Dropping by to say hello

Good to hear from someone who has been long term NED. Helps us all.

Stay healthy

k

    Glad to see you and hear that you are still ca free. You went thru a very tough time and you probably still have some bad days. I know how that feels and you have my support and admiration , Hugs Ron.

Good to hear from you Helen, glad your managing things alright. I passed 4 years NED recently, 11 years after diagnosis. on Sep25. and grateful as I am, I also feel roughed up by it all. Hang in there..............................................Dave

Thank you so much for checking in.  I've often wondered how you were doing.  Wishing you the best. 

Kim

Helen321 said:

Hi K, I looked at your

Hi K, I looked at your profile.  I had the APR and have the permanent bag too.  It's depressing at first and you go through the stages of grieving but I promise, with time, it becomes just another part of your body.  You don't even pay attention to it.  You get used to the ooops gas situations and even learn to laugh them off at times.  I'm super prepared with extra clothes, extra supplies and always have a strategy for blowouts.  GYN is still the most difficult area of all of this.  That's been the hardest part of recovery.  It's pretty painful. 

As far as being NED, there are lots of us, of all stages including stage IV.  I have a friend who was cc stage IV, had lung nodules for several years and she's now NED.  She did her treatments, ablasions, exercises, eats so healthy, gave up bbq, added in antioxidants, gave up all the garbage food and now lives well.  I always tell her she's a cancer poster child. She's my age, 48.  I admire her drive.  She goes to the gym daily, it's so impressive.  I've gotten down to almost the original weight I was when this all started but it took me a long time.  I go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week.  I have 10 lbs to go to my ideal weight, down 27.  She's still scared with every scan, we all are but not in a terrifying, what next sort of way.   There is life after cancer!!!  As someone once said to me on this board, cancer does not mean a death sentence, it means fighting for a life sentence.  Keep on fighting!  Be your best you that you can be, whatever that means to you each day, each minute or even for a few seconds at a time if need be.  

that is inspirational. I actually ordered a nice elliptical machine for my apartment because I read that exercise can fight cancer, and losing weight lessens the risk. I gained so much weight on chemo. I know what they showed in the movies, but I felt like I was always starving, if I didn't eat, I would get a little nauseous, and being said led to some unhealthy choices. I am already vegan, but have decided to go for less processed and sugary (not all) and have more natural state foods. I am currently in the hospital getting desensitized to oxaliplatin to take for my recurrence because when I took it before the allergic reaction, it was working, shrunk my tumors. I am making sure to get fruits and veggies that have lots of antioxidants. I add ceylon cinnamon to my coffee. Take my vitamin D3. oh, and no decent gym near me, so I dont' get to the gym as often as I should. People ask if I can get motivated if not going to gym, I respond the motivation is saving myself from cancer, and hanging around longer. I don't know if these things will really help. I guess at the very least, getting my body in better shape will help me tolerate the drugs better for longer.

Helen! I'm so happy to hear that you're doing great! Yay!

Jan