Is chemo really necessary?

i would do the chemo too. from what i have been told if there are any cancer cells migrating to the rest of him via his bloodstream the chemo will kill them. I am glad they got it early. Listen to your doctor. They know what they are doing. Take care & good luck. 

Chemo sucks! It's hard. The side effects are yukkie. Sometimes you wonder why you are doing it BUT THEN you are out the other end, a;;; done, and you get a clear scan, and another clear scan and another and another and another ..... we call it being NED - no evidence of disease, and you think 'I'm so glad I did chemo. I'm so glad I stuck it out. It wasn't fun, I don't want to do it again, but I'm glad it did it'.

I won't beat around the bush. Chemo is no fun - though I have crossed paths with a chosen few how have suffered little, they are in the miniority. But I can tell you, as a Stage IV SIX years NED, I am glad I went through it. I am OK living with the long-term side effects because I am alive, happy and very, very grateful.  

It is a hard decision, and it is hard for you as well. At the end of the day it will be his decision to make, and you will stand by him. Whatever that decision, also decide not to look back. Don't play the 'what if' game.

Good luck to both of you. And stick with us, we'll help you both through.

Tru 

Your husbands' situation is very close to my own. Stage 3 with 2 lymph nodes testing positive, but I also had a positive anal cancer result. I was able to get through 4 rounds of chemo before I stopped. Dr wanted 6 rounds then radiation for anal cancer then another 6 rounds. 

After 4 rounds I could barely walk. I could peel off huge chunks of skin from the bottom of my feet but couldn't feel it, and still now can't feel a big toe. My hands would ramdomly cramp up and become a ball. I slept all the time and lost 50 pounds. Toward the end I started vomiting as well and was hospitalized after getting a fever and could barely stay awake, they feared sepsis. 

Currently I struggle with what to do. I feel physically sick when I drive by the hospital or think about going back into chemo. They gave me a clear on all my PET SCANS but the adjuvant therapy is supposed to kill the cells they can't see and I still haven't moved forward with radiation treatment. I don't know if the damage the chemo does is worse than the cancer itself and then there is COVID-19 to worry about. 

I am struggling but have decided to get a second opinion from a different hospital and perhaps pursue alternative therapies. 

I was diagnosed stage four in 2014. I've had two surgeries in many many rounds of chemo. I am certain that I would not be here today if I had opted out of chemotherapy. For me it came down to, "what do I have to live for? "I want to be around for my son and the rest of my family so I chose the chemo. And I'm still on chemo!

Hi, 

I was diagnosed with stage IV. I was lucky enough to get into a trial of immunotherapy. While i think the Immunotherapy helped fend off side effects, I also did my own research on how to avoid them. I took zinc supplements (for the taste thing and mouth sores), I iced my hands and feet AND mouth (sucked on ice) during the 2 hour treatment.  I have had hardly any side effects....a little tingling in hands, nothing in the feet and never lost the taste sense. The eloxatin was in my folfox therapy and doc stopped that after 6 rounds (was having some neuropathy in fingers and i type for a living). My hair thinned but not to the point i needed a wig, just a hairpiece. Also, before treatments i would use a aromatherapy nose inhaler of ginger. THAT really helped and i hardly had any nausea the entire time. I'm going on last treatment (have had 11 treatments plus surgery) but will continue on immunotherapy for another year and a half. I would do the therapy again of course because i prefer life to the alternative. Your hubby will get through it with a positive attitude and realizing it's keeping him alive.

Cosette24 said:

Hi everyone! Thanks for all

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the comments. Husband is going in for the first infusion on the 17th. I will take off from work and go with him. We got a lot of useful information regarding the treatment and side effects. Apparently he will not lose his hair and we will most likely not have any trouble conceiving. The doctor said it's best to wait a year after the treatment is finished. He got anti-nausea meds and a cream in case his skin cracks.

At this point we are just really taking it a day at a time. We both feel much better. My husband has been extremely strong throughout all this but I've been a mess. The anxiety has subsided a bit now and I feel mostly normal. I'm trying not to think too far in the future about all the scans and checks we will need to do in the next 10 years. I'm sure we can handle anything that comes our way but for now I will just enjoy every day as it comes. Thank you for being here and understanding! 

that he is heading into treatment.  

Do you remember what cocktail of chemo drugs they are going to give him? 

Make sure that he is dilligent in using the cream they have given him, because once the skin cracks, the chance of healing is diminised while undergoing treatment. Best to avoid it happening by using the cream. 

While most colorectal patients don't lose their hair, it can thin out a little or allot or none at all, so just be prepared for all situations. 

If he is on the chemo drug called Oxaliplatin, be aware of neuropathy - numbness in the hands and feet.

It is a good idea to keep a journal of everything that goes on during treatment and afterwards. Then go over any and every concern you have, with his Oncologist before every infusion. 

Be sure and keep visiting here with us, we have a boatload of advice to share, due to hands on experience. 

Wishing him the best. 

Tru

Cosette24 said:

He will be on CAPOX, so yes,

He will be on CAPOX, so yes, Oxaliplatin. They warned us not to let him touch or drink anything cold. I will make sure he uses the cream before his skin starts cracking. 

Fortunately I was one that had only one side effect from oxaliplatin.  After round 7 my signature looked like crap and I couldn't make the #2 for nothing, it looked like a Z.  After a few days it was OK again.

There's a mouth wash they can prescribe for mouth sores, I forget the name.  I would ask for the script so you have it on hand if he starts to get a mouth sore to keep it from getting out of hand.  Onc didn't want to give it to me until I developed sores.  I replied "No way, my luck would be one pops up on Friday and you will be nowhere to be found until Monday.  Write the scrip."  It has antibiotic and numbing properties in it.  It you swish it in your mouth, your whole mouth is numb. You can use a Qtip to apply just to sore.  Hopefully he will not get any.

Cosette24 said:

Yes, now I remember that he

Yes, now I remember that he got the mouthwash as well. Was told to rinse with it after every meal. Hopefully that will keep the sores at bay. 

Good, his onc isn't stingy, lol...Haven't heard of swishing after every meal.  I never got the mouth sores but had the magic weapon on standby, haha.