Busy two weeks for me

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JudeD59
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:16 pm

Busy two weeks for me

Postby JudeD59 » Mon Nov 09, 2015 7:50 pm

Tomorrow I meet with my surgeon to see if incision is closed enough for chemo to begin. It has closed to the size of a belly button, but I don't know how much more it needs to close since it's where my belly button used to be. They have cut through my belly button during three surgeries, so I don't have a true belly button anymore. Not sure if this will stay as is and look like belly button or close all the way to a dimple.

Then on Wednesday, I'm having my portacath put in. Arrive at 8, surgery at 9:30. Same surgeon who did three of my other surgeries so he knows me well. He's knocking me out, but I should be able to go home later that day.

And I just got my schedule for chemo and if surgeon says it's okay, I start Wednesday the 18th. I asked for afternoon and got 1:15. I asked for Monday, but they must have been full, so I got Wednesdays. I'm still terrified, but my youngest daughter recently reminded me that I used to tell all my girls that being brave doesn't mean being unafraid, it means doing something even though you are afraid. Nice of her to throw my own advice in my face, right? :D :wink:

So that's what's up with me. Hope you all have a nice evening.

Judy
56 yrs old, wife, mother to 4 daughters
RC Stage II T3N0M0 DX April 2, 2015
6 cm. mid-rectum-CEA 121
Xeloda and radiation finished 06/15/15- CEA 242
CEA right before surgery 81
LAR performed 8/12/15 Temporary ileostomy
CEA 10-21-15 1.6
PET scan 11-4-15 All clear
Port installed 11/11/15
Folfox started 11/18/15
Folfox stopped due to bad reaction
Reversal 2/17/16
CEA 2/3/16 1.7
CEA 3/31/16 1.3
CT Scan 4/12/16 All Clear
Port removed 4/21/16
CEA 5/24/17 1.4

ams5796
Posts: 2298
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:07 am

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby ams5796 » Mon Nov 09, 2015 8:21 pm

Judy,

It does sound like you have a busy time coming up. Good luck with all of it and take it one day at a time. We'll be here for you.



Ann
Stage 3C (or 4?) Rectal Cancer 01/07
2/10 lung mets
3/11 VATS
6/11 VATS
7/13 lung met
2/14 SBRT
NED 8/14
5/17 scan and MRI found treated spine met

Sams wife
Posts: 753
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 2:49 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby Sams wife » Mon Nov 09, 2015 9:18 pm

Good luck tomorrow. I hope you get to continue treatment. I guess that would be good luck all week!!
Husband dx 1/13/15 St.2 CEA 7.1
Chemo/25rad 2/15 till 4/24/15
5FU/leucovorin
Surgery 6/8/2015 Stage IIa T3N0MX microscopic cancer left
Watching 4 lung spots
0/5 lymph nodes. Lap. APR
25% less 5FU/leucovorin 7/14/2015 x 26 CEA 3.4
25% more 5fu 9/2015
9/16/15 CEA 7.7
1/16/16 @ 9.2 during allergy?
3/16 New lung spot 4x4 mm
6/16 CEA 6.9 spot 5x5

Lydia666
Posts: 676
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 6:50 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby Lydia666 » Mon Nov 09, 2015 9:41 pm

Hi Judy,
I'm right behind you. I'm scared too! I am cheering for you. Really hope it's more bearable than we imagine.
xo
Oct 2012- thyroid cancer
June 19, 2015 Dx@39 yrs- CRC-T3N1M0
No vascular, no perineural invasion
Aug-Sept 2015- 28 rad/5FU
Oct 28, 2015- LAR- temp ileo, neg. nodes- 0/11
March 2016- 6 rounds Xeloda/positive CHEK2 mutation
August 2016- DCIS and decided post prophylactic double mastectomy
May 2018 - clean CT
Sept 2018-clean scope
Devastation, total shock- oct 2018, invasion of peri mets
Dec 20 - 2 round of folfox
Mom to 4 & 7 yrs kids - at least i brought them to this level of independence.

User avatar
SoupRgirl
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:31 am

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby SoupRgirl » Mon Nov 09, 2015 9:55 pm

Will be thinking of you.
Don't you love it when your kids feed you the same advice they've heard from yours truly!! :wink:
Maybe you can ask for a designer belly button...ask for the Kristy Turlington model.
Joking aside, you seem a wonderful example to your daughters. Sending love from Canada,
Maurissa
-Bleeding from bottom since Spring 2015
-Feeling chronically tired summer and fall 2015
-November 2nd 4cm tubulovillious adenoma with focal high-grade dysplasia discovered in rectum during colonoscopy-partly removed
-pathology for polyp/tumor removed shows negative for carcinoma Nov 5
-currently waiting to be booked into surgery to remove remaining polyp/tumour

Rstarrg
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 7:25 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby Rstarrg » Mon Nov 09, 2015 11:41 pm

I am also following close behind you. All my best to you for your upcoming "events"!
Diag rectal 2a 7/27/15
Age 43
9/18/15 completed radi and xeloda
LAR Surgery 10/23/15 w/temp ileo
Started post surgery chemo (xeloda and infusions (8 total) 11/30/15
Completed 7/8 oxiplatin and Zelda
5/17/16 reversal
8/23/16 CT Scan (getting results 8/26)
Widow
Lost husband 7/14 to carcinoma unknown primary
Mother to 3 boys - 15, 13 and 11
NED 8/16, 11/16
Next scan end of 2/17

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3816
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:12 am

Hope that your meeting with your surgeon goes well. Also getting the catheter put in and chemo.*hugs*
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)

JudeD59
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby JudeD59 » Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:37 am

Thanks, everyone!

Port surgeon's office just called. Surgery changed to 2:30, arrive at 1:00. Nice that I don't have to get up so early but not drinking from midnight until then sucks. Don't care about eating, but ileostomy makes me one thirsty girl. Small complaint in the grand scheme of things. I'll just have to drink even more today than usual. Not drinking anything beats drinking bowel prep solution, so there's always a bright side!

You would think instead of midnight, there would be a set amount of hours, like don't eat or drink for eight hours before surgery. Does it make sense that if you are having surgery at 8:00 am, stopping at midnight is safe, but if you are having surgery at 4:00 pm, eating or drinking until 8:00 am isn't? When I asked the nurse who called if I still had to stop drinking at midnight, she said yes. I said, okay, I was just worried because I have an ileostomy and get dizzy if I don't drink enough and she laughed and said, "Just think of it as a mini cleanse. They're good for you" I answered, "Not with an ileostomy, they aren't." and she laughed and said, "No, I guess not." Didn't know having an ileostomy would produce such light-hearted banter. :roll: :D

Just random thoughts that work their way through the maze in my brain trying desperately to reach the cheese at the end. :D

Judy
56 yrs old, wife, mother to 4 daughters
RC Stage II T3N0M0 DX April 2, 2015
6 cm. mid-rectum-CEA 121
Xeloda and radiation finished 06/15/15- CEA 242
CEA right before surgery 81
LAR performed 8/12/15 Temporary ileostomy
CEA 10-21-15 1.6
PET scan 11-4-15 All clear
Port installed 11/11/15
Folfox started 11/18/15
Folfox stopped due to bad reaction
Reversal 2/17/16
CEA 2/3/16 1.7
CEA 3/31/16 1.3
CT Scan 4/12/16 All Clear
Port removed 4/21/16
CEA 5/24/17 1.4

Rstarrg
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 7:25 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby Rstarrg » Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:23 pm

Cheese never sounded so good

And my ileostomy is giving me all kinda of laughs..what else can one do?
Diag rectal 2a 7/27/15
Age 43
9/18/15 completed radi and xeloda
LAR Surgery 10/23/15 w/temp ileo
Started post surgery chemo (xeloda and infusions (8 total) 11/30/15
Completed 7/8 oxiplatin and Zelda
5/17/16 reversal
8/23/16 CT Scan (getting results 8/26)
Widow
Lost husband 7/14 to carcinoma unknown primary
Mother to 3 boys - 15, 13 and 11
NED 8/16, 11/16
Next scan end of 2/17

JudeD59
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby JudeD59 » Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:40 pm

Surgeon gave me the go ahead to start chemo. Said the opened incision isn't completely healed, but is healed enough that chemo slowing it shouldn't be an issue. So portacath implanted tomorrow and chemo next Wednesday. :shock:

Oh, and he also mentioned that because of all my lovely adhesions, my reversal probably won't be as uncomplicated as most are. He said he might have to reopen my midline LAR incision to put it all back together. So excited about that. Once again, I'll go under not knowing if I'm going to wake up with a small cut or a big one.

Focusing on drinking as much as possible before midnight. I'll worry about the rest later.

Judy
56 yrs old, wife, mother to 4 daughters
RC Stage II T3N0M0 DX April 2, 2015
6 cm. mid-rectum-CEA 121
Xeloda and radiation finished 06/15/15- CEA 242
CEA right before surgery 81
LAR performed 8/12/15 Temporary ileostomy
CEA 10-21-15 1.6
PET scan 11-4-15 All clear
Port installed 11/11/15
Folfox started 11/18/15
Folfox stopped due to bad reaction
Reversal 2/17/16
CEA 2/3/16 1.7
CEA 3/31/16 1.3
CT Scan 4/12/16 All Clear
Port removed 4/21/16
CEA 5/24/17 1.4

Rstarrg
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 7:25 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby Rstarrg » Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:24 pm

You can handle whatever is thrown your way. Just remember how far you've come along and all that you have won!! Counting on you to pave the way for me!!!
Diag rectal 2a 7/27/15
Age 43
9/18/15 completed radi and xeloda
LAR Surgery 10/23/15 w/temp ileo
Started post surgery chemo (xeloda and infusions (8 total) 11/30/15
Completed 7/8 oxiplatin and Zelda
5/17/16 reversal
8/23/16 CT Scan (getting results 8/26)
Widow
Lost husband 7/14 to carcinoma unknown primary
Mother to 3 boys - 15, 13 and 11
NED 8/16, 11/16
Next scan end of 2/17

JudeD59
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby JudeD59 » Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:34 pm

Rstarrg wrote:You can handle whatever is thrown your way. Just remember how far you've come along and all that you have won!! Counting on you to pave the way for me!!!


Oh, lord, if I'm paving the way, we'll all end up lost! I tend to take a very off-beat path through life. :oops: My internal GPS seems to be consistently programmed to the setting, "This looks weird. Let's check it out!"

Thanks for the encouragement!

Judy
56 yrs old, wife, mother to 4 daughters
RC Stage II T3N0M0 DX April 2, 2015
6 cm. mid-rectum-CEA 121
Xeloda and radiation finished 06/15/15- CEA 242
CEA right before surgery 81
LAR performed 8/12/15 Temporary ileostomy
CEA 10-21-15 1.6
PET scan 11-4-15 All clear
Port installed 11/11/15
Folfox started 11/18/15
Folfox stopped due to bad reaction
Reversal 2/17/16
CEA 2/3/16 1.7
CEA 3/31/16 1.3
CT Scan 4/12/16 All Clear
Port removed 4/21/16
CEA 5/24/17 1.4

Sams wife
Posts: 753
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 2:49 pm

Re: Busy two weeks for me

Postby Sams wife » Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:45 pm

JudeD59 wrote:
Oh, lord, if I'm paving the way, we'll all end up lost! I tend to take a very off-beat path through life.

Judy


Cute! Hopefully tomorrow goes smooooth.
And next Wednesday !
Husband dx 1/13/15 St.2 CEA 7.1
Chemo/25rad 2/15 till 4/24/15
5FU/leucovorin
Surgery 6/8/2015 Stage IIa T3N0MX microscopic cancer left
Watching 4 lung spots
0/5 lymph nodes. Lap. APR
25% less 5FU/leucovorin 7/14/2015 x 26 CEA 3.4
25% more 5fu 9/2015
9/16/15 CEA 7.7
1/16/16 @ 9.2 during allergy?
3/16 New lung spot 4x4 mm
6/16 CEA 6.9 spot 5x5


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