The Colon Club

teacher2017 wrote:Went to work today. Kids were happy to see me. Staff was very very supportive. I am tired since it's the first day back from the resection. It was so normal. I loved it. I will never complain about work again. Happy to have this job. I hope I can work through chemo and win this war.

AWESOME!!!!

teacher2017 wrote:Went to work today. Kids were happy to see me. Staff was very very supportive. I am tired since it's the first day back from the resection. It was so normal. I loved it. I will never complain about work again. Happy to have this job. I hope I can work through chemo and win this war.

Absolutely FANTASTIC! You WILL win the war, believe it!

today was a good day and infelt good like you. I ran 4 miles today, said to hell with it. if i drop dead exercising through chemo then so be it. this is not going to be the end of me and it is not going to slow me down or make me retreat into being afraid or someone i do not recognize. sounds like you came to the same realization!

one step closer, Lydia!

DH

DonutHead wrote:

teacher2017 wrote:Went to work today. Kids were happy to see me. Staff was very very supportive. I am tired since it's the first day back from the resection. It was so normal. I loved it. I will never complain about work again. Happy to have this job. I hope I can work through chemo and win this war.

Absolutely FANTASTIC! You WILL win the war, believe it!

today was a good day and infelt good like you. I ran 4 miles today, said to hell with it. if i drop dead exercising through chemo then so be it. this is not going to be the end of me and it is not going to slow me down or make me retreat into being afraid or someone i do not recognize. sounds like you came to the same realization!

one step closer, Lydia!

DH

RUN! Keep running! Yes keeping our identity is very important!

I felt very needed today! Seniors coming at me with their college essays saying "I need you. Where you been? Hoping you are okay, Miss?!" I was overwhelmed and busy! Loved it. I didn't feel like a spectator. I was in the game.

Aqx99 wrote:[
My pathology report did not contain any information on prognosis. It was just the clinical information on what was removed, the margins and the results on the analysis of my tumor, my ovaries and the spot on my peritoneum.

It would be a few years until I learned what is actually on a pathology report, butt at that time, I did not know. This forum did not exist, there were a few others, butt not with the same knowledge this forum has. I had to do a lot of things "blind". I was doing everything I could to be upbeat. I was so afraid I would read a sentence like "prognoses: poor". Something I could not have handled at that time. I truly decided "ignorance is bliss" was my best option. One of these days, I do need to find it and read it.

Lee

teacher2017 wrote:Went to work today. Kids were happy to see me. Staff was very very supportive. I am tired since it's the first day back from the resection. It was so normal. I loved it. I will never complain about work again. Happy to have this job. I hope I can work through chemo and win this war.

AWESOME

Lee

Lee wrote:

teacher2017 wrote:Went to work today. Kids were happy to see me. Staff was very very supportive. I am tired since it's the first day back from the resection. It was so normal. I loved it. I will never complain about work again. Happy to have this job. I hope I can work through chemo and win this war.

AWESOME

Lee

Totally awesome! Normalcy is important and i'm glad that you are able to get back to work. I have been distracted with the fires in Sonoma, I had to evacuate for 4 days, the air quality was so bad. The crisis here took my mind off of my health issues. I hate the fires and loss of homes and lives. One never knows what might happen in the blink of an eye. I think it's important to cherish each day and to live our lives as normally as possible. I will not allow cancer to define me either. It's a disease that I have but it's not who I am or who any of us are. Hugs to all for successful treatment and the road to Nedville!

Shana

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.

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.

susie0915 wrote:

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.

I go to the oncologist on the 25th. I do lab work and then I guess she will give me a date to put in the port and start chemo. I feel like this is so surreal. I'm acting normal, like before diagnosis but know that I have this to deal with. I could die from this thing I never knew I had until sept 6th. It blows my mind. I know this chemo will suck, but I need to start. I need to feel proactive. Every cough, pain, pinch, I think it's spread. This cough still exists and I'm just not the same.

teacher2017 wrote:

susie0915 wrote:

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.

I go to the oncologist on the 25th. I do lab work and then I guess she will give me a date to put in the port and start chemo. I feel like this is so surreal. I'm acting normal, like before diagnosis but know that I have this to deal with. I could die from this thing I never knew I had until sept 6th. It blows my mind. I know this chemo will suck, but I need to start. I need to feel proactive. Every cough, pain, pinch, I think it's spread. This cough still exists and I'm just not the same.

I know it's hard but you have been strong and will get through this. I remember telling the surgeon the day after my colonoscopy I was fine yesterday and today I have cancer. It is surreal. You just have to push yourself through to the finish. Have you checked into a oncology counselor? I met with one and it is helpful.

I had some fairly heavy facial hair growth with Xeloda - it was more noticeable since I wasn't supposed to shave.

NHMike wrote:I had some fairly heavy facial hair growth with Xeloda - it was more noticeable since I wasn't supposed to shave.

Were you told that would be a side effect? Does that generally happen with just men? I never noticed that, but did notice when I washed my hair it felt like straw when it was wet. Kind of weird.

NHMike wrote:I had some fairly heavy facial hair growth with Xeloda - it was more noticeable since I wasn't supposed to shave.

Because I'm on Avastin, I was told I couldn't shave. I bought an electric razor. Works like a charm! After I'm off Avastin, I think I will continue using the electric. Much easier, quicker and I don't have to balance on the edge of a tub. :p.

Here's the question of the hour for the ladies- can I dye my hair on chemo?

teacher2017 wrote:Here's the question of the hour for the ladies- can I dye my hair on chemo?

Ask your Onc, but I don't think they want you to. Will also say, I don't believe they will talk you out of it either. Will Say, FOLFOX really frizzed my hair. Dying your hair could make it worse.

Hope this helps,

Lee