Newly diagnosed

[kevinlv]

I just stumbled across this web site. I was diagnosed with stage for colon cancer January 20th 2006. I had experienced in my lower quadrant pain during the summer of 2004. September I sell my primary care doctor was worked up and finally saw GI doctor and had then colonoscopy in January 2005. The GI doctor gave me clean bill of health and rule by paying off to train a gas. Then by the summer of 2005 and was feeling weak. Finally I was so weak that in November went back to my primary care doctor. He told me I was anemic and needed to be hospitalized. December 2005 and was hospitalized for four days and receives six units of blood. The doctors were all convinced I had some bleeding in my small intestine and thought it was AVM's. It was not until four weeks later I had capsular endoscopy they discovered a tumor in colon. I was subsequently scoped and given the news I had colon cancer. I was okay with that, that I was given a CAT scan they discovered for liver lesions. I was devastated. I went to UCLA and sought out the best treatment options. The surgon there said I should return to Las Vegas and begin chemotherapy. However the oncologist here thought that chemotherapy was contraindicated because my colon tumor was still bleeding. Now it looks like I'm going to go through surgery this week for colon resection and possibly radio frequency ablation. All very scary and happening very fast.

I will follow a with my progress. Also I am a pharmacist and have been researching some things in the way of nutrition. Has anyone had a success with L-glutamine, or antioxidants.

[ASTEPHENS33]

Welcome! Hopefully you will information and support. I can totally empathisize with how quickly these things happen. (I'm stage III - six weeks after a routine colonoscopy had a resection.) I am now on a regime of Xeloda and have been prescribed Glutamin during the chemo to keep down some of the hand and feet issues by a naturopath. I take a multi-vitamin and B6, but she indicated I should limit green tea or other anti-oxidants while on chemo to minimize interactions. A good website for herbs and botanicals is: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm

[Holly32]

Hi. Are you in Las Vegas? If so, I have the names of a great surgeon and a great oncologist I am seeing. My e-mail is holly324@cox.net. Be strong and God bless. -Holly

[J. R.]

To kevinlv,
I too had unusual pain in late summer 2004...my doctor thought I might be having some gallstone problems and told me to wait and see if it went away...it did, but then came back in Jan. and the pain was so intense I went to emergency thinking I had appendicitis or something. The ER did a CT and found liver masses....
I agree with how fast you get hit with this...one day pain...the next day they tell you you have masses...then you find out it's cancer...then find out how bad it is and off you go into chemo world.
I can sure relate,
Keep up the fight...
J. R.

[Holly]

Kevin,

Welcome to the Colon Club. I was dx with stage IV MCRC in September 2003. I experienced the severe right upper quadrant pain for nearly 12 months before my dx. Only later to find out the pain was the met to my liver. I feel your pain and hope that through this site you find support and strength.

Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Hugs!

Holly

[Guest]

I can relate I was misdiagnosied for over 2 years. I too was in the hospital for a blood transfusion when my Hemoglobin hit 3.5-they stated I was severe anemic and blamed it on woman issue take Iron I was told! I saw all sorts of Doctors from Hemotologists to GI's to Ear Doctor (from horrible ringing in my ears due to lack of oxygen) I had a cat-scan that they misread but I kept on because I knew something was wrong. I decided to get a colonoscopy after doing some research on the net and also finding this web-site! I have to say I was not that surprised after the Colonoscopy when they told me I had a lemon size tumor needed surgery and it was no doubt Cancer. I think I was more surprised after several tests to find out it had spread to the Liver. Needless to say I was devestated and so angry at all the Doctors who did not take me serious! Well in 2 weeks I am suppose to have my last Chemo treatment 2 clean scans so far. The Beast is Beatable you will get there stay positive you can do it! Eileen

[mike c]

hi ,
i also had lower back pain for months, i started seeing my doctor in nov of 2003, and it took untilmay of 2004 and a trip to a different doctor to get my diagnoses of colon cancer, i was stage 4 by then with several mets to the liver. i woke up in lubbock tx after a 5 hour ambulace ride, (the weather was so bad they couldnt fly me) had my resection and in july of 04 started my first round of chemo. folfox with avastin and oxioplatin, o went into remission in nov of 04 and 7 wonderful month treatment free, it came back this time with one large tumor on my liver, un-operable, so i started chemo again after having a cyber knife procedure done in dallas at baylor medical center, i did 11 rounds of chemo starting in aug of 05 with avastin and cpt-11 and just found out im in remission again, hopefully for a long time
it can work miracles
best of luck in everthing
mike

[Guest]

Welcome to the Colon Club! I was diagnosed with stage 4 CC with 3 liver mets in Aug. of 2005. I had colon resection surgery & started chemo the 1st week in September. I am happy to report that I have just completed 12 sessions of chemo & have responded very well... my cea levels are down to 1.5!!!! THere is hope. I am 33 & I have a 14 month old daughter. THis has been a tough road for my family... thank GOD for my amazingly strong husband & my wonerful parents!! Just hang in there. There are so many treatment potions out there. You are young & you are probably going to get some pretty heavy duty chemo. I had problems with side effects & even had an allergic reaction to one of the drugs. During the whole process my red & white cell counts remained high enough to continue treatment & I made it thru!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I have so much hope now that I am getting my strength back & feeling human again. I am looking forward to returning to work after I have liver surgery. The 3 mets on my liver have decreased signifigantly in size as a result of the chemo. (Chemo sucks, but I'm living proof that it WORKS!) Hang in there. You will be amazed at how strong you can be. Keep a stiff upper lip & just repeat the mantra that I used the whole way thru treatment... LOSING IS NOT AN OPTION!!!!!

Best of luck to you... YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
~Becca

[katherine]

hi Kevin,
My sister (28) has stage IV and she has lots of information about alternative herbs/foods. However, she is holding off on mixing her chemo of 5FU with alternatives becuase research on success with chemo is based on a "normed" diet. I have found pretty strong evidence of decreasing tumor size with shark oil, and organic food diet. Hope this helps!

Becca, if you read this can you send me an email to kbfmango@yahoo.com. you have such a wonderful inspiring story i need to share it with my recently diagnosed sister 28. Thanks so much.

Katherine

[Steve]

Hello all and Welcome do not be afraid read my wife’s stories I have posted hear and on the rolling to recovery web site as well as some of the other successes on this site. Cancer is just a word. Nancy and I call it the contamination and we are going to get rid of it like a bad cold. Nancy was dx in November 2004. After feeling sick in the month of October with fever and flu type symptoms. Her first general care doctor suspected what was wrong and sent her for a scan as well as a colonoscopy and the news was back in two days. She went down fast after that and had a full blockage with in days. They did emergency resection surgery removing a softball size tumor from her colon and 5 of 12 lymph nodes were contaminated. She has inoperable liver mets one covers one whole side of her liver. She has been on Chemo for over a year and doing well. The CONTAMINATION is stable but the chemo has not shrunk the tumors in her liver and it has spread to her lungs. However she lives everyday doing whatever she wants to do. (With the exception of the day of her treatment and the day after) Each kind of chemo has different side effects but none have slowed her down. We will go to Jackson, Tennessee on March the 7th 2006 to receive SIRT selective internal radiation therapy. We hope that kills the contamination in her liver then we hope to do Radio Frequency ablation on the smaller spots in her lungs and the spot still in her abdomen. Nancy is also taking supplements and drinks herbal teas prescribed by a Nutritionist who is a cancer survivor her-self. We have changed our diet a little as we did not eat poorly in the first place but cut out some things all together that the Nutritionist told us to. Nancy juices with a commercial grade juicer I bought making mostly carrot and granny smith apple juice. There are new treatments coming everyday. Just look at this web site now there is a vaccine called trovax they are developing. Reach out to others dealing with this and those who are survivors, get inspiration from them. Anyone may E mail me anytime or call me for that matter (864) 376-1378. Finally live each day as a blessing because they are. God never promised us a tomorrow only today. Take charge of your care, the doctors do not know everything and everyone is different. Your attitude is everything and very important to you getting well. God Bless and take care. Thanks go out to Holly and to Molly