Postby Rheaeliza » Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:34 pm
Welcome to our club...I sympathize with what you are going through. I was right there a year ago.
Diagnosed stage 4b at 30 years old in December 2012. I had no family history, and digestive upsets that I kick myself for not getting checked sooner (you have to let that go...you will learn to!) I had spread to the peritoneal cavity, omentum, lymph nodes, ovary, and liver, in addition to my main colon tumor. I was devistated. I woke up crying every day, I had just really gotten my life where I wanted, great friends, awesome jobs, amazing boyfriend, lovely apartment in the East Village in NY...how could this be happening? My oncologist started chemo for me on December 26th. He told me I would probably never be a candidate for surgery. Well I had 15 rounds of chemo...everything...xeloda, irrinotecan, oxaliplatin, avastin. And my cancer shrunk more than he had ever seen. I had my first surgery August 26th...HIPEC with colon resection, hysterectomy, appendix, and gallbladder removal. Had complications in hospital, including a leak in colon resection. Had to have second surgery to do a temporary illeostomy to let the leak heal. Was in the hospital for 3.5 weeks! Recovery was a beast. Wasn't even done recovering when I had my 3rd surgery, liver resection last monday. Got home after 4 days this time though.
My 4th surgery will be revering my illeostomy, can't wait.
I thought that chemo was really hard, but I worked and traveled the whole time. When I got the diagnoses, I thought I couldn't do it. For me though, I did get through that part. Through a lot of the support from people on this board. There were days where I thought I would never get better. Well, guess what? I woke up from liver surgery and my surgeon said "cancer free." I know it can come back, I know I"m not done with these battles. I can barely walk right now and my stomach muscles and incision hurt so bad, and I miss my old life, hell I even miss being on chemo compared to how hard this surgery recovery is, but I look at how much I have been through, how I do have age and health on my side, how I have so much left to do in this life, that I know I can pick myself up and get through this part too, one day at a time. And for the really hard days, there's good pain medication and ativan!
It's going to be hard for you, you probably feel functional now and not tooo "sick" and you are going to have to put your body through some stuff that will make you feel "sicker" just to get "better." It can screw with your mind a little bit. But we are here for you, and please know I am totally here for you too if you ever need to talk. Someone on this board reached out to me right after diagnoses who was my age, similar spread of cancer, and had been diagnosed a year before me. She was a big reason I got through some of those hard days.
Keep your chin up and know that you are going through what is probably the hardest part right now!
best,
Rhea
12/7/12: 30 yrs. old, Dx stage 4b.mets to liver, ovary, nodes, ommentum.
7 months chemo, shrinkage!
8/26/13 HIPEC, colon resection,hysterectomy, appndx, gallbladder out.
9/12/13:leak in colon, temp. loop ileost, home 9/18
11/3/13: liver resect.
1/2014 Ostomy reversal, one week later, abcess surg., fistula, tpn.
No more chemo, NED since 11/13