Husband's surgery Monday

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beccab1
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Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:37 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC

Husband's surgery Monday

Postby beccab1 » Wed Jul 14, 2010 9:54 am

Hi all! My husband's surgery is scheduled for Monday. He is having laparoscopic procedure and will have colonic j pouch and have temp ileostomy til he is finished with adjuvant chemo - Folfox.

He had an excellent response to the radiation - rad onc said it is a night and day difference, can barely feel what remains of the tumor that was almost completely blocking the rectum at diagnosis.

I am going to go back through some of the older posts but if anyone has any advice regarding surgery, ostomy, etc... I would appreciate it!

Thanks!
Becca
My husband, Eric, dx @ age 35
Stage IIIb RC (T3N1M0), 3/10
Finished 6 weeks rad/xeloda 5/10
Surgery 7/10, Lap LAR, Colonic J Pouch, Temp. Ileostomy
ypT2N0M0
Xelox (5 rounds)
Takedown 12/13/10
Clear CT - 2011-2015

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BrownBagger
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Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:56 pm
Location: Central NYS

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby BrownBagger » Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:41 am

Sounds like progress, Becca. I had similar results from chemo/rad, followed by the LAR, colonic J-pouch and temp loop ileostomy. Mine wasn't laproscopic, however, so he should recover much more quickly and with less pain and risk of infection. That's good.

I really didn't like the bag, and my surgeon recommended that I get it reversed before chemo, so that's what I did, and I'm really glad. Adjusting to a reversal can be tough, but I was more than happy to grit it out if it didn't mean having to deal with the bag. So 10 weeks after my main surgery, I was back for the reversal. My point is that it's an option, and one you and your husband should be aware of.

Good luck on the surgery. This stuff is pretty routine in the big scheme of things, but it's a big deal if you or a loved one is involved.
Eric, 58
Dx: 3/09, Stage 4 RC
Recurrences: (ongoing, lung, bronchial cavity, ribs)
Major Ops: 6/ RFA: 3 /bronchoscopies: 8
Pelvic radiation: 5 wks. Bronchial radiation—brachytheray: 3 treatments
Chemo Rounds (career):136
Current Chemo Cocktail: Xeloda & Erbitux & Irinotecan biweekly
Current Cocktail; On the Wagon (mostly)
Bicycle miles post-dx 10,477
Motto: Live your life like it's going to be a long one, because it just might, and then you'll be glad you did.

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Bev G
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Location: Quechee, VT

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby Bev G » Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:26 pm

Hi Becca:

Best of luck to you and your husband for surgery Monday. It's fantastic that the pre-op prep worked to well.

I'll be thinking of you and sending you both lots of hugs.

All the best!

Bev
58 yo Type1 DM 48 years
12/09 Stage IV 2/22 nodes + liver met, colon resec
3 tx FOLFIRI, liver resec 4/10
9/10 6 mos off chemo, Neg PET&CTC CEA nl
2/11 finished total 10 rounds chemo

9/13 ^17th clean PET/CT NED for now

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RayGirl
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Location: Texas

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby RayGirl » Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:36 pm

Yeah for radiation working! Hopefully he'll have a quick surgery too!

I have the temp ileo and plan to keep through chemo. It really isn't as bad as I envisioned it. If you have a chance you may want to meet with a certified ostomy nurse (my surgeon suggested one). She can walk you through everything while your husband is not on pain meds and she may even help select the best location for the stoma. I think the worse thing is finding pants that worked best.

She also gave me a list of foods to avoid and I swear every hospital meal provided had at least one of them! If I find it I'll send you a message. I've slowly worked some of the foods back in my diet, but it was nice to have something more detailed then I could find on the web.
Stage III Rectal: T3, 3/21 Nodes
dxn:Feb-10
Radiation&Xeloda
7.5 hr surgery
12th FOLFOX Nov-10
Takedown:Jan-11

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

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beccab1
Posts: 624
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Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby beccab1 » Wed Jul 14, 2010 2:09 pm

Thanks guys!

Eric - I know you are big into cycling. I know it isn't even close to the same thing but I started spin classes at my gym a couple months ago to help relieve some stress - WOW! What a workout! Maybe some day I will try the outdoor version :D
My Eric has thought about doing the reversal pre chemo depending on the pathology report we get back. With being a stage III his med onc wants to get him started asap after surgery so we will see.

Bev - Are you a Steelers fan? I'm from a little town about an hour outside of Pittsburgh, my husband too.

RayGirl - if you come across the food list that would be awesome! He will be meeting with an ostomy nurse but I would like to get prepared ahead of time.

Thanks again! :D
My husband, Eric, dx @ age 35
Stage IIIb RC (T3N1M0), 3/10
Finished 6 weeks rad/xeloda 5/10
Surgery 7/10, Lap LAR, Colonic J Pouch, Temp. Ileostomy
ypT2N0M0
Xelox (5 rounds)
Takedown 12/13/10
Clear CT - 2011-2015

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Bev G
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Facebook Username: Bev Golde
Location: Quechee, VT

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby Bev G » Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:05 pm

Hi Becca:

We are HUGE Steelers fans (we call them something that sounds like "Stillers" here--were are not Pittsburgh natives, but that's what the natives call them). It's funny, because I haven't been interested in football since I was a child in DC and would go to 'Skins games with my Dad, but we sure love it now.

Good luck again for Monday!

All the best, Bev
58 yo Type1 DM 48 years
12/09 Stage IV 2/22 nodes + liver met, colon resec
3 tx FOLFIRI, liver resec 4/10
9/10 6 mos off chemo, Neg PET&CTC CEA nl
2/11 finished total 10 rounds chemo

9/13 ^17th clean PET/CT NED for now

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BrownBagger
Posts: 7954
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:56 pm
Location: Central NYS

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby BrownBagger » Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:38 pm

Becca, I think it boils down to how comfortable he is with the ileostomy. If the bag's not a drag, then I'd keep it on through chemo, as it undoubtedly would make things easier. I didn't have a problem with diarrhea during chemo, but constipation was a pretty big issue, and it wouldn't have been with the ileostomy. Reversals can be tough for a couple of months (or longer) and he might not want to combine the crapitude that is chemo with reversal issues if they're right on top of one another as you suggest they might be.

I think men, for whatever reason, are less tolerant of the bag than women. Perhaps enduring a menstrual cycle for all those years gives women enough experience with accessories to where fooling around with the prep and changing/draining the bag to where it's not as big a deal. Or maybe you're just more patient. Personally, I couldn't get rid of the damn thing soon enough.
Eric, 58
Dx: 3/09, Stage 4 RC
Recurrences: (ongoing, lung, bronchial cavity, ribs)
Major Ops: 6/ RFA: 3 /bronchoscopies: 8
Pelvic radiation: 5 wks. Bronchial radiation—brachytheray: 3 treatments
Chemo Rounds (career):136
Current Chemo Cocktail: Xeloda & Erbitux & Irinotecan biweekly
Current Cocktail; On the Wagon (mostly)
Bicycle miles post-dx 10,477
Motto: Live your life like it's going to be a long one, because it just might, and then you'll be glad you did.

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RayGirl
Posts: 1282
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:21 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby RayGirl » Thu Jul 15, 2010 6:15 am

Sent you a PM with the list (I need to format it a little neater before I'd post to board).
The message is in my outbox rather than sent folder so not sure what that means!?! If you don't see it in your inbox let me know!

Enjoy these last few hectic days!
Stage III Rectal: T3, 3/21 Nodes
dxn:Feb-10
Radiation&Xeloda
7.5 hr surgery
12th FOLFOX Nov-10
Takedown:Jan-11

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

SkiFletch
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Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:39 pm
Facebook Username: Michael Fletcher
Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby SkiFletch » Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:06 am

Good luck Becca, hope things go well for you and eric :)
11/13/09 5cm Stage IV 9/25 lymph nodes w/2cm peritoneal met at 29 YoA
12/15/09 LA right hemi-colectomy
6/16/10 Folfox FINISHED
8/10/10 Prophylactic HIPEC
10/9/10 got Married :D
Still NED and living life to the fullest

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life."

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joeyooser
Posts: 1273
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:43 pm

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby joeyooser » Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:42 am

Good luck with it - the bag is a real mental challenge to adapt to, but I think it helps to know it's temporary.
Tim
Stage IIIc - 9/23 lymph nodes, poorly diff, 35yo father of 2.
Lap resection Jul 28 09 resulted in near-deadly leak
Finished chemo Feb '10; Takedown March '10;
Nov 2010 - carcinomatosis
May 2011 - Clinical Trial, failed out of trial, in hospice care

530jgs
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:49 pm
Facebook Username: 530jgs

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby 530jgs » Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:31 am

becca, i too had a laparoscopic lar for my stage III rectal cancer. i had a large tumor that responded well like your husband to the chemo and radiation. my rectal ultrasound before tx suggested 3-4 positive nodes. during the surgery they found the tumor essentially gone except for "lake beds" amd all of my nodes negative. i went in on a monday and walked out of the hospital friday and actually was able to walk a cpuple of blocks of san francisco. a week later i was walking on a treadmill at the gym. i was unable to have a j pouch do to anatomy but a straight anastomosis. the bag was a drag but i was able to participate in a 100k bike ride and i was able to snorkle in hawaii. i was stuck with my bag longer than i wanted because i developed a large asymptomatic dvt in my inf vena cava that was caught by ct a week before my reversal. 6 months of coumadin and 3 months ago my reversal which has gone pretty well. i wish your husband good health and good resolution to this disease. by the way where is your husband having his surgery? mine was done by a great woman at uc sf, dr. varma. i had to convince my oncologist to have the surgery laparoscopically because 5 yr outcomes were not mature. however within the last yr data for laparoscopic lar has come out and it is very good. good luck...jim

STAGE III RECTAL CANCER
XELODA RAD, LAR WITH ILEOSTOMY
XELOX, TAKE DOWN 3 MONTHS AGO

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karin
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Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:24 am
Facebook Username: Karin Tobin Fagner
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby karin » Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:56 am

sending prayers and strong positive thoughts for his upcoming surgery!!!
Luv and hugs,
Karin
Karin
BFF dx'd June09 w CRC & peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis @ age 40
She beat cancer for 20 months!

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CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby CRguy » Thu Jul 15, 2010 11:17 am

beccab1 wrote:I am going to go back through some of the older posts but if anyone has any advice regarding surgery, ostomy, etc... I would appreciate it!Thanks!
Becca


You will get lots of great info combing the archives for sure.

My patient's quicklist would be :
- try to keep a sense of humor (or at least the absurd !) and make friends with the nurses !
- listen to your body, don't tough it out...TAKE THE MEDS and ask for them before you NEED them !
- get moving, walking as soon as you can...gently.
- ask around and take names and numbers for the BEST ostomy nurse you can find...trust me !
- keep in touch here, 'cos we all care and have all been "there"

Cheers and best wishes for a smooth surgery and recovery
In Harmony on the journey
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

rickker20
Posts: 119
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 1:55 pm
Location: Houston Texas

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby rickker20 » Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:32 pm

Good luck with your surgery. Make sure you take your pain meds after surgery when you are at home. I had to get the fentenal patches to control the pain. My pain lasted about 8 weeks. I would get my reversal after the chemo is done.
Rectal Cancer 6/09
Stage 1 T2
9 days of 5fu
2 days of Avastin
5 weeks of Radiation
Lar 9/09 failed
Pull thru surgery 10/09
Rectum Removel,38 lymph nodes remove all cancer free
6 weeks of 5fu & Folfox
Bag reversal 6/10 & Port remove
Cancer free

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Bill5107
Posts: 1376
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 5:50 pm

Re: Husband's surgery Monday

Postby Bill5107 » Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:27 am

Prayers and best wishes from Connecticut
2010-07-02 Dx rectal cancer (Stage 3)
'-07-21 Chemoradiation
'-10-13 APR surgery, 10/18 nodes still active
'-11-22 12x2wk rnds FOLFOX
2011-12-07 Mets X-P
Don't retreat, reload!


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