Another good report

Bellen said:

Great News

Phil - First of all - I am so happy that you have such good news to share.  What a great feeling!   I noticed in your write-up that you had folfiri - did you have it up to Dec. 2014?  I have had 27 avastin + folfiri, and am on a 2 1/2 mo "much needed" break.  Going back on same chemo when I resume.  Have multiple liver lesions - no surgery.  CT scans have shown shrinkage in tumours, but still says multiple.  

Bellon,

Thank you!

I posted to a blog throughout my chemo and surgeries. I also maintained a chart which summarized my chemo, surgeries, and CEA tests. My Blog is found at http://pscamihorn.me. My chart can be found on my blog or via the following link (https://public.tableau.com/views/CEA/Dashboard1?:embed=y&:display_count=yes&:showTabs=y&:showVizHome=no#5).

I rece  FOLFIRI and Oxciliplatin from 06-2012 through 11-2012. When another recurrence was found I had a surgery followed by Folfiri and Erbitux. The addition of Erbitux proved very effective in my case. Erbitux is usually only considered if KRAS mutation tests positive (Usually 50% of colon cancer cases). In my case I did test positive for this mutation and the Erbitux really kicked the cancer hard.

After the tumors shrunk I had surgery followed by four more months of Fofiri and Erbitux. Unfortunately I had Mets in colon and then later in liver. These Mets were surgically removed only to be followed by more mets in liver a few months later. 

At that point the surgeon was not willing to operate because of all the recurrences. However my onc wanted to hit me with intense chemo and therefore gave me six months of folfixiri and bev (avastin). This was intense for me but it did prove effective and the surgeon reconsidered and agreed to a third liver resection on 12/5/2014. He removed 40% of my liver and removed the gallbladder in that surgery. My onc decided that we should try one year of Erbitux alone as a cleanup therapy. After that year we have only been doing CEA tests and CT scans and this colonoscopy most recently. So far I have been NED since the 12/5/2014 surgery.

I have permanent neurapathy from the oxciliplatin in my feet. And I have some scarring from Erbitux rash. I also feel a lot more arthritis and have more sinus issues than past but I don’t really know if that is related to chemo or just getting older.

One other IMPORTANT point. Around my last surgery my onc tested me for vitamin D deficiency. He started me on 1000 units of Vitimin D3. And reported that 90% of his colon cancer patients tested deficient. He also reported that recent data links vitimin D deficiency with multiple different cancers. 

Hope this info helps!

Love and Light to you on this Thanksgiving!

Phil

Annabelle41415 said:

WooHoo

That is more than awesome news since you were diagnosed with Stage 4.  It's such a wonderful feeling to have all that back as "clean and squeaky".  So glad for you and you can have a very great Happy Thanksgiving now.  You have a lot to be thankful for.

Kim

Thank you Kim and great big virtual hug! May Strength, Joy, Healing, and Love envelop you during this feast of thanksgiving!

ron50 said:

Congratulations Phil

 I hope survival becomes one of your habits. All the best for the future, Ron.

Thank you Ron for being a role model of survival! May you find much Love and Joy during this celebration of Thanksgiving!