Kicking and Screaming

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SkiFletch
Posts: 6361
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:39 pm
Facebook Username: Michael Fletcher
Location: Buffalo, NY

Kicking and Screaming

Postby SkiFletch » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:17 am

Five years ago today (Friday the 13th no less) I woke up groggy from my first ever colonoscopy at the young age of 29 and heard those fateful words. Following surgery I learned initial testing was insufficient and what we thought was easily treatable colon cancer became a nearly lethal Stage IV diagnosis with peritoneal spread. I had already been devouring every piece of information I could about CRC by that point and that was the largest mind F of my life. My onc told me the stats despite me already knowing them: 10% 5 year survival, 5% or less progression free survival. Well, for anyone that was wondering, miracles do happen. Tears run down out of my eyes as I am able to finally say I made it! 5 years. Moreover, progression free. Dragged those statistics up kicking and screaming the whole way!

The range of thoughts and emotions as I type this is remarkable. I am filled with joy, humility, sadness, thanks, love and even still a modicum of skepticism all within the flash of an instant. My mind flitters from ‘You frigging made it!’ to thanking God and all the people who have gotten me this far to ‘Why do I get to be the lucky one?’ to love for my wife for sticking around when she could have bolted and finishing up with a healthy dose of ‘Pinch me, there’s no way this is real.’ They all sort of congeal together in the melting pot that is my continuous consciousness.

No matter what, I am truly blessed to be alive today. It is only with a heavy dose of tremendous medical care, a heaping side of prayer, and a big stinking pile of swung chickens from the wonderful support here that I’m still able to write these words. Each day of my life has been a blessing the magnitude of which I’ve only been able to realize since that fateful day 5 years ago.

As always such good news does not exist in a vacuum and it stands alongside the struggles of countless others both here on this board and throughout the world. I do not mean to write this to brag or detract from anyone’s personal struggles. I will however always, always, always remember first reading this site and then joining shortly after my diagnosis. My first lurking happened the afternoon following that scope in the hospital bed. I SCOURED these boards looking for good news. It was the ONLY thing that kept me sane that evening and allowed me to sleep. There was at least some comfort in the knowledge that however bad it could get, there was at least a chance. Shortly thereafter I promised myself that if I ever “made it” in my cancer journey that I would make sure to pay it forward. So consider this former scared kid’s debt the tiniest bit paid. If you’re newly joined or newly diagnosed and lurking, there is hope. If I can still be here today, so can you.

It’s been a unique transition from worrying about cancer to living life as though it never happened. Some memories of the experience are forever burned into my mind. Others are a fog of uncertainty. Regardless, the levels of fear, anxiety, and stubborn drive/focus to beat this have been de-throned. Replaced by normalcy and the challenges of new fatherhood. I’ve had to re-invent what defines me many times in the last 5 years, though I imagine that’s just life. I hope and pray that going forward I can be a good man and a quiet help to any others who have to trudge down the road I travelled. In the short term though, it is time for dinner, 18 year Glenlivet (still corked waiting for this day), some quality time for the family, and a Bills game on national TV. I hope there can be countless days of those things for everyone here reading this.

So everybody, I'm giving yourselves an excuse. Enjoy a glass of your favorite refreshment in honor of miracles. Cheers!
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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CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby CRguy » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:35 am

WORD !
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

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lemonzinger
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2014 1:12 am
Location: San Francisco, California

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby lemonzinger » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:53 am

Awesome! Thank you for posting!!!! Enjoy your celebration, today and every day.
Rectal, dx 9/2013 (age 38)
Stage 3b T3N1M0
5 wks radiation w/ 5FU
LAR & temp ileo 1/2014 - 0 of 20 nodes
8 cycles FOLFOX - finished 6/2014
Ileo reversal 8/2014
slightly enlarged lymph nodes in original tumor area - stable since 2015
NED - clear scans 3/2018, 6/2019
NED - Clear colonoscopy 10/2019

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kirac
Posts: 258
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:34 pm

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby kirac » Thu Nov 13, 2014 2:50 am

So happy you posted. Great to hear your good news.
Husband (Age 36) 1/13 Dx Stage 3B rectal cancer
3/13 Chemoradiation
6/13 Tumor removed, Temp ileo, 1/15 nodes
7/13 Chemo = Oxaliplatin, Xeloda
1/14 Reversal
7/14 NED, CEA 1.8
12/14 CLEAR CT scan! NED

http://kickingasscancer.com/

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ANDRETEXAS
Posts: 662
Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:01 am
Location: Austin, Texas (University of Tennessee alumnus)

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby ANDRETEXAS » Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:27 am

Congratulations. There is always hope, and prayers do come true.
2/10/14 - Colon resect
2/13 - DX- Stage IIIb
6 of 18 lymph nodes cancerous
3/7 - Port placed
3/11 - FOLFOX (12 rds w/full oxi)
8/14 - Chemo finish
8/25 - CT- Inc
9/5 - clean PET
12/10- clean CT

3/2/15 - Clean colonoscopy & port removed
3/4 - clean CT
9/21- clean CT

3/23/16 - clean CT

2/22/17- clean CT

3/21/18 - clean CT
4/1 - clean colonoscopy

3/11/19 - clean CT
9/23 - Five-year release - Annual visits now !

4/13/23 - clean colonoscopy

ONE DAY AT A TIME !

midlifemom
Posts: 1358
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:58 am
Location: NJ

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby midlifemom » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:41 am

Congrats! It's great news.
Stage 3 cc - dx Jan '14 age 53, cea 2.9
t2n2m0, KRAS mutant, MSS
Folfox Feb - Aug '14
Nov '14 cea 27.7 -2 liver masses
Dec '14 left lobectomy and HAI
Jan '15 FUDR and FOLFIRI
Aug '15 fudr done, liver clear, add avastin for lungs. Cea 4.3
Feb '16 CEA rising
May '16 2 wk break then drop Iri for 6 weeks.
Jul '16 cancer grew, constricted main bile duct. Stent inserted. On break till jaundice clears. CEA climbing. Doing reduced Folfox. Allergic to Oxali.
Sep'16 chemo failed. Trial or hospice?

pog451
Posts: 799
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:11 am
Facebook Username: andrew.morgan

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby pog451 » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:46 am

Congratulations! Bend those stats.
09.11 Dx @ 46, uT3uN1M0 G2
11.11 radio+Xeloda
01.12 LAR
03.12 Xeloda
09.12 Liver mets, 2 LN
09.12 Folfox+Avastin
02.13 Resection
04.13 Folfox & Avastin
11.13 Local recurrence
02-07.14 FOLFIRINOX
08.14 Re-rediation
Left us 28.05.2015

michelle c
Posts: 1929
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:58 am

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby michelle c » Thu Nov 13, 2014 6:35 am

Cheers to you, Skifletch! I am so happy for you. I am also five years from diagnosis - well, almost five and a half actually. I was told that my cancer was aggressive and I still remember those early days. I remember hoping and praying to make it five years past diagnosis. I can relate to what you said - you say it well.

I was happy to see you post - I was just thinking that I haven't seen you around here lately. Please keep in touch with us here - you have so much to give and have so much knowledge to share. Please don't leave for as long as you did last time :D
I missed you, as I'm sure many of your friends did too.

My warmest wishes to you, Kelly and dear little Grace. May you remain NED always.

Love ya xx ❤❤❤
May 25 2009 Dx with CC (sigmoid colon) 2 days after my 44th b'day
CEA prior to surgery 4.7
Jun 3 2009 LAR - Stage III 3/10 lymph nodes
Jul 6 - Dec 10 2009 - 12 cycles FOLFIRI
Genetic testing - inconclusive for Lynch
Jul 2012 port removed & hernia repair

mymom
Posts: 1299
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Connecticut

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby mymom » Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:06 am

Fabulous!!!!!!!!!
Stage 4 CC DX 5/11
colon/livr rsct 5/11(1 met)
Folfox July-11/11
NED to 5/12
New Primry BC-4/12,Stage 1
2 livermet 5/2012
Liver rsct,HAI 6/12,Folfiri
NED to 10/13,1 liver met,ablation, Folfiri
NED to 12/14, another spot
3/15 NED
Ablation 1 liver met 10/15
1/16-current NED
6/22- small spot liver again, ablation oct 2023

Asterix
Posts: 333
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:51 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby Asterix » Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:24 am

Thanks for posting. Enjoy the scotch!
Stage IVb age 37 Nov11
FOLFOX+Avastin, Xeloda+Avastin
1 year NED
regorafenib Oct13-Feb14
lymph node, lung, spine, rib and liver mets
GNAQ Q209P mutation > Mekinist Jul14
Radiation bone mets Aug14
Pain>hospital Oct14
FOLFIRI Nov14 >
Home Xmas 14

jdepp
Posts: 488
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:53 pm

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby jdepp » Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:11 am

We miss you around here but we're proud of you & grateful for all you've done for this site. Be well, live long, & prosper!
Colon dx 08 @ 41 Poorly diff. 12+ liver mets, 19/28 LN
Colon rsx /14 x Folfox-Erbitux 08-09
PVE / Liver rsx 09
Lung & LN mets 10
Folfiri, Xeloda, Avastin 10-13
Xelox, Erbitux, UFUR, TS-1, Oxi, Lonsurf 14-16
Stivarga & TIL trial 16
Brain lesion, RO688 trial 18

canadiandaughter
Posts: 676
Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:19 am

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby canadiandaughter » Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:19 am

Awesome news!! So much to be thankful for!!
DD to 81 year old father
dx 24/07/14 iv cc mets liver/lung
folifiri started 19/07/14
shrinkage of all mets
growth in the liver,started folfox/avastin 80% 13/01/16
reduced to 70% due to side effects 27/01/16
First scan on folfox shows shrinkage in lungs, but liver just stable
6 rounds of vectibix-fail. 3cm growth and new spots showing Waiting for panel recommendations
At peace January 8, 2017

Cj51
Posts: 893
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 5:58 pm
Location: Midwest

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby Cj51 » Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:25 am

Fletch, I lift a mug of freshly roasted Bolivian Microlot coffee in your honor. :-) A big, virtual hug goes out to you, Kelly and Grace. Congratulations!

Love, from my family to yours,
C.
DX Stage IIIb RC, T3N1M0, April 2010, 51
6 wks Xelox/rad 6/10
resection, temp illeostomy 8/10 Complete response!
12 rounds FOLFOX for clean up 9/10, Allergic to Oxi, started Xeloda only 12/10
Ileo takedown 9/28/11
4/2020 NED

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

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby BrownBagger » Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:26 am

I was just thinking about your miracle the other day, Fletch. Congtratulations!

Do you recall our conversation about four years ago speculating about whether we'd make 5 years? I think we were both confident that we would. We took different routes, but we're both still here, regardless. Unfortunately, the other person associated with that conversation is not.
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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chp
Posts: 74
Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:04 pm
Location: Georgia

Re: Kicking and Screaming

Postby chp » Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:38 am

Fantastic! Wonderful post!
57 yr old female
Dx CC Sept 2012
Resection surgery Sept. 19, 2012
T3 N0 MX. Signet ring cell
Started Xeolda Nov 14
Tiny spots on lungs on 1yr scan. Watching


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