I got the answer to the question I never wanted to know the answer to

Jaylo969 said:

Kathryn
I am so sorry you got this bad news.I can only guess how hard this news is to hear, even if you did suspect the results beforehand. My thoughts are with you.From reading your posts I suspect you are one strong lady. Here's hoping, as always, that you will do well with the plan you have.

-Pat

thanks
Thank you. I am usually pretty tough, and cancer cells are NOT welcome in my body. I'll be kicking the out again.

Crow71 said:

Crap !!!
I'm really sad and pissed to read this. Is there any scenario where surgery would be an option?
"Chemo for life." I've heard the same thing. It's hard to take. Hang in there. We'll just keep living the best life we can and never lose hope.
Many sparks - Roger

No surgery
No surgery for me. The nodes are in hard to reach areas. They could barely get to just one of them for the needle biopsy. Onc says that it would be very major surgery to get at the other two, and while they waited for me to recover, the other little cancer cells that we know are still hanging out in my body, would start growing too. FOLFOX did wipe out the cancer in the nodes that lit up last fall. So hopefully FOLFIRI will wipe out these, and take care of any stubborn cells that try to refuse to hit the road when they are kicked out.

geotina said:

Dear Kathryn:
Not the news I wanted to hear. Well, go and have yourself a total freak out, scare the kids, scream, whatever,then take a deep breath and get back in the fight. Any chance you can have surgery or radiation to the liver before chemo?

I was thinking about you all day today and waiting for your post. I'm so sorry the news you received was not what you wanted to hear.

Take a deep breath, digest the news, meet with your docs and let us know what the game plan will be.

Hugs from Michigan to you - Tina

No freak out
Maybe it will come at some point? I don't know. The night before my appointment was my low point. I really already knew what I was going to here. But even though I was sure of it, suddenly on my way to the appointment I had a surge of hope - that somehow the thyroid troubles were tied to the lymph nodes and it wouldn't be cancer.

I've always said that I suspected I was stage IV all along, and that my onc thought so, but didn't want to say it to me. He was really aggressive - pushing me with all the troubles I had. He said his job was to push me and make sure every last cell was gone and didn't come back again. Now he says his job is to keep me alive with different chemo combos as long as it takes, while we wait for a new drug that will wipe out colon cancer cells, if the FOLFIRI doesn't do it.

grammadebbie said:

Praying
Dear Friend,

I am so sorry to hear of the news you got today. Really don't have the words to express my sorrow that you have to go thru all this. I know that you will dig deep and find the strength to continue to fight this. I am praying for you and your family.

Big hugs and prayers,

Debbie

Thank you
I will be fighting!

tootsie1 said:

You're tough
This is not at all what we wanted to read about you, dear. As has already been stated, though, you are a very strong person. Cancer better look out! Kick its butt!!!

*hugs*
Gail

Thanks
Planning on some major butt kicking!

idlehunters said:

Kathryn
Yep.... Suck it does!!!! So sorry for your news. I gotta tell ya... that Folfiri/Avastin.... worked wonders on me. I thought I was dead for sure.... NOPE! It ate up almost 20 tumors between my liver and lungs...went from difficulty breathing to remission...... had a 7 month vacation... and now back in the fight again.... thats stage IV.... like they say...not curable...but treatable. Don't let that stage IV live rent free in your head!!! You gotta fight no matter what stage you are. You are going to be just fine. You take care.

Jennie

Glad to hear it
Thanks Jennie. I'm glad to hear FOLFIRI and Avastin worked so well for you. I'm hoping it works well enough to get me a long vacation too! That is the plan - that I'll do 12 rounds and then try to take a little vacation while they monitor me closely. And we start back up with some combo again if it starts growing again. FOLFOX did get me to vacation point - but it didn't last long. I was clear in mid-May, but already not the beginning by mid-August, and we don't know exactly when it started growing again. I'll shoot to break your 7-month record!

pepebcn said:

Kathryn , so sorry for the news but cheer up!
You got a PM from me.

Thanks
I got it and replied.

ktlcs said:

Bad News
I am so sorry to hear this. But you have a good plan that I pray will work for you. Stay strong and fight the beast!

Kathy

Thanks
I will be fighting!

Sandi1 said:

My husband also
Kathryn,

My husband is also stage IV, he was diagnosed 3 years ago. He was put on the same chemo that you are going on for 6 months, and when they did his pet scan, the chemo had gotten everything, the Onc. took him off for 4 weeks and then did another pet scan, he had a small spot show up and she put him right back on chemo and took care of that. He is now cancer free and will be on chemo for the rest of his life - 3 days every 3 weeks. The onc. is good, she gives him breaks whenever he feels he needs them or wants to go on vacation or for holidays. But she limits him to 2 breaks a year - so he is careful when he chooses them. You will do great, that chemo will kill those little buggers and you will live a long live, and so what if you have to have chemo for the rest of your life, as my husband says, it's a small price to pay to be around for a long time; or until i get sick of him...LOL !!! Anyway, you will do great - i'm praying for you. Keep us informed.

Thanks
It is good to hear the successes of managing stage IV. I'll be happy if I get to push it out to 3 week cycles if I have to be on maintenance after this next 12 cycles using FOLFIRI. My 12 cycles of FOLFOX were pure hell, but I'm expecting that FOLFIRI shouldn't give me quite as much trouble.

luv3jay said:

I'm sorry to hear this
I'm sorry to hear this Kathryn. Chemo for life is hard to comprehend but let's just pray that we can put this mess in remission.

Sheri

Thanks
I'm going to give it my best shot to wipe out the rest of this cancer. I'm always in the tiny odds cateogory, so maybe this time that will work to my advantage!