Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
User avatar
Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby Atoq » Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:44 am

Thanks! :D I have started already but just static.

Claudia
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby Caat55 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:59 pm

Surgeon gave me the go ahead to do yoga with the caveat that there would be things I " wanted to do but couldn't". He has me on a 10 pound weight limit for 4 more weeks, only 2 weeks out. Was your incision site pretty sore, tight? Are you using anything to support bag when exercising? He suggested a Stealth Belt.

I got in a 1 1/2 walk yesterday. Its supposed to be in the 70's today so I am going to garden and walk with my husband and dog. Going to try to tackle the hill up our street. Its a 1 1/4 uphill to a pad with a 100 mile view, totally worth it. Daffodils and peach tree are blooming, California is a strange and beautiful place, we should have snow not flowers. Grateful for the weather as it is motivating.

Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:09 pm

Caat55 wrote:Surgeon gave me the go ahead to do yoga with the caveat that there would be things I " wanted to do but couldn't". He has me on a 10 pound weight limit for 4 more weeks, only 2 weeks out. Was your incision site pretty sore, tight? Are you using anything to support bag when exercising? He suggested a Stealth Belt.

I got in a 1 1/2 walk yesterday. Its supposed to be in the 70's today so I am going to garden and walk with my husband and dog. Going to try to tackle the hill up our street. Its a 1 1/4 uphill to a pad with a 100 mile view, totally worth it. Daffodils and peach tree are blooming, California is a strange and beautiful place, we should have snow not flowers. Grateful for the weather as it is motivating.

Susan


I was doing 50-80 pounds on weight machines two weeks out. I walked 9 miles within two weeks. But the weight machines isolate the muscle groups worked. I kept it really easy on core muscles.

I'd stay with the 10 pounds unless you have a dog or cat that weighs 15 pounds. My fitness center manager had abdominal surgery a month ago and has a 15 pound cat. My manager had abdominal surgery a few weeks ago and has a ten pound puppy. We were wondering why the outbreak in abdominal surgeries. So take it easy. I did overdo things a few times. The Oxaliplatin has put a real damper on my working out in general.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:56 pm

30 Second Side Planks. Felt a bit of queasiness on the right side, fine on the left side. I'll monitor core for soreness tomorrow.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Sun Feb 18, 2018 8:29 am

I had turned off my two AM watch alerts at 1:30 AM and 4:30 AM to reset my watch and didn't turn them back on. I woke up at 5:30 AM and the bag was full (a lot of it was gas so the filter had already failed) so I supported the bag with both arms and walked down the stairs quickly to empty it. I was quite tired this week, probably the chemo and probably a lot of hours on a big project at work. And I slipped and fell on my rear end and right elbow and slid a step or two. I checked for any internal damage - there was a slight twinge on man parts but got up slowly and walked down the stairs, emptied the bag and just sat for a while with my phone. I then decided to check things out and found a 3.5 inch by 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch slough of skin on my right forearm. This was after about ten minutes so it didn't initially hurt and I was wearing a long-sleeve shirt which likely provided a good amount of protection.

I woke up my daughter to ask for help and asked her to dab alcohol on the wound (it's dark red but not like a cut - there was no blood coming out). I leaned against a wall and closed my eyes while she dabbed. The stinging was moderate and relatively short so hopefully not too much risk of infection. I cut open a three-inch square sterile non-stick field and cut it in half and made a long but narrow barrier. I also cut a piece of the Hypafix Dressing Tape that I bought for the stoma wafers and she secured the field with a couple of strips. The tape runs from my elbow to my wrist (she overdid it with the tape). I'm glad that I had the tape as my only other option would be duct tape. This stuff is great because it is thin, flexible, sticky and water proof.

I sent a message to my oncologist updating how things are going with the lower dose (definitely better than the second cycle and slightly worse than the first) and describing the accident and what I did. I will have to change the dressing every two days I think and will monitor for any pain. The thing is big enough so that any kind of infection could get bad. I don't like a compromised immune system working to heal the wound and chemo doesn't really help as it suppresses the body's healing mechanisms. I hope to hear from the Oncologist's office on Monday or Tuesday. I don't know whether or not their office observes President's day. I don't know whether or not you delay chemo for these kinds of things.

At any rate, I need to restore the early morning alarms so that the bag doesn't fill up and should turn the light on before going down the stairs. I live 3/8 mile from a large health clinic (it's a satellite of the local hospital) so I'm pretty close to urgent care if I need it but I've had some medical training in the past and I've had falls before as I've always worked out.

I'm ordering another roll of 5 cm x 10 m Hypatape and am ordering a 10 cm x 10 m roll just to have around the house. This stuff is great for large dressings and for securing stoma wafers. I think that I'll put off running for a bit, keep up with walking and work more on balance exercises. The core work definitely helps prevent injuries from falls and helps to prevent falls overall but I have to be more careful when very tired. The strong core has helped me avoid a number of falls on ice this winter.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

User avatar
Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby Atoq » Sun Feb 18, 2018 8:49 am

I am also walking a lot on ice and and snow and totally agree about how important is to have good core muscles. Especially when I walk the dog, although I let him free a soon as it is safe. Today it was really nice outside, have a quick and nice recovery from your fall!

Claudia
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:02 am

Atoq wrote:I am also walking a lot on ice and and snow and totally agree about how important is to have good core muscles. Especially when I walk the dog, although I let him free a soon as it is safe. Today it was really nice outside, have a quick and nice recovery from your fall!

Claudia


We had 4-5 inches of snow last night but it will be low-40s today, high-40s tomorrow, low-60s on Tuesday and low-70s on Wednesday. I am looking forward to those temperatures to get out and walk outside.

BTW, your reference to planks - I just do the regular ones. I have tried extended planks and would need to work up to those. I tried a star plank once and could hold it for about two seconds. My favorite place to do planks is in my office. Before cancer, I would do pushups, mountain climbers, all kinds of abs things and my stretching routines. That was when I got in at 5 AM though - I don't like an audience. We have a classroom where I can do it too but it's a long walk. In the office, I can work on something, take a two to ten minute break to do things and then continue on with work.

I got my five miles in and some flexibility and a moderate amount of strength training in. I didn't get to do the barbell stuff though. I was tired a lot yesterday and I reviewed my food log and didn't get in enough calories ("duh").
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:26 am

Lower left part of my neck is a bit sore and slight loss of range of motion on rotating the neck left all the way. I must have landed on my right shoulder which transmitted some trauma to the lower left neck area. I checked the area for bruises and there were none though bruises can take a while to show up. I did find a thin scar but that was likely due to weightlifting (when your muscles grow, they stretch the skin which can result in tears). The soreness is much less than what I'd get from a stiff neck sleeping the wrong way. So not worried about this at this time.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

User avatar
susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby susie0915 » Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:46 pm

You have had an eventful morning. I hope you recover quickly, which I'm sure you will as you have kept yourself in good shape during treatment.
58 yrs old Dx @ 55
5/15 DX T3N0MO
6/15 5 wks chemo/rad
7/15 sigmoidoscopy/only scar tissue left
8/15 PET scan NED
9/15 LAR
0/24 nodes
10/15 blockage. surgery,early ileo rev, c-diff inf :(
12/15 6 rds of xelox
5/16 CT lung scarring/inflammation
9/16 clear colonoscopy
4/17 C 4mm lung nod
10/17 pel/abd CT NED
11/17 CEA<.5
1/18 CT/Lung no change in 4mm nodule
5/18 CEA<.5, CT pel/abd/lung NED
11/18 CEA .6
5/19 CT NED, CEA <.5
10/19 Clear colonscopy
11/19 CEA <.5

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:33 pm

I got in some flexibility and floor work today. I originally went to the gym but it was packed so I went to the office to do some work and get in some exercise. There were a number of exercises that I did that I was somewhat fearful of doing for a while. Even something as simple as Downward Dog can place quite a bit a fair amount of strain on the abs. Doing certain bending exercises can place stress on the wafer flange (one advantage of using a smaller flange). So I'm very slowly adding stuff that I used to do but I'm taking care because of fear of damage. Time to workout is also an issue given work demands.

I just got back from the office gym as I've wanted to do barbell stuff for a while. Unfortunately there was someone else working out in the area where I wanted to work out so I just did squats, military press and some dumbbell stuff and I'm going to call it a day. But I'm gradually doing more.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Tue Feb 20, 2018 6:45 am

I was up a few times working to get something finished and didn't get as much sleep as I'd like but I feel looser this morning and a bit sore here and there but overall feel decent. Doing flexibility and barbells can have you feeling pretty good and a bit sore for a day or two - I really like to do flexibility work 4-5 times a week but it often loses out to other stuff. Flexibility and balance work are really important as you get older as they can prevent injuries.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby Caat55 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 1:26 pm

Hey Mike,
Did you ever have issues with blood pressure? How are you getting in enough fluids? I am going to add theraband exercises to my walking routine today for strength.
We finally have some cold weather, nothing like you guys but it was 75 on Saturday and snow flurries(nothing stuck) yesterday. California is a crazy place in many ways.
Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby NHMike » Tue Feb 20, 2018 1:30 pm

I did a decade ago. Much less since dropping 75 pounds.

At the office we have hot water, cold water, orange juice, Tazo teas, free coffee, spritzers, iced teas, stevia drinks, sodas and I keep a tin of organic hot cocoa on my desk. At home, it's mostly boiled water. I keep track of what I drink to ensure that I'm getting enough hydration. It's in the low-60s here and I went for a walk early morning and one at noontime. I plan to take two more walks this afternoon. Tomorrow it's going to be in the low-70s and I will take lots of walking breaks outside. My main project work is done and I can take it easy at work for a few weeks.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby Caat55 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 1:34 pm

My blood pressure has been low, 90/50, 96/55.
I guess I will start keeping a better record of both liquids and blood pressure.

Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

heiders33
Posts: 363
Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2017 11:08 am

Re: Rectal cancer (Stage 3A) diagnosed late June 2017

Postby heiders33 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 2:32 pm

My blood pressure was pretty low in the weeks following LAR surgery. I was told to eat and drink salt and electrolytes. I’ve gotten my blood pressure back up to normal.
40 year-old female
May 2017: Dx rectal cancer T3N2M0
MSS, KRAS G12D
6/17: 28 days chemorad
9/17: LAR/loop ileostomy, CAPOX six rounds
3/18: reversal
9/18: liver met, resection/HAI pump, 11 rounds 5FU, 1 round FUDR
11/19 - local recurrence, brachytherapy, 3 weeks targeted radiation
12/21 - end colostomy


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 125 guests

cron