teacher2017 wrote:Funny how people don't see the severity of it all when I explain it. I guess they can't wrap their heads around it or know what to say. I explain I had a cancerous mass removed and my colon resectioned. They ask if they got it all. I say the surgeon says so but it got to 12/17 lymph nodes and that's what makes it dangerous. People say well do the chemo. Like it's just a bump. I wish.
I understand what you mean. "Just do the chemo". I know they mean well, but just doing the chemo is not easy. The side effects suck and you basically feel kind of crappy. I feel the same way about people thinking now that I'm done with treatment life just goes back to normal. No it doesn't. Cancer stays with you even if you're cancer free. Dealing with side effects of treatment and just the mental aspect of what you have gone through from diagnosis to the end of treatment. We do get back to some normalcy and try to stay busy, and some days you don't think about it too much, but it's always in your head. Some days I get tears just thinking of all I went through that year of treatment and I've been out of treatment for a year and a half.
It's hard for people to know what to say. Even with your surgery, it's a major assault on your body. There can be changes in your life from that alone. When do you start chemo? I know everyone handles chemo differently and side effects differ with everyone. Hopefully yours goes smoothly with minimal blips or problems. I'm glad you're back to work, it does help to get back to what we did before diagnosis.
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