Hi everyone

Denise1966
Denise1966 Member Posts: 90
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I had my EUS today and the doc told me that 1 or 2 lymph nodes are enlarged, so I'm going in the morning to my oncologist to talk about the chemo/rad I will be doing before the surgery. How many of you had this before surgery? Can you also tell me what I should expect from this? Do they do these together or alternate? Does it tire you out or what? I appreciate all of your input.
Denise

Comments

  • Moesimo
    Moesimo Member Posts: 1,072 Member
    #2
    I had chemo and radiation at the same time. I had 25 daily rad. treatments and had a continuos chemo pump for 6 out of 7 days. I did get very tired by about week 3, but I was able to work full time.But I took 2 days off work, one because i was soo tired and another was planned because my daughter was graduating from college. I also had alot of diarrhea. I can't believe that was 5 years ago. I had 2 positive nodes.

    Maureen
  • Moesimo
    Moesimo Member Posts: 1,072 Member
    #3
    I had chemo and radiation at the same time. I had 25 daily rad. treatments and had a continuos chemo pump for 6 out of 7 days. I did get very tired by about week 3, but I was able to work full time.But I took 2 days off work, one because i was soo tired and another was planned because my daughter was graduating from college. I also had alot of diarrhea. I can't believe that was 5 years ago. I had 2 positive nodes.

    Maureen
  • pamness
    pamness Member Posts: 524 Member
    #4
    It depends on what type of chemo / radiation they suggest. Even though I did mine after, I can tell you if it's 5FU (with the pump) and radiation mostly you will get tired and at the end may get some diarrhea, although everyone is different. You need to find out what they are talking about. Good luck. Let us know.
  • katienavs
    katienavs Member Posts: 88 Member
    #5
    Hi Denise,
    I had radiation and chemo together for 28 treatments. The pump is attached 24 hours a day and the radiation treatments last only several minutes every day (well Mon-Fri for me). I didn't get very tired from the treatment although I have heard from many that they do. I felt 100% normal for the first 14 treatments or so and then went down hill. I experienced pretty severe and debilitating abdominal cramps every couple of days for the last three weeks. The radiation oncologist blamed it on the chemo and the medical oncologist blamed it on the radiation. Whatever it was, it was not pleasant. But the treatment worked wonders and shrunk the tumor to nothing and made the surgery that much more successful.
    Other than the cramping, it was just hard having the chemo hooked up 24/7 and having to wash my hair in the sink, etc.
    Good luck!
  • Faith4Cure
    Faith4Cure Member Posts: 405 Member
    #6
    Hi Denise
    My husband had stage III rectal cancer with two nodes positive. He also had chemo/rad before his surgery to remove the tumor. He had a 24 hour continuous pump for 6 weeks. He was able to work the entire time. It didn't bother him too much until the last two weeks when he seemed tired.

    The continuous pump of 5FU was bothersome, but it got easier after he learned to deal with it. He was able to shower. He found that hanging the pump outside of the shower on a hook and wrapping his arm very securely with a cling wrap, or shrink wrap worked very well.

    My thoughts are with you. I know this is a tough time. I can't believe that it has been over a year since my husband started on the journey that you are beginning. I won't say it was easy, but he is doing great now. Take one day at a time. If we can help, feel free to email us.

    Faith
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #7
    I had 25 days of rads, 2 4-day 5FU 24-hour pump sessions, along with carboplatin on the same 4 days. I was rectal cancer, 2" tumor, first rectal fold, 1 lymph node. I got tired. My biggest mistake was to not stay hydrated. With my second cancer, I did, and things went MUCH better (I drank 4 quarts of water daily).
    As I mentioned earlier, as it turned out, the pre-surgical treatment worked so well that there was no evidence of the tumor left 1 week before the scheduled surgery. It became up to me to decide whether to have the surgery, or if I could live with wondering if we got it all. 20/20 hindsight, no cancer in all they removed.

    Hugs, Kathi

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