I've only been reading and posting here for a few months, and wanted to let you know, Brady, how much I valued your comments. I have no suitable words to offer, but I pray for those who are starting their fights, and for those who have travelled so far down this road. Lots of prayer from North Carol...

I don't think this will make a difference if you are in-between rounds, but before your next round, ask about Emend. On day 1 it is given as a shot into the IV (bolus?), on day 2 and day 3 there is a pill each day. The reason I think this is not the answer if you are in the middle of a round, is bec...

Fleece-padded seatbelt covers are the answer! My port-a-cath is on the right side so I only need the cover when I am driving, but I find myself driving less and less these days and they are wonderful on the pasenger side. I got my at an auto-supply store, Walmart and Target may have then. That paddi...

I only had ativan IV the first round but I usually end up taking in sometime on day one to help me settle and get some sleep. To steal somebody's line, "Better living through chemisry!" I'm glad the first round went well, watch for cold sensitivity in hands, feet, and throat. You may also ...

My port and my neck stayed sore for a couple of weeks. I had more pain from that than I had from the colon resection done at the same time. When my neck bothered me so much I felt I couldn't turn my head, they sent me for a sonogram just to be on the same side and look for a blood clot. Nothing ther...

I had colon surgery in 06 and am back on chemo for liver mets. In Oct starting having some blood, scheduled the colonoscopy and had to reschedule twice because the chemo kept kept switching and they wanted it as close to the end of a cycle as possible to have the chemo out of my system. I was an abs...

Glad to hear you got good scan results. You seem pretty worried, but aren't we all in those waiting days? I've heard of others whose CEA is elevated some during oxi treatment, with nothing indicated on scans. Enjoy life and may the next scans also be good.

The orange stuff is probably betadine - a iodine compound used as an antiseptic. I had my port put in as the same time as the colon surgery so I didn't get to shower for 3 days in the hospital. I'm pretty sure if came off then. When the access the port before infusion each time, the swab the area wi...

Congratulations! And admit it, the procedure was not near as bad as your fears. It's not just early screening we have to be proponents for. So many people, just like me, don't feel comfortable discussing "digestive issues.". See, even here, I have trouble not using euphamisms. Plus, I was ...

I'll cast my vote here and how for the white wine flavor! Seriously, I've always wondered how long you would have to be on clear liquids in advance of the colonoscopy for a "good look" without all the prep. I think I'd be willing to go a week, maybe 2. If the OsmoPrep were not available, I...

I had a total hysterectomy along with my liver re-section because the CT scan immediately before showed that the ovarian cyst had gotten larger in three months. They told me in advance that they wanted to take the one ovary, do pathology, and if it showed cancer, do the total hysterectomy. I was 47 ...

Has your wife gotten clean scans after the surgery, and over the course of chemo? If her scans are good, I believe that 12 rounds is generally the protocol and then scans at regular intervals. If she's been having significant side effects over the course of her chemo and the scans look good now, per...

I don't know what evidence there is to support it, but I believe the phenomenon we call "chemo brain" is real. The chemo beats up on everything else in the body, I don't see how it could not affect memory. I was 47 when this started and I can certainly tell the difference in myself. If I d...

I've had the gallon jug of liquid once and now the OsmoPrep twice. I couldn't even do half of the liquid. (Major gag reflex here). I take the 4 pills with at a time with 12 oz of water instead of the recommended 8. At the end of my instructions, after all 32 pills are down, it says to drink 2 cans o...

Alisa, I am so sorry to hear that you have gotten such news to start off the year. I have been on Folfox/Avastin for 20 rounds over all (two separate sets of treatments) and with the leucovorin shortage have now had two rounds of XELOX (Oxi and Xeloda) plus Avastin. So far the Xeloda has been much e...