12th Folfox treatment done, I am done with chemo for good I hope

Mike49
Mike49 Member Posts: 261
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I had a pleasant surprise, I had always been thinking I had to take 13 treatments of Folfox but the Oncologist came through and said this is number twelve and I think we should stop, wait a couple weeks and we'll get some labs and a couple more and another PET scan. I am of course pleased, but it's a shock for everything to end so abruptly. I feel great and think its terrific to not have to have another chemo treatment at least not if the scans and tests are clean. Its good news, I think. I wanted to share with this group because I have gotten so much support to date, we need to keep each other informed.

mike
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Comments

  • Fernando H
    Fernando H Member Posts: 30
    #2
    Congrats!
    Lucky #12! well I'm on my second full day of Folfox now and can't wait to beat the daylights out of these intruders! I wish you well with your follow up labs and scans.
  • Kathleen808
    Kathleen808 Member Posts: 2,342 Member
    #3
    fabulous!
    Hi Mike,
    Fabulous that you are done! You did it and as you said this should be it for you. Congratulations.
    Aloha,
    Kathleen
  • Julie 44
    Julie 44 Member Posts: 476 Member
    #4
    Kathleen808 said:

    fabulous!
    Hi Mike,
    Fabulous that you are done! You did it and as you said this should be it for you. Congratulations.
    Aloha,
    Kathleen

    Welcome to the NED group
    Congrats on being NED...It is such a relief to be done with treatments and the side effects will go away and you will feel a new normal..You will always have cancer on your mind but you can now get back to life the way it used to be...I am having a BIG NED BBQ to celebrate hope you celebrate somehow too. You deserve it for making it through...Enjoy JULIE
  • daydreamer110761
    daydreamer110761 Member Posts: 487 Member
    #5
    Way to go!
    Congrats! It's got to be a great relief to be done - hope you are celebrating! I have number 12 next week, and intend to pop a bottle of champagne next weekend!
  • dixchi
    dixchi Member Posts: 431
    #6
    A Toast To You Mike
    Great news......I know you must feel totally like
    a load has been lifted off your shoulders....here's
    hoping the scans and blood work come through A-OK....
    and then you will be soaring with feet off the ground...

    Hugs,
    Barbara
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #7
    Alright!
    I hope you are all done too Mike
    -p
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #8
    WhoooHoooo
    That is great news. What a nice surprise to have chemo end ahead of time. You've got to feel great knowing that part is behind you. Time to celebrate. Kim
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #9
    Congratulations!!
    Oh, Mike... I am soooo happy for you!! Yes, 12 is the magic number... so what a pleasant surprise to think you had one more to go and now you have been set free :)

    I hear you on the sense of shock or something when everything comes to an end... pronto quickly! It's like you dread going in for the treatments, but you can count on the routine, the blood tests, the constant monitoring of the chemo techs/nurses, etc. Then, all of a sudden it stops... you are told you will have blood work in 2 months or so and boom... no one calls you anymore . This is a GOOD thing when the calls stop, but still.. it takes some getting used to.

    As a matter of fact, do NOT be surprised if you go through a bit of the blues soon... that is soooo common and soooo normal! From the day we are dx'd to the day of the last chemo, we are pushed, prodded, poked, scanned and it seems we are always going to this, that and another appt. Although it's a pain and time-consuming, we know it's in our best interests and as long as we have this much attention being paid to us, we know nothing will slip under the wire. Then all of a sudden, it's over and you are given your life back... but you haven't had your life for 6-8 months so now what do you do??

    But it won't take you long to get back into the swing of things :) And when you do have to go back for the blood test and then a scan, you'll find that those appts. are interferring with your life .

    But I'm so happy for you that it's over for the time being and hopefully forever... and you've come out of it feeling just fine!! All you newbies... pay attention! It's true... you can go through ALL 12 chemo treatments and at the end still feel like your old self... a little worse for wear, but able to claim your life back :)

    Huggggggs,

    Cheryl
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    #10
    Yeah Mike!
    We started this journey about the same time. I have 2 more rounds of mop-up chemo, then (hopefully) I am finished as well! The time seems to be going quickly...it's only been 7 months since my DX.

    Keep up the positive attitude! Vicki
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #11
    hoooorah
    good for you Mike. What a lovely treat to be done....well done

    mags
  • lizbiz
    lizbiz Member Posts: 120
    #12
    maglets said:

    hoooorah
    good for you Mike. What a lovely treat to be done....well done

    mags

    Huge Congrats!!
    It's a big accomplishment! Best wishes for NEDness!

    Hugs and prayers,
    Elizabeth
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #13
    lizbiz said:

    Huge Congrats!!
    It's a big accomplishment! Best wishes for NEDness!

    Hugs and prayers,
    Elizabeth

    Wooohooo!
    Way to go Mike! so happy to hear about this news! enjoy the peace away from all the medical stuff for awhile!

    Hugggsss!
    ~Donna
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #14
    WOO HOOO!
    I have a pic of myself leaving the chemo office with a bouquet of flowers my daughter brought with her to my last treatment back in 2005. It sits right above my right monitor so I can always remember that feeling! It's good to make it through! Celebrate when you are feeling better!
    mary
  • dmdwins
    dmdwins Member Posts: 454 Member
    #15
    msccolon said:

    WOO HOOO!
    I have a pic of myself leaving the chemo office with a bouquet of flowers my daughter brought with her to my last treatment back in 2005. It sits right above my right monitor so I can always remember that feeling! It's good to make it through! Celebrate when you are feeling better!
    mary

    Time to adjust
    Yea for you! So great for you to be done. Hooray,Hooray It's no more chemo day!! I took 7 of my biggest supporter and we went to Bennihana's and celebrated. You should celebrate too. It's a big accomplishment to make it to number 12.

    I too felt kinda strange when my treatments were stopped sooner than I had anticipated(pulmonary emboli). I was able to finish all 12 but was to do another 6 months of Avastin alone and only was able to do one of those. Don't be suprised ,as Cheryl said ,if it takes some getting used to. It took me a while to figure out how to start "living" again because for 6+ months I was so focused on not "dying". It gets easier as time passes and you will start to feel better each day. I do have to admit,though,that I am not very good at the "wait and see" game. My scan is less than 3 weeks away and I am getting the pre-scan jitters already.

    Dawn
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #16
    Yay!
    Mike, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you. Savor that feeling of freedom enjoy every day!
    We're going to assume in advance that all future scans will be clean, but I'll be praying for you, as well.

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • angelsbaby
    angelsbaby Member Posts: 1,165 Member
    #17
    Good News
    Mike I am Happy for you I hope the test show ned

    michelle
  • lmliess
    lmliess Member Posts: 329
    #18
    angelsbaby said:

    Good News
    Mike I am Happy for you I hope the test show ned

    michelle

    I can't wait to be in your shoes!
    How great you must feel! I start my Folfox and Avastin the end of May for 8 rounds. Honestly I am scared of it. I have read all the side effects and they scare me. Can you offer any advise?

    Go celebrate!!
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    #19
    Disco OOH OOH!
    Remember the disco Oooh Oooh? That's how I feel for you! When chemo is over it's a huge weight off your shoulders. Be careful about feeling depressed, though. Sometimes we feel like we're not actively fighting the disease when we get off chemo. Not to worry. The feeling will pass. Meantime, CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!....

    Hugs,
    Kirsten
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #20
    glad to hear it
    Hi Mike,

    I'm so glad to hear your milestone of hitting #12 and being DONE!!
    Of course there will be the follow up and probably the anxiety that goes with it, but you can claim victory over having beaten down those Folfox side effects and coming through it all!
    Life goes on.... :) !

    Blessings,
    Lisa
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #21
    lisa42 said:

    glad to hear it
    Hi Mike,

    I'm so glad to hear your milestone of hitting #12 and being DONE!!
    Of course there will be the follow up and probably the anxiety that goes with it, but you can claim victory over having beaten down those Folfox side effects and coming through it all!
    Life goes on.... :) !

    Blessings,
    Lisa

    MIKE49...........
    Im proud of ya bud....its over......now enjoy life ....... :)

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