it. We need a cure, it can't come soon enoug. Congratulations Phil!

  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    edited March 2017 #21
    Glad

    I'm glad you are still NED.  That contrast is wickrd stuff.  It always gave me diarrhea.  So much for scans.

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