Update on my Mom 4 Months After Completion of Frontline Treatment

Ascites can be caused by many things other than cancer. Keep that hope alive. And even if it is cancer, there are options. But I will pray that it is caused from a little inflammation from something else. Try to enjoy the holidays with the thought that it is something else. 

So glad to hear the ascites has cleared in your Mom’s abdomen. Sounds like she is doing much better. Keep us posted!  Your message of hope is needed by all of us no matter where we are in our “journey“. Thanks for the update! 

rcdeman said:

Just a Quick Follow-Up! (02/05/18)

Hi all,

I thought some of you would appreciate a short follow-up update on my mom's condition. So we went back for a U/S in late-January/early-February, and the ultrasound scan showed no ascites fluid that was seen previously in the December 2017 CT.

Praise God! We are very encouraged by this scan and was told that this fluid was most likely physiological and reabsorbed back into the organs/tissues.

We will be going back to get another more comprehensive CT scan sometime in March 2018. Praying everything is clear! My mom is doing pretty well right now although she is still suffering from the side effects of prolonged radiation therapy. Her oncologist told her that she would most likely suffer these side effects for the rest of her life, but of course this is much more preferable to cancer. Thank God for His mercy!

I also want to encourage those who are discouraged about their prognosis that there is hope. You can go into my profile and read all about my mom's cancer log and her prolonged treatments and multiple surgical procedures. Her diagnosis was UPSC Stage IIIC2, Grade 3, and she had to undergo surgery twice. Afterwards during chemo, she had many issues with the nurses who administered her chemo IV lines and even suffered from chemo extravasation in her arm. Her chemo dosage plan was also changed midway and her radiation sessions, both external and internal, dragged on for 4 months. Her total treatment duration time from her first chemo to her last chemo session took approximately 10 months.

So my point is: Even though almost everything that could go wrong went wrong during her treatment, my mom survived and is now doing quite well considering.

I also want to thank all you ladies who have been with us during this time. Your words and comments were greatly appreciated and gave us much encouragement and support. I will certainly update you all again in the coming months.

Cheers,
Rebecca

Thank you Rebecca for the encouraging news about your mother, and for encouraging all of us regarding the possibility of good

outcomes regardless of long and difficult treatments.

Your Mom needs more than a blood test in my opinion. The doctor can do another CT because of her new pain. Keep advocating for her! 

rcdeman said:

Update on my Mom (05/30/18)

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on my mom. Starting 05/18/18, my mom started having ongoing abdominal and pelvic pain in both her lower right and left sides, as well as higher up below her ribs on each side. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse. We are not sure what this is, but this type of pain hasn't happened to her until just recently. We went to see her surgical oncologist yesterday for her 3-month follow-up but in the end only saw his PA since he was too busy. My mom also has a small amount of spotting. The PA suggested that we get her blood test CA-125 early, so we'll be doing that next week. She won't be getting a CT scan this time around since she just got one 3 months ago and the doctors are hesitant to issue too many CTs too soon due to the radiation levels.

I'm praying that this isn't a recurrence and want to ask some of the ladies who did have recurrence: what were some of the symptoms you had prior to recurrence?

I had my first cancer surgery in 2010 followed by an incisional hernia repair in 2012.  Prior to my recurrence, I had right lower abdominal pain that felt like my hernia was back.  It turned out it was, even though a couple of my doctors couldn't feel it.  My intestines had grown into the mesh from my hernia repair, complicating matters further.  And I had cancer wrapped around the ascending colon, in the paracolic gutter and the peritoneum, plus into the muscle, pressing onto a nerve.  I had numbness in my right thigh. 

I had no bleeding vaginally, but blood was found in a hemoccult test.  One of three smears I did from my stool showed blood, which led to a colonoscopy and my 2nd cancer diagnosis.  I had narrower stools than normal, but I didn't realize this until I read something about it later.  The cancer was narrowing my ascending colon, as it was wrapped around it.  I had surgery again last year, seven years after my original surgery.

I'd say that other than the pain, my biggest symptom was a horrible craving for carbs.  First, it was oranges, then homemade bread and sweets like chocolate syrup.  I had hot flashes at night both times I had cancer. I never had hot flashes when I hit menopause.  I now know that if I get hot flashes again, I should get checked out extra thorougly.  Before, my doctors were telling me that my increasing CA-125 levels were in the normal range and not to worry about them.  They had first been running in the 7's and then the 6's, but went up first to 9 something and then 14 something.  Two  months later, after my surgery, I was at 129.3.  I discussed this with my GYN/onc. and he told me that if they hit 20, it would mean something to worry about, as my CA-125's are very accurate.  I get checked out every 3 months now, which I'm sure will decrease with time like it did the last time.  That's probably when it will come back.  It's sneaky.

I hope your mom doesn't have a recurrence, but if she does, at least it's being found and will be treated before it gets too much worse.  I hope her CA-125's are accurate for her.  If not, skipping the CT scans can miss something. I've had too many CT's and PET scans myself, but most of them found something, so I don't regret having had too many.

rcdeman said:

Hi Takingcontrol,

Hi Takingcontrol,

You must have a very open doctor and very good health insurance. I've asked each of my mother's doctors for the HE-4 test multple times, but none of them have been willing to do so. They say their labs don't include for HE-4 tests so it seems it's like a rarer more expensive test.

That being said, I will try to talk to her med onc and ask him for a TV U/S per your suggestion. It's a good idea and I'm also weary of too much radiation exposure as well.

Thanks!
Rebecca

You are right, rcdeman. That's my experience also. It seems no one in San Francisco has even heard of HE4. They simply say that's not a test we order. 

Takecontrol, ultrasound is a brilliant idea! That should be a perfect first diagnostic test. Since it is not expensive I cannot imagine them saying no.