OK, now what?

secondchance48
secondchance48 Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My colon cancer has recurred at the site where the colon was sewn together. My abdomen is full of tumor which is inoperable. I am told that I "may" have nine months. Went to the University of Virginia - they will treat with Oxaliplatin as a first line therapy. They said I may have a year with treatment. Georgetown University would enroll me in a clinical vaccine trial but no pathology was done after my surgery four weeks ago! So I may not be able to get it. They said I could have two years with all the different treatment options. My local oncologist offers CPT-11, 5FU and Leucovorin and doesn't really offer much hope at all. I just don't know what to do next. I am frustrated and discouraged. One day I believe that I may live another two years, the next not more that a few months. I need to start treatment soon for my own peace of mind. Has anyone had this type of tumor that was "successfully" treated?

Comments

  • ingridryan
    ingridryan Member Posts: 5
    #2
    Hi. I don't have any answers for you, but I wanted to say hello. I'm possibly in a similiar boat. I've got something suspicious?? at the joining site in my intestine and beside my pancreas.I had most of my colon removed last May and then 6 months of chemo. I'm 36. I don't know what to do either. In lighter moments I think hey anyone could go at any moment- you might open a kitchen cupboard door and a can of chicken noodle soup might wack you on the head and that's it. But other moments are more difficult. I'm encouaged sometimes by remembering a true story that I read about ten years ago. I was a university student working for a Prof. Best. He was the son on Charles Beset the co-discoverer of Insulin. I had the priviledge of typing his mother's diaries on the computer as he prepared to publish them. Anyway I remember her writing about a young girl in Toronto who had diabetes and was very near death. Her family was quite wealthy and had tried every option. Finally they decided to take her to Italy to die peacefully in a beautiful place. Apparently when the discovery was made she was very near death. She was rushed back and successfully treated and brought back to good health. I think about this sometimes and it gives me hope that if I can just keep ahead of it then I might be around when such a miracle is discovered.
  • tomcat
    tomcat Member Posts: 4
    #3
    I am very sorry for where you are now. When I was diagnosed and went in for surgery I awoke in recovery only 1 hour after being put under. They told me they couldn't do the procedure. I guess you know how I felt. I then was mixed up and confused and somewhat scared. My feeling was once you have it there is no place to hide and no amount of money will make it better. Somehow at that moment I turned to God and asked for his help. I am not a religious person although I do believe. It took several talks between me and Him and I do honestly believe it worked. I beg you to try. You must have faith in Him. I was eventually operated on and it's been 8 years.

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