I'M BACK!!!!!!!

minibull
minibull Member Posts: 56 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi Everyone,

Thanks to all your prayers and good vibes. I felt them during my surgery (for real).
Had surgery last Friday and was discharged this Thursday. Am recuping at home with some pain but so glad it's all over. An 8" section was removed from my transverse colon, no sign of the beast in the surrounding colon area or liver but had 1/10 nodes positive so was classified stage IIIA. Surgeon recommends adjuvant chemo but haven't contacted an oncologist yet. I've heard a lot of stories recently (I wonder why) about cancer patients who were given only about a 1 - 2% better chance with chemo than without. Makes me wonder if I should go the chemo route. I've read your stories about feeling sick with your treatments but the surgeon says it shouldn't be so bad (how would he know - he doesn't have cancer)! Also I haven't heard anything about anyone losing hair with this chemo. Doc says with colon cancer chemo, there is no loss of hair. I guess I'm vain enough to think about stuff like that! Were any of you in stage 3 given an option to have chemo or not?
Anyways, thanks much to all of you for your support and kind words. I'll certainly keep posting and sending love to you all.
By the way, is anyone on a macrobiotic diet? I heard that it's supposed to be super good for anyone especially one with cancer.

Laureen

Comments

  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #2
    I Heard The Same Thing
    About the Macrobiotic diet, but haven't done it myself, I heard it was supposed to be great as well.

    I'm very glad you got out of sx fine Laureen, now what kind of chemo did they say they were going to put you on? I am on Folfiri, and didn't lose my hair, it really thinned alot, I mean there were clumps of hair coming out, but it did stop by like my 8th treatment, plus I cut it up to my shoulders, because my hair was long and heavy, very thick, and I thought maybe that's why so much was falling out as well...the weight of my hair. But I didn't lose it all, it is very thin though.

    Chemo isn't what it used to be "back in the days" before ports and such. Sure, you may get sick, but there are medicines out there for that, they will give you good anti-nausea pills, Emend worked the best for me, with Dexamethasone, zofran and compazine.

    Take it one day at a time, you should feel better each day, and keep walking ;)

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #3
    Stage 3 with chemo
    Hello Laureen, hopefully you're not in too much pain from your op. I had chemo and radiation prior to colonoscopy and on Monday I do a new round of chemo. The game plan for me from the beginning was chemo before and after, with radiation in the beginning too, to ,atfirst shrink tumor as much as possible and go after whatever other cells were there and then more chemo to finish up after surgery to do what can be done to kill ALL cancer, if possible. I wasnot really given an option on the chemo, unless I decided to ignore my doctors or seek another opinion.As I trusted my dotors and as I was so stunned when first Dxed. I did what I did and hope it keeps me alive much longer. Chemo is no picnic and hopefuuly results for me will be worth it. Best of health with whatever you decide...Steve
    PS..You shouldn't lose head hair from chemo for colorectal cancer. Due to radiation, I lost pubic and anal hair. I cut my thick mid-back length hair because I knew I would not have the strength/energy to maintain it and keep out knots during treatment so I cut it to crew cut before stuff began--alot easier to maintain....
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #4
    Surgery
    So glad that you made it through surgery and you are home and posting already. You definitely are a trooper going through all that and then getting on these message boards, but I'm glad you did so we know you are doing ok. You will be sore for some time to come but make sure you rest when your body tells you. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

    Kim
  • Paula G.
    Paula G. Member Posts: 596
    #5
    Glad
    Glad your surgery went well. I would do the chemo just to make sure you get it all. My husband is stage4 so he didn't have a choice. He is doing pretty good on it so far. He is just tired mostly. Let yourself heal and talk to your doc's. Take care. Paula
  • jsabol
    jsabol Member Posts: 1,145 Member
    #6
    chemo?
    Hi Laureen,
    Best of luck on continued good recovery; my findings were similar. One small cancerous polyp (on baseline colonscopy), one postive node. My dad died from this disease in his 80's. I wanted do everything I could to prevent that outcome for me, so went ahead with chemo.
    I am now nearly 6 years out of surgery, No Evidence of Disease, and now discharged from oncology. Oxaliplatin was just coming out of trials at the time; my onc recommended the older chemo of just 5 FU and leucovorin, as he felt the additional side effects did not warrent the additional chemo agent. Chemo was not a day at the beach for me, but it was managable; suggestions from folks at this board were invaluable.
    Continue to understand and question the recommendations until you are clear about your preferences, but remember the stats only show outcomes for others: it's your body and your life.
    Best of luck,
    Judy

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