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stage 11

grandma713
grandma713 CSN Member Posts: 105
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I am new to this chat room but I would love to hear about your experiences with colon cancer. I was diagnosed last October. I had Stage 1/11. No lymph node involvement and the surgical margins were clear. The doctors did not recommend chemo at this time and so far I am feeling great. I go and have CEA tests every 3 months. The levels were low before the surgery but dropped even lower at my first 3 month checkup. I am back to my full schedule now and overall I feel great. What I would like to know is what I should do now to improve my chances of NOT having a recurrence. I have been told a recurrence usually occurs in the liver. I just want to do all I can to prevent this from happening to me again. I have changed my diet to eating much less red meat, trying to exercise more and taking vitamin supplements. I just dont have anyone to talk to about colon cancer. Thanks in advance everyone.
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Comments

  • spongebob
    spongebob CSN Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #2
    Well, Grandma, you came to the right place to meet people to talk to about cancer!

    We're cancer-talkin' fools (I mean that "fool" part quite figuratively) and always ready to chat with another semi-colon!

    Congrats on your incredible success - you're going to be an inspiration to many folks who visit this site and need to hear some success stories to help ease their fears.

    Welcome!

    - SpongeBob
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  • kangatoo
    kangatoo CSN Member Posts: 2,105 Member
    #3
    spongebob said:

    Well, Grandma, you came to the right place to meet people to talk to about cancer!

    We're cancer-talkin' fools (I mean that "fool" part quite figuratively) and always ready to chat with another semi-colon!

    Congrats on your incredible success - you're going to be an inspiration to many folks who visit this site and need to hear some success stories to help ease their fears.

    Welcome!

    - SpongeBob

    Hiya Grandma--welcome to the group.Welcome from "down under".
    I guess we all ask the same questions.Seeing as my mum died of cancer(brain tumour) I have resigned myself to the fact it is genetics that caused mine.You were fortunate not to have had chemo so am a little envious.Ido the same as you said and go easy on red meats--I also take multi-vits. and try to excercise more--basically healthy living.Only trouble is I still smoke---
    Yep---thats gunna get a comment from Emily 4 sure!
    I guess being really positive is great Grandma but I think(personal opinion) once we get this horrible mutation in our bodies it is gunna be pretty hard to shake.After my surgery and chemo I was told that my chances of secondaries was 20%.Thats pretty tall odds 'cos someones gotta be in those numbers.
    Hang in there Grandma---yu just might be lucky enough to be an 80% er!
    cheers from us upside down people
    luv n huggs kanga n Jen
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  • grandma047
    grandma047 CSN Member Posts: 381
    #4
    Oh my, another grandma. We'll have to be careful and not confuse folks. LOL. All I can say about not getting a recurrence is that sometimes nothing you can do can keep you from having one. Not to worry you-but here's my story....
    Had colon resection in July, 2003 stage II, no lymph nodes involved, no spread, good margins. Not further treatment recommended. Only difference that with you, I never did get to where I felt good again. Continued bleeding. Had flex sig in Sept. Suture site was narrowed so they used a balloon and opened it. No cancer SEEN then, I assume. Still kept having problems. Finally, In January another colonoscopy was ordered. Showed the cancer had returned had the suture site. I am now having chemo, 5FU continuous-in my 5th week, one more to go and radiation. Finish it up next week. I will have a 4-6 week break and surgery again and a permanent colostomy and more chemo. This is just my story. Thank God, everyone is different. I just know that all it takes is one cell getting away and then it starts multiplying. I wish now that I had made them do chemo, but I didn't. I don't even know if it would have made a difference. There is no colon cancer in my family, only breast cancer. So, it came out of no where. I just turned 50, so hadn't had a routine colonoscopy then. Well, I wish you luck. Just think hard before deciding to not have treatments.
    Judy H.(two Judy's too)(grandma047-two grandma's now too) LOL
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  • grandma713
    grandma713 CSN Member Posts: 105
    #5
    grandma047 said:

    Oh my, another grandma. We'll have to be careful and not confuse folks. LOL. All I can say about not getting a recurrence is that sometimes nothing you can do can keep you from having one. Not to worry you-but here's my story....
    Had colon resection in July, 2003 stage II, no lymph nodes involved, no spread, good margins. Not further treatment recommended. Only difference that with you, I never did get to where I felt good again. Continued bleeding. Had flex sig in Sept. Suture site was narrowed so they used a balloon and opened it. No cancer SEEN then, I assume. Still kept having problems. Finally, In January another colonoscopy was ordered. Showed the cancer had returned had the suture site. I am now having chemo, 5FU continuous-in my 5th week, one more to go and radiation. Finish it up next week. I will have a 4-6 week break and surgery again and a permanent colostomy and more chemo. This is just my story. Thank God, everyone is different. I just know that all it takes is one cell getting away and then it starts multiplying. I wish now that I had made them do chemo, but I didn't. I don't even know if it would have made a difference. There is no colon cancer in my family, only breast cancer. So, it came out of no where. I just turned 50, so hadn't had a routine colonoscopy then. Well, I wish you luck. Just think hard before deciding to not have treatments.
    Judy H.(two Judy's too)(grandma047-two grandma's now too) LOL

    Thanks everyone I appreciate the posts. Like I told Limey, I am also in the fear stage of doing everything that I can not to have this return. I do feel good and for that I am thankful. I did talk to the drs about chemo in great length and even took my case to Texas..but the concurred with my dr here, so I didnt have it. Now I just want to try to make sure that I do everything possible to take care of myself. I go week after next for my 2nd CEA test. I was on cloud 9 after the first one and now I am anxious about the next one. I guess it is something that you just have to live with. I agree with you that we cant know if chemo would have done you any good or if it would have done me any good.. I have a strong faith and I know God is in control of everything and I am trying desperately to keep that as my number one focus. I have my next colonscomy in October one year after my surgery. That will be an anxious day for me for sure! How is the chemo going for you?
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  • grandma713
    grandma713 CSN Member Posts: 105
    #6
    oh I am changing my sign in name to franny that way people cant confuse us grandma's
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