Gaelen, Thanks so much for your words of wisdom! They definitely added to the understanding -- and calmed down the panic. The quote from Eleanor is perfect. I'm not going to let anyone take away my hope. I made an appointment for a second opinion with another onc. The difference was night and day. T...

Thanks, everyone, for your amazing advice and insights! I've decided to go for the port. I'm making the appt with the vascular surgeon today. I have another port-related question. How soon did you have chemo after getting the port? The onc said they could leave a needle in it and I could come back t...

My onc wants me to have a port, but I'm scared of having one put in. I know the port makes it easier to administer the chemo, but are there other advantages? The onc said something about some chemo "burning" when it goes in the vein. The implication was that it wouldn't do that with a port...

Thanks for responding, BrownBagger! How often do they measure your CEA levels? What about CT scans? I would think they measure CEA levels more often from drawing blood, and CT scans only every 3 months, but I'm such a newbie to this whole thing that I don't know. If they just use CT scans, wouldn't ...

Thank you, gofisch! I am trying to breathe deep, but I'm really terrified. The Ativan sounds like it might help. Do I ask the oncologist for it? Are there any side effects from it (drowsiness, etc.)? Or do you only take it at night? I'm sure I'll have some more questions for you soon. It's good to k...

SkiFletch, Your explanation makes sense. I'm also very happy and relieved to hear there are folks on the board who've received an even graver diagnosis and are still around many years later. My initial visit with the onc was frightening. She talked about how much I wouldn't be able to do, less quali...

Hi, Skip, I tried to PM you, but it said I wasn't allowed to yet. Maybe because I'm a new member? Could you try PM-ing me? I'd like to know if you're using a pump with the FOLFOX, and if so, how it's working out for you. My CEA is really low. It's 7.4. Does that mean I have the type of tumor that do...

I just asked my oncologist yesterday if my CAT scan would serve as a mammogram and she said no, that it doesn't give enough detail. She said standard protocol is to have a mammogram, and if a problem shows up, to have an MRI, which shows a lot more detail. I like your "bad genes canceling each ...

Hi, everyone, I was diagnosed yesterday with Stage 4 rectal cancer. Needless-to-say, I'm terrified, especially since I have no history of cancer in my family. I've always been one of those "health nuts" who ate right and exercised daily. I've never even been in a hospital before and didn't...