Sorry, been gone awhile...

marym29
marym29 Member Posts: 71 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello 2nd Family...
It's Mary from WI just writing to say "hi" and that I sincerely hope you all and your families are safe and well these days.

And just to recap my story a bit... my mom was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in Jan. 06; which spread to her liver and lungs. Since then, she has completed 12 treatments of Oxy-blah-blah-blah, Avastin, 5-FU, and Lexo-something or other... ; )

This past Tues. they did her 2nd CT scan since her 1st one during her treatment. The 1st CT scan showed that the tumors in her liver and lung had shrunk by 25% - I cried I was SO happy about this.

This past Wed. was her 12th treatment and the results of this 2nd CT scan...

And this is where I need your help; because I really don't know how to percieve this news so...

So, the results from this 2nd CT scan showed that the tumors in her liver and lung were still there; but haven't grown or spread. Now, her oncon. plan is for her to be off of the treatment for 2 months, let her body rest, to get strong for the surgery to reverse her colostomy. Then, in 2 months she will have another CT scan to see what those liver/lung tumors are doing. If they are the same no treatment will be given; if they are not the same she will go back on the previous treatment.

The oncon. also said that she's been given the most abrasive treatment that she can recieve (which, I'm sorry but.. what the hell does that mean?) sorry... ; )

And because I wasn't there when they met with the oncon. to receive all of this news; after I'm done writing to you all I am writing up a list of questions/comments/concerns to her oncon. to set up a meeting with him in person (he's SO nice and SO great about keeping me informed... I just adore him!)

Anyway, I'm sorry to get SO long-winded here... I know I should write to you all more so I'm not writing novels upon novels everytime I get on here but... that's me! ha! ha!

Anyway, if you all could just give me some general feedback on all of this when time permits; I would be ever so greatful!

WOW... have I told you all yet just "how amazing" each and every one of you are? Well, YOU ARE ALL AMAZING TO ME AND MY ENTIRE FAMILY!

Take Care, Love Always, and God Bless!

Sincerely,
Mary from WI

Comments

  • pink05
    pink05 Member Posts: 550
    #2
    Hi Mary,

    It's good to hear from you. Well, when the onc said that your mom's regimen was the most abrasive, it could mean that it is the most difficult to tolerate or maybe he meant that it is the best line of defense against the disease. I would ask him what he meant by that. Also, it sounds like your mom has her CAT scans once every few months. Maybe when she gets this break from treatment, you could suggest to the onc to possibly order more frequent scans just to keep an eye on what's going on. I would definitely have him explain everything to you and ask him his reasoning behind the suggestions. I always feel that it is important to know why a doctor (especially an oncologist) feels the way he does about a particular regimen etc... I'm glad that you feel you can communicate with your mom's doctor. That makes such a difference!!!

    Oh, I wouldn't worry about writing those novels, have you seen my posts lately?

    Let us know how your meeting with the onc goes.

    God bless you and your mother,

    -Lee-
  • mindy10
    mindy10 Member Posts: 182 Member
    #3
    Hi Mary, glad to hear your moms tumors are staying stable with the chemo they gave her. My dad had stage 4 with mets to the lungs. They shrunk and then they shrunk no more but stayed stable. He went off chemo for 3 months them went back on Xeloda (pill form chemo). Unfortunately the tumors in his lungs began to grow and caused his lungs to fill with fluid. He passed away 2 1/2 months after that. I see people who are on here that are stage 4 and are on chemo for 12 months straight. I wish my dad could of done that because I believe it would of kept his tumors stable and he would not be gone now. Every patient is different and your moms might not grow while she is off chemo. Only she can make the decision if she wants to keep on the chemo continuously. Mindy
  • Allen55555
    Allen55555 Member Posts: 15 Member
    #4
    I have read several articles recently about breaks in chemo treatments. Remember a few initial studies does not mean the theory is correct. The recent studies indicate a break in folfox or folfox/avastin will not have an adverse effect on survival. Breaks in 5FU where one has less than a full six months of treatment may not be in a persons best interest as it may not be any better than no chemo at all. Bottom line- for folfox best to get through at least 3 months of the standard 6 months and for 5FU need all six months. Sounds like your onc is on the right path-just need frequent blood work and scans to keep on top of the situation.

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