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Her_big_sister
Her_big_sister Member Posts: 12
in Colorectal Cancer #1

My (much) younger sister was just diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal. Two spots about 2.5 cm on liver and 4 very small lung spots less than .5 cm each on CT, waiting on pet results. Oncologist Has announced plan to "hit it hard with most aggressive chemo" folfurinox. 

My sister is 41 and the only parent of her 9 year old son. She tells me she was diagnosed 4 years to the day our mother was diagnosed with glioblastoma, we lost her 4 months later. 

we were both with our mother for her illness, and I will be there for my sister.

The original news came last Monday 2/6 at her colonoscopy, they found a mass too large to pass the scope by.

I live about 2-3 hours away and am spending my first night alone at home with all of this and I am sad.

Thankfully she feels fine and is spending time with her boy

cancer sucks

I wonder if the people with years of survival on here have something in common. Good attitude? Good diet? 

I appreciate you all sharing your journeys.

Comments

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #2
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    Sorry

    I'm sorry to hear of your sister's diagnosis.  She is lucky to have a sister that cares so much and is concerned for her.  I'm not sure of the treatment she is taking as mine was something else.  Wishing the best for her and glad she is feeling fine and living life.  Hopefull this treatment will kick it out and they will be able to do surgery.

    Kim

  • Her_big_sister
    Her_big_sister Member Posts: 12
    #3
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    "Patients in the FOLFIRINOX arm received oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2 over two hours), leucovorin (400 mg/m2 over two hours), irinotecan (180 mg/m2 over 90 minutes), and 5-FU(400 mg/m2 bolus then 2,400 mg/m2 over 46 hours), all on day 1, and then repeated every two weeks. Patients in the control arm received gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 IV over 30 minutes weekly for seven of eight weeks, one week rest, and then weekly for t"

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    edited February 2017 #4
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    I'm sorry you're here and I

    I'm sorry you're here and I hope for the best for your sister. In my opinion there's really nothing that is in common for people who've lived with this longer than expected. You'll read that the disease is different for everyone and the treatments are different but you can take two people with the exact same diagnosis and give them the exact same treatment and they will each respond in a different way. or it will be the same. There are no absolutes with this. I'm sorry but that's the truth.

    Eating well and a positive attitide will help. Negativity is very hard on the body and will not help at all. Eating properly helps the body be well but there is no known foods that will prevent this. There have been studies that show that exercise helps as well but during treatment when she has fatigue that will be the last thing she'll want to do.

    Oxiplatin is a hard chemo drug to be on but seems to work well. The side effects vary and also vary in severity. Neuropathy seems to be a given, though. I don't think anyone avoids that. So she will be cold sensitive in certain areas and will get a response like a shock if she touches something cold or even cool. She'll have to wear gloves to touch anything cold in the house and might end up with the reaction where even drinking something cool will feel like shards of glass in the throat. Not so much painful but it feels like pieces of somethign sharp or like rocks. Hard to describe. It won't happen the first few treatments, it gradually shows up over time.

    Come on here wth any questions you have. This is a great place for answers from people who have first hand experience, not some doctor reading stats in a book.

    Jan

  • beaumontdave
    beaumontdave Member Posts: 1,280 Member
    #5
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    Big Sister, my wife battled

    Big Sister, my wife battled Glioma for 6 1/2 years while I fought spreading CC for 9 1/2 years. We didn't do anything especially different, kept busy, went out when we were up to it, tried to eat more veggies and fruit, but indulged as well. She lost her battle 2 years ago April 30, I'm NED after 3 surgeries.[ Click on the blog names to read their stories] Some change their lives, and it works for them. We just lived ours the way we had, and the way we liked. Some see great purpose, I see a million pool balls banging around on a giant table, randomly smacking each other. However your sister decides to respond to this battle is, of course, her choice, but yeah, to me attitude is everything, not just for her best chance for survival, but for getting the most out the moment, and this life she now lives. Best of luck to you and her...............................................Dave

  • sflgirl
    sflgirl Member Posts: 220 Member
    edited February 2017 #6
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    Her_big_sister said:

     

     

    "Patients in the FOLFIRINOX arm received oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2 over two hours), leucovorin (400 mg/m2 over two hours), irinotecan (180 mg/m2 over 90 minutes), and 5-FU(400 mg/m2 bolus then 2,400 mg/m2 over 46 hours), all on day 1, and then repeated every two weeks. Patients in the control arm received gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 IV over 30 minutes weekly for seven of eight weeks, one week rest, and then weekly for t"

    You might find this interesting on Folfoxiri

    http://www.curetoday.com/articles/fourdrug-regimen-improves-survival-in-advanced-colorectal-cancer

    I did the four drugs and I'm still here, however I believe surgery is the biggest part of that.  And there are people here with long stories of survival.  It can be done.  For me,  like Dave and many others, attitude is everything.  I just couldn't believe this was how I was going to die.  I saw it as another obstacle in life in a life full of obstacles and I just got through it.  If it comes back I'll do it again.  

    I never changed my diet or having a glass of wine or a martini.  The cancer was already here so I wanted to enjoy my life no matter what. That's just me, lots of people feel differently.  But I've never regretted it.

    Wishing all the best to your sister and you.

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