I agree with pathfinder. There are things you can do to help, but you want to speak with the doc or nurse in his office.

The immediate issues for me were the after surgery pain (I had about a twelve inch long incision in my abdomen). The best thing is to walk as soon as possible after the surgery even if it is for just a few steps. This will help prevent adhesions and other issues. There was also the complete numbness...

I would add that the oils and edible marijuana are much stronger than the smoked leaf, which itself is pretty strong these days. I didn't do the oil or an edible for this reason. Instead I put a very small punch in a one hit pipe took the small hit and exhaled and that was enough to ease the chemo i...

Gas is the bane of my life. If I have to be at some event that will be quiet and around people I will not have so much as a thfft until everyone sits down and the room is quiet. Then it is a continuing embarrassment. It has happened in all sorts of places and once so loud in the Boston Museum of Fin...

I'm with bad luck/genes. I know people who drink like fish and smoke and eat crap and nothing, though that will catch up with them eventually. There are others who lived active healthy lifestyles, even vegans and so on, and they are no longer with us. The one theory that feels like it makes sense, b...

Well worth reaching out to your oncologist especially since your last CT was a year ago. Could be nothing, but best to be sure now with another CEA and then CT scan rather than take a wait and see approach.

Best of luck. Be well and know we're here to help.

Also, poet Donald Hall, former poet laureate of the US, was diagnosed with stage iv in about 1995 and is still kicking around his farm.

I did the mop up chemo too. It was hard, but I made it through. As you go along there are a lot of people here who can help with dealing with side effects.

I had fairly severe neuropathy up to my knees and elbows, but after treatment I walked as much as I could stand without pushing too hard and used my hands to type and so on. After a while it eased considerably so that it is only in the tips of my fingers and bottoms of my feet.

As to chemo questions: Chemo affects everyone differently and there are a range of side effects he can experience. Some people have very little problems while others get very sick. I was among the very sick. As to premeds, you have to be careful you don't take something that lessens the effectivenes...

Stage iv two and a half years ago with a 5 cm tumor in my liver after rectal cancer. Still sweating it, but knock on wood so far so good.

I have a colostomy and irrigate as well as take senna. I try to only take the senna when I am backed up, but the irrigation works well most days. Every so often it falls short.

PS

You also have to play around with diet. The big problem is that the things that help keep you regular also tend to cause gas. Nuts and raw carrots are okay for me, but I wish I could eat far more veggies without terrible gas.

Since the chemo I am perpetually constipated. The first thing is to drink plenty of water. Also warm liquids at night and in the morning such as an herb tea. I also use Senakot that has a stool softener and that keeps things moving. You have to kind of experiment around, but the chemo did a number o...