Good Morning New here

[Jackar0e]

Hi All,

Thank you in advance for any help.

I am 44yrs old. Do with rectal CA iiiA Kras positive .. well differentiated ... 7 spots on liver.. Tx is oxaliplatin , bevacizumab, oxaliplatin ... for 6 tx then re check of scans.

Anyone have hope or insite on this type of cancer... it is approx 4" up in the rectal area .. no surgery yet...

Scared

[Green Tea]

Welcome to the Forum.

I think it would help if you could create a signature block here to give people the basic information on your situation. The information will appear at the bottom of every post that you make in the future and will be useful for people who are reading your post.

A link to the signature creation page is here

http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/ucp.php?i=ucp_profile&mode=signature

The kinds of things that you might want to put in your signature are listed in this post:

http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52681&p=421597#p421597

Once you create your signature you should update it each time you have additional, relevant information to add,

Here are some direct links to other Forum features that you might want to use:

Forum features:
http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50946&p=392504#p392504

[Lee]

Hi Amy

Welcome and sorry for the reason you are here.

Since you are dealing with a stage IV diagnoses and if you have not already done so, get a 2nd opinion at a major cancer treatment center.

Have you talked to a surgeon yet? Is surgery something they are going to do? Have anything been mentioned on how do deal with the liver spots.

Where are you?

Sloan Kittering Memorial Hospital in New York City (major cancer treatment center) has a wonderful program where they address the tumor in your colon/rectum and will address the liver met as well. They install a special pump in your liver for chemo. This has been VERY successful for many people and they are NED (No Evidence Detected) today.

Guess I'm saying I need more info to help you.

All the best,

Lee

[Jackar0e]

Thank you Lee,

I tried to update my signature with some info but I don't understand all the language ...

I did hear of Slone ... my Dr Resta is in Troy NY and when I asked about a second opinion she said she is in contact with Dr's at Slone and to do treatment first as they will need all the info anyway.

I am going into my 4th round of chemo Monday and after 6 they will do a re check .


The plan is to shrink spots on liver to 3 then do surgery to remove rest of the cancer. As well as address the rectal tumor.

I will be honest I am overwhelmed... I don't want to go against my DR .. she is great .. but I feel like I am getting weaker . Idk if its depression or just from the chemo .

I am sorry about the lack of info .. I will ask more ?'s Monday . I really till now have felt as if I should just do as I am told to get better

I will try for more info and thank you for caring enough to reply . I am just afraid as anyone here is .. that this is the begging of the end

[SEWHAPPY]

Don't let fear overwhelm you - many stories on this site are inspirational and new treatment options. This site is a great resource to learn more about options, questions to ask and advocating for your best care.

Also, don't hesitate to talk with your doctor about treatment for help with depression and anxiety.MaHuny of us use these tools to help during the battle.

Hugs and prayers for courage!

[Green Tea]

Thanks for creating a signature.it will help members here understand your situation.

On Monday, could you ask your doctor the exact name of your chemo? Also, have you had surgery for the rectal tumor yet? Do you have a surgeon identified yet?

[Jackar0e]

Thank you both for being understanding ... I hate to seem like a scatterbrain .. your support is so much appreciated

[Lee]

Thank you Lee,


I will be honest I am overwhelmed... I don't want to go against my DR .. she is great .. but I feel like I am getting weaker . Idk if its depression or just from the chemo .

I am sorry about the lack of info .. I will ask more ?'s Monday . I really till now have felt as if I should just do as I am told to get better

I will try for more info and thank you for caring enough to reply . I am just afraid as anyone here is .. that this is the begging of the end

Never feel sorry for lack of information. A cancer diagnoses is very overwhelming . To be honest, I was just like you when I was on my journey. I asked questions, butt I did not want to be bog down with details. Remember one day at a time.

Yes you may be depressed right now. Perfectly normal. Tell your Dr how you are feeling. Many people on this board use antidepressant when dealing with cancer. It is a very scary time. Especially in the beginning when this is all so new. My Onc was thinking about putting me on them when I guess I finally snapped out of my depression.

Remember we are here to help you. You do what is best for you to get through this. If you have questions, ask, sometime we might come back with a question or two to give you a correct answer. In time a lot of information that is overwhelming today will be routine tomorrow. Remember one day at a time.

And if you want to vent, this is the place to do it.

Always remember we are here for you and we do have your back.

All the best,

Lee

Lee

[Lee]

Amy,

The one piece of advice I will offer now, since you have rectal cancer, be sure the surgeon is a "board certified" colon rectal surgeon. They have the extra training to do it right regarding the rectal area.

Lee

[Lee]

Thank you Lee,


I did hear of Slone ... my Dr Resta is in Troy NY and when I asked about a second opinion she said she is in contact with Dr's at Slone and to do treatment first as they will need all the info anyway.

I am going into my 4th round of chemo Monday and after 6 they will do a re check .

Really, you did provide a lot of info on this post. Because it looks like you already live in New York state, I would highly recommend a 2nd opinion at Sloan Kittering. Dr Kemmey (spelling ??) can take the tumor out and put a special pump in the liver to address the liver tumors all in one surgery.

Do the chemo now, butt do get that 2nd opinion prior to your surgery with your current Dr.

All the best,

Lee

[Marylandmaniac]

It is a scary thing to hear those words especially when so young. I remember when I was first dx in June 2016 I cried to my GI. I told him I used to check out cute men now I look at men and women over 70 and envy their life. He was so kind and told me that I would be okay. That it is 2016 and so many things are coming down the pike. I tried to read as much as I could about the positive stories and avoided Google as much as possible. I focus on what I can do. I can exercise and try to eat heathy (though I Still have a hard time giving up sugar and probably never will but at least I cut back). I take supplements that help my immune system which I have talked to my oncologist about. I have been surrounded by sickness the past 2 weeks! My son was sick then my husband and now my daughter. I even went to Florida last weekend and founf out one of my gf's is now sick. How the heck is the cancer patient the healthiest one??!! lol I really think it is the supplements and getting the flu shot.
I saw that someone already mentioned getting a colorectal surgeon. Ask around especially if you have any medical friends. I have a few friends who are nurses and they always seem to know the best doctors. I had a terrible experience with my first surgeon and after first visit got a new one. I love my surgeon!!! She is amazing and actually compassionate. Trust your instincts.
I did Folfox for 6 rounds before surgery and also had liver ablation for one spot. My tumor responded very well to Folfox. I am Kras wild. I then had surgery and am now doing follow up chemo (Folfox).
I also think getting a second opinion is a great idea. We are so lucky to live where we do with access to some of the greatest doctors around. Take advantage of that if you can. Even if it just to hear that you are doing the best thing that is still a relief. There are also many trials out there with immune therapy. There is a FB group called Colontown which is private. It has been a great resource as well as this site.

[Lee]

Good luck with your Dr appt today. Let us know how it goes,

Lee

[DarknessEmbraced]

I'm sorry for your diagnosis and hope your appointment went well!*hugs*

[stu]

Hi ,
Your doing great seeking out information. This will really help you decide your next step. As you will see from my signature I came here a long time ago to get information for my mum. She is living a great life with the help of her medical team . Her liver is still clear after surgery.
I don't think anyone would blame you for feeling weaker. I certainly noticed it took a few weeks for my mum to bounce back once chemo stopped.
All the very best,
Stu

[DavidSpector]

I have a somewhat similar dx. Please keep posting here as you have questions or decisions. The folks here are well-informed and interested in supporting all of us.