CEA levels can rise and fall for lots of reasons that have nothing to do with cancer, so don't read too much into the CEA values you're reading. Treatment itself can elevation, as can inflammation from a variety of sources, including just having a cold. It's possible your grandma's cancer has spread...

Everyone is different, so don't be too worried if your Dad takes a little longer than other people for the bowels to wake up and the NG tube to be removed. Just from this thread you can see a range of things happening, all of which ended just fine. Nothing you mentioned makes it sound like anything ...

It's really tough when family members end up being part of the problem instead of part of the solution. You and your husband need unconditional support, not constant, passive aggressive criticism. You're obviously doing the very best you can. I wouldn't take what your in-laws say to heart. I think w...

What made Alabama your target destination?

The reason some people say it's a good indicator and some people say it isn't is because for some people CEA IS a good indicator and for some people it is NOT. It varies from person to person. It can also vary within one person because the cancer might mutate in a way that changes the CEA expression...

It's the club no one wants to join, but once membership is forced on you, you do have some choices regarding how you respond. And hopefully, if you want to turn it into a positive, the rest of your family is of the same mind. There's no question cancer can tear families apart, but it can also bring ...

Very true, but I tend to think of it as forewarned is forearmed. If you know that small changes in CEA don't mean much of anything, it's a little easier to manage the fear. Truth is, I think I've lived with a degree of fear the entire time my Dad has had cancer, but at some point I stopped letting i...

You're definitely doing the right thing by getting a second opinion. It will give you a better sense of whether there are other options and, if so, whether those are options you Mom is willing to pursue. When you're stage IV, there does come a point where the treatment is worse than the disease and ...

A rise from 1.4 to 2.2 is within the margin of error. You also have to keep in mind that CEA is not a static number. If you drew blood and test for CEA this morning and then drew blood and tested again tonight, you wouldn't get the same number, both because no lab test is 100% accurate and because l...

I found that white noise helped me, so I always have a fan on at night. Something else that helped was not trying to push my feelings aside during the day. It's easy to distract yourself when you're busy, but come night time, without the distractions, your mind can really run wild. I've found that i...

One thing to remind yourself is that neither you nor your best friend has had much time to come to terms with the diagnosis, much less the rigors of treatment. Finding a new normal is not easy, it takes time. Certain things seem insurmountable at first, but with some trial and error, patience, luck,...

Lots of sons and daughters on this board. I started a thread for us about 4 years ago called "Adult Kids of Cancer Patients." It's got about 9 pages worth of posts. You might find it interesting/helpful. http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=8465 Whatever you're feeling, ...

So sorry you're having to make these difficult decisions.

Even if you're not ready for hospice, you might want to check into palliative care because it can be a big help with symptom management which will help your quality of life.

You're doing the right thing, seeing a GI doctor. GI problems tend to be pretty unique for each person so it's hard to get a read on what any particular symptom might mean for a specific individual. For the sake of your peace of mind, don't assume the worst case scenario. The strong likelihood is he...

I think ultimately, it's personal preference. Some people don't want to tempt fate by having the port removed. Others feel removing the port can be symbolic of turning the page and moving on. It's probably good to factor in the probability of future need just to avoid the hassle of having to have an...