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Author Topic:   Cancer Survivors
Asgara
Member (Idle past 2302 days)
Posts: 1783
From: Wisconsin, USA
Joined: 05-10-2003


(2)
Message 271 of 325 (669540)
07-30-2012 6:41 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by RAZD
01-03-2007 10:30 PM


Cancer Survivor's Club
Hello Paul/RAZD
Can I join your cancer survivor's club? I don't have the time/experience you have but I do plan on gaining it.
I was just (two weeks ago) diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. I've had a colon resection, spent a week in hospital and just today got my Power Port installed. I start chemo next week.
Looking forward to matching you year for year.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by RAZD, posted 01-03-2007 10:30 PM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 272 by RAZD, posted 07-30-2012 8:21 PM Asgara has not replied
 Message 273 by ramoss, posted 07-31-2012 2:04 PM Asgara has not replied
 Message 276 by Trixie, posted 08-01-2012 3:27 PM Asgara has replied
 Message 277 by RAZD, posted 08-01-2012 8:08 PM Asgara has replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1404 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(2)
Message 272 of 325 (669553)
07-30-2012 8:21 PM
Reply to: Message 271 by Asgara
07-30-2012 6:41 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Hi Asgara
Can I join your cancer survivor's club? I don't have the time/experience you have but I do plan on gaining it.
Yes, we have an open membership format, including care-givers and just people that care.
I was just (two weeks ago) diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. I've had a colon resection, spent a week in hospital and just today got my Power Port installed. I start chemo next week.
:cry:
Sad to hear that. My uncle Walt had that (among other health problems). Ports are the way to go. Do you know yet what are you getting?
I was dropped from the clinical study because it failed to prevent an incident of lyphedema in the whole right leg (swoll up like a water balloon), and am now on another treatment.
I am now on day 3 of 5 day 24 hour treatment that needs to be repeated for four months -- 1 week in hosp and 3 weeks off.
My new umbilical cord, and my coffee machine (at least this isn't ICU and I can have my morning coffee when I wake up)
Looking forward to matching you year for year.
Or be cured! (let's get that stem cell research going).
Enjoy.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 271 by Asgara, posted 07-30-2012 6:41 PM Asgara has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 275 by ramoss, posted 07-31-2012 2:47 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied
 Message 280 by New Cat's Eye, posted 08-01-2012 11:12 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
ramoss
Member (Idle past 611 days)
Posts: 3228
Joined: 08-11-2004


(1)
Message 273 of 325 (669612)
07-31-2012 2:04 PM
Reply to: Message 271 by Asgara
07-30-2012 6:41 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Good luck into going into remission.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 271 by Asgara, posted 07-30-2012 6:41 PM Asgara has not replied

  
cavediver
Member (Idle past 3643 days)
Posts: 4129
From: UK
Joined: 06-16-2005


(2)
Message 274 of 325 (669613)
07-31-2012 2:22 PM
Reply to: Message 264 by RAZD
07-26-2012 2:05 PM


Re: Once again, into the valley ...
My return just missed your announcement, so only just seen it now. You're a tough "old" bastard and you certainly inspire me with how you deal with your trials. I'm rooting for you - go give that cancer hell.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 264 by RAZD, posted 07-26-2012 2:05 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
ramoss
Member (Idle past 611 days)
Posts: 3228
Joined: 08-11-2004


(1)
Message 275 of 325 (669614)
07-31-2012 2:47 PM
Reply to: Message 272 by RAZD
07-30-2012 8:21 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Hum. IV bag and coffee machine... Hum... Hum... what a combination that could be.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 272 by RAZD, posted 07-30-2012 8:21 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
Trixie
Member (Idle past 3705 days)
Posts: 1011
From: Edinburgh
Joined: 01-03-2004


(2)
Message 276 of 325 (669695)
08-01-2012 3:27 PM
Reply to: Message 271 by Asgara
07-30-2012 6:41 PM


Rooting for Asgara
Rooting for you, Asgara. Shocking news, but my money's on you to beat it!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 271 by Asgara, posted 07-30-2012 6:41 PM Asgara has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 278 by Asgara, posted 08-01-2012 8:24 PM Trixie has not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1404 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(2)
Message 277 of 325 (669706)
08-01-2012 8:08 PM
Reply to: Message 271 by Asgara
07-30-2012 6:41 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Hi again Asgara
I just got unplugged so I will be home tomorrow ... until the next round next month anyway.
... I start chemo next week.
Just to say that the first time is the scariest -- you don't know what's going on and you've heard all the horror stories. It passes. It becomes your new normal. You will survive.
Enjoy.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 271 by Asgara, posted 07-30-2012 6:41 PM Asgara has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 279 by Asgara, posted 08-01-2012 8:32 PM RAZD has replied

  
Asgara
Member (Idle past 2302 days)
Posts: 1783
From: Wisconsin, USA
Joined: 05-10-2003


(1)
Message 278 of 325 (669707)
08-01-2012 8:24 PM
Reply to: Message 276 by Trixie
08-01-2012 3:27 PM


Re: Rooting for Asgara
Thanks Trixie, It actually makes me feel good to have supporters around the world

This message is a reply to:
 Message 276 by Trixie, posted 08-01-2012 3:27 PM Trixie has not replied

  
Asgara
Member (Idle past 2302 days)
Posts: 1783
From: Wisconsin, USA
Joined: 05-10-2003


(2)
Message 279 of 325 (669709)
08-01-2012 8:32 PM
Reply to: Message 277 by RAZD
08-01-2012 8:08 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
RAZD you are my hero!
I had my port installed on Monday and have my PET scan on Friday. On Wed of next week I start chemo. I will be in the chemo "lounge" most of the day for some of it and come home for two days with a pump. I will be on a cocktail called FOLFOX along with Avastin which is currently the gold standard for colon cancer.
Before I had surgery on the 14th I did have a CT scan and they didn't find anything else other than my ovary. From ready on support forums it sounds like the CT scan is how most follow ups are being handled. That this one seemed clear gives me hope for a good result from the PET scan.
I was told my lymph nodes were clear but I don't know how many they took to look at.
My oncologist seems great so far. He is matter of fact and informative but he made me feel so positive about remission. He even let my daughter use the word cure without batting an eye. He is all for getting me to Mayo for a second opinion if we feel it's necessary.
I am still in shock a bit. This has been a rollercoaster three weeks and I still have the crying jags periodically but I am fighting and will continue to fight.
Thank you everyone for your support.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 277 by RAZD, posted 08-01-2012 8:08 PM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 281 by RAZD, posted 08-02-2012 6:18 AM Asgara has replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


(2)
Message 280 of 325 (669724)
08-01-2012 11:12 PM
Reply to: Message 272 by RAZD
07-30-2012 8:21 PM


(let's get that stem cell research going).
No shit!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 272 by RAZD, posted 07-30-2012 8:21 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1404 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 281 of 325 (669741)
08-02-2012 6:18 AM
Reply to: Message 279 by Asgara
08-01-2012 8:32 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Hi Asgara,
Before I had surgery on the 14th I did have a CT scan and they didn't find anything else other than my ovary. From ready on support forums it sounds like the CT scan is how most follow ups are being handled. That this one seemed clear gives me hope for a good result from the PET scan.
I also get a lot of ultrasounds, recently of my liver and heart to make sure they weren't being compromised. Looked like those TV shots of baby ultrasounds with a weird kid inside .
I am still in shock a bit. This has been a rollercoaster three weeks and I still have the crying jags periodically but I am fighting and will continue to fight.
Yeah, I was in denial my first time.
As long as we can hang on there are new remedies being constantly developed. The latest I heard was doing full DNA and RNA typing to see what areas were causing the cancer -- it was being done by a group looking at leukemia, and one of the doctors realized that he had it himself ... he said the floor dropped out from under him. But the put him in the study and sequenced it all and found a section in his RNA that was producing a protein that was causing the cancer, more astounding there was already a drug approved to treat it, and he is in full remission.
As sequencing continues to drop in cost and time to run I see this becoming a standard part of cancer treatment - isolating the sub-types of cancers and their loci, and focusing the treatments there.
A future thanks to the knowledge gained through biological science.
Enjoy.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 279 by Asgara, posted 08-01-2012 8:32 PM Asgara has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 282 by Asgara, posted 08-08-2012 6:01 PM RAZD has replied

  
Asgara
Member (Idle past 2302 days)
Posts: 1783
From: Wisconsin, USA
Joined: 05-10-2003


(4)
Message 282 of 325 (670094)
08-08-2012 6:01 PM
Reply to: Message 281 by RAZD
08-02-2012 6:18 AM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
I had my power-port installed last week Monday.
I had my PET/CT scan on Friday of last week. Had to wait till this morning to get results. My anxiety level was pushing ceiling levels.
Today was my first chemo.
We walked into the doc's office to meet with him before going back to the chemo lounge. He came in saying scans were clear. Only thing lighting up was surgery sites due to lingering inflammation.
My CEA marker went from 90 pre-surgery to 8.5, again possibly due to surgical inflammation still.
Accessing the port was much easier than I expected and other than falling asleep for a bit due to benadryl, the actual chemo infusion went well. I am getting the FOLFOX 6 cocktail. I was suppose to start Avastin also but since my incision isn't fully healed yet I get to wait on this for several sessions. The Avastin can prolong wound healing. He said we'll wait on this until incision has been fully healed for at least 4 weeks.
I have a pump on with more chemo that I wear for the next 46 hours. They showed my daughter and I how to take the pump off ourselves so we don't necessarily have to go back to office to get it removed on Friday.
So far no side effects and I am feeling so much better right now.

Asgara
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"
Save lives! Click here!
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A Pain In My Ass | my journey through colon cancer

This message is a reply to:
 Message 281 by RAZD, posted 08-02-2012 6:18 AM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 283 by jar, posted 08-08-2012 6:05 PM Asgara has not replied
 Message 284 by RAZD, posted 08-09-2012 6:51 AM Asgara has not replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 393 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 283 of 325 (670095)
08-08-2012 6:05 PM
Reply to: Message 282 by Asgara
08-08-2012 6:01 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Great news.

Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 282 by Asgara, posted 08-08-2012 6:01 PM Asgara has not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1404 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(2)
Message 284 of 325 (670136)
08-09-2012 6:51 AM
Reply to: Message 282 by Asgara
08-08-2012 6:01 PM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Hi Asgara,
That has been like my normal experiences with chemo. Keep it up.
This last time, however, has been my worst to date, with nausea and cramps persisting for days. I seem to be coming out of it now, but it's almost a week since the 4 day 24 hour infusion stopped. Got home Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning were okay, but the afternoon, all day Sunday and Monday were agony. I couldn't keep anything down (a Tums came back so fast it was still sweet and minty) and finally resorted to medical marijuana (RI lets you register to use it with a doctors approval) and it cleared up. I was amazed.
Paul
Edited by RAZD, : .

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 282 by Asgara, posted 08-08-2012 6:01 PM Asgara has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 285 by fearandloathing, posted 08-09-2012 7:58 AM RAZD has seen this message but not replied
 Message 287 by onifre, posted 08-12-2012 11:27 AM RAZD has replied
 Message 292 by New Cat's Eye, posted 08-13-2012 5:27 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
fearandloathing
Member (Idle past 4144 days)
Posts: 990
From: Burlington, NC, USA
Joined: 02-24-2011


(1)
Message 285 of 325 (670139)
08-09-2012 7:58 AM
Reply to: Message 284 by RAZD
08-09-2012 6:51 AM


Re: Cancer Survivor's Club
Hi RAZD,
I don't know if you have ever tried Marinol, Dronabinol? I have a friend who took it and had good results.
Just thought I would mention it in case you, or anyone else, wasn't aware of it. Best wishes to you and Asgara.

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
― Edward R. Murrow
"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them" - Ray Bradbury

This message is a reply to:
 Message 284 by RAZD, posted 08-09-2012 6:51 AM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
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