Glad to report that I have now completed 6 months of chemo (6,000 MG of capecitabine daily). In addition to my cancer diagnosis, I’m a diabetic who suffers from high blood pressure. While on chemo, I was referred by my MSK oncologist (Dr. Leonard Saltz) to a nephrologist (Dr. Insara Jaffer Sathick) ...

It has been said many times already, but I want to say it again: get a second opinion —carefully choosing a doctor who specializes in your cancer type and is affiliated with an NCI-designated cancer center. You want to do everything in your power to prevent diagnostic and staging errors and to obtai...

Thanks for sharing the good news. While you still have a long journey ahead, it’s important to take time to celebrate the milestones along the way.

Glad to report that I started the last of eight cycles of Xeloda (6,000 MG of capecitabine daily). I can hardly wait to close out this chapter of my journey. Side effects include significant skin darkening, rashes and itching, some dehydration, fatigue, and elevated creatinine levels. My hair is als...

Great news! Congratulations!

So sorry to hear of your loss. When I read your post, I thought right away of one of my friends who died of cancer at age 27, leaving behind her husband and one-year-old son. In the aftermath of her passing, we all struggled to cope with our grief and come to grips with her death. We all sought to u...

Most of my time this past Thursday was spent at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York—a truly remarkable place. I met with Dr. Leonard Saltz and a few members of his team who explained that their pathologists analyzed my tumor specimen and arrived at a very different diagnosis. They identified severa...

Great news! Glad it was hemorrhoids and nothing more serious.

I had my lap assisted right hemicolectomy this summer (July 2018). After a few weeks of loose stools, my bowel function improved steadily and has pretty much returned to normal—though I’ve been dealing with occasional constipation and excessive flatulence, which had never been problems for me before...

O Stoma Mia and Beckster, Thank you both for your very helpful posts. I appreciate your knowledge and firsthand experience, and I have read all the material you shared with me. I have confirmed that Memorial Sloan Kettering will provide a second pathology evaluation as part of the overall second-opi...

Thank you for your reply. It's good that you will try to see your doctor about the expanded risk-factor issues. If the conversation shifts to the possibility of doing some kind of chemo instead of your current "no chemotherapy" regimen, then you should be prepared to discuss the area of &...

So sorry for your loss, Lee. The death of a loved one is never easy. Just yesterday we bid farewell to our 69-year-old cousin who died of pancreatic cancer. She was an incredible person—always positive, loving, and courageous. At her funeral yesterday, we were reminded that through a life rich with ...

Wow! Twenty years! Congratulations and best wishes for continued good health.

SleeplessinFlorida wrote:My procedure is at 7 tomorrow. I’m looking forward to getting this out of the way, having a big meal, then going to sleep!

Thinking of you this morning. We're all pulling for you. Let us know how everything turns out.

DX: CC, 7-9-18 @ age 61, male Severe anemia (4.5 g/dl), 5-11-18; colonoscopy, 6-29-18 Stage IIA, T3N0M0 Laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy, 7-16-18 G2, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma in cecum, 4.2 x 3.7 x 0.7 cm 0/24 lymph nodes; no high-risk factors CEA: 3.0 (pre-op, 7-10-18); 0.7...