Chemo break and colon resection

Tueffel
Tueffel Member Posts: 327 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hey guys,

Hope wherever you are that you are doing well!

My dad is now home from the liver surgery. It heals nicely but hell it was terrible even though the mets are out the liver surgery was not easy at all. Starting at 0 again and the recovery needs a while.... but we are positive

I am writing because my dads last chemo was right after Eastern. Since then he was on a break, no chemo to make the liver relax and healing easier. Today he needed to take a painkiller because the tunor in the colon caused pain. He had no pain there since the first chemo. A few days after the first one the pain was gone. Now I am worried that during this break the cancer is getting active again and is growing again. I know dead cells dont divide but the mutation that caused cancer is still there so it could be? 

I also want to know how the resection of the tumor in the colon worked out for you. All side effects, what to expect and things that will make it easier. My dad underestimated the liver surgery a lot so I want to be prepared when he gets in a bad mood again. 

Maybe I am superstitious: I had a retake of an exam today that I failed wehen my dad had the colonoscopy in January. Then I write it again and my dad has tumor complaints again.... 

 

Tueffel

Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    edited June 2020 #2
    Hi Tuffel

    I have heard that the liver resection is a doozy, and takes a good while to recover from. It is so important - as you are well aware of - that he not overdo it, over the next six weeks. It is so hard, once the body starts to feel better, to remember that you are still healing inside.  I speak from experience after eight abdominal surgeries, I still wanted to get up and running to early, and have suffered the consequenses.  

    So, you ask about a colon resection. I am sure you will get many experiencies across the board, from fairly easy to horrensouly rough.   I think I was pretty much toward the fairly easy side.  Obviously the first few days are rough, and you want to eat, but they won't let you util you produce a bowel movement.  The key is to walk, walk, walk, just as soon as you are allowed to get out of bed.  Probably the same with liver surgery. It hurts like Hell getting out of bed and up on you feet, but once you get moving, the pain eases, and walking is so beneficial. 

    Back to my experience. Once the bowel started cranking out, and I was allowed home, I made sure not to stay put on the couch too long, and got up quite regularly to walk. 

    The bowel at that point had no problems, that all came along after chemo and radiation. 

    I healed up just fine, and all in all, it was the easiest part of the whole experience - well, my liver surgery was easy as well, as I had an Ablation and not a resection. 

    I hope others come along soon with their colon resection experiences, and then you can get a better idea. 

    I wish your dad well.  I wish you well in your exams. Try a bit of meditation before you go to the exam room.  Remember, stressing will not make your dad any happier, or life any easier.  

    Thinking of you.

    Tru

  • flutemon
    flutemon Member Posts: 41 Member
    edited June 2020 #3
    I had a right side colon

    I had a right side colon resection. They did robotic/minimally invasive.  It was not difficult and I had little pain. In fact, I didn't really need to take the pain medicine that was prescribed after I came home.  My liver resection was pretty easy, too. Robotic/minimally invasive. But I'm going in now for a second resection and it will be an open surgery. I'm expecting more pain and a longer recovery, but it's all worth it to get the cancer OUT!

  • Tueffel
    Tueffel Member Posts: 327 Member
    #4
    Trubrit said:

    Hi Tuffel

    I have heard that the liver resection is a doozy, and takes a good while to recover from. It is so important - as you are well aware of - that he not overdo it, over the next six weeks. It is so hard, once the body starts to feel better, to remember that you are still healing inside.  I speak from experience after eight abdominal surgeries, I still wanted to get up and running to early, and have suffered the consequenses.  

    So, you ask about a colon resection. I am sure you will get many experiencies across the board, from fairly easy to horrensouly rough.   I think I was pretty much toward the fairly easy side.  Obviously the first few days are rough, and you want to eat, but they won't let you util you produce a bowel movement.  The key is to walk, walk, walk, just as soon as you are allowed to get out of bed.  Probably the same with liver surgery. It hurts like Hell getting out of bed and up on you feet, but once you get moving, the pain eases, and walking is so beneficial. 

    Back to my experience. Once the bowel started cranking out, and I was allowed home, I made sure not to stay put on the couch too long, and got up quite regularly to walk. 

    The bowel at that point had no problems, that all came along after chemo and radiation. 

    I healed up just fine, and all in all, it was the easiest part of the whole experience - well, my liver surgery was easy as well, as I had an Ablation and not a resection. 

    I hope others come along soon with their colon resection experiences, and then you can get a better idea. 

    I wish your dad well.  I wish you well in your exams. Try a bit of meditation before you go to the exam room.  Remember, stressing will not make your dad any happier, or life any easier.  

    Thinking of you.

    Tru

    Thanks

    Thank you Trubrit! 

    Yeah I heard a lot of things about liver surgery. They are terrible to recover from. Apparently the surgeon who operated on my dad did a really good job. Dad did not need a blood transfusion which is rare. Still I think it might have been helpful considering the state he was in. He felt really good yesterday, did a walk and now his back hurts. So yeah maybe he overdid but it is hard to get up again. Especially if you have the MS as well. 

    Okay walking and movement. I will tell him that cause he did not really do it after the liver resection. Hopefully that can help. I am happy for now that in 2 weeks the tumor us out. 

    Still he takes painkillers everyday now because the tumor hurts. I hope it is not regrowing. I am just in fair that after the colon surgery the last chemo was so long ago that we have to start at 0 again. 

    I am done with my exams for now. But until covid is over we have it all online. I just got a little bit more scared cause it seemed like a repetition...

    Tueffel

  • Tueffel
    Tueffel Member Posts: 327 Member
    edited June 2020 #5
    flutemon said:

    I had a right side colon

    I had a right side colon resection. They did robotic/minimally invasive.  It was not difficult and I had little pain. In fact, I didn't really need to take the pain medicine that was prescribed after I came home.  My liver resection was pretty easy, too. Robotic/minimally invasive. But I'm going in now for a second resection and it will be an open surgery. I'm expecting more pain and a longer recovery, but it's all worth it to get the cancer OUT!

    Thanks

    I dont know how they want to do it. The liver resection was open. So I also think they might like to do this surgery open. But I dont know what they plan. The talk is next week. 

    I hope your liver resection will go well. Dont be sad if you need a little bit longer for the recovery. But ikf the cancer is out, it is the best

    Tueffel

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