Mom's surgery is in two days!

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

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby NHMike » Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:04 am

ocstacy wrote:
Good Luck to you and your mom. You have been such a great caregiver and support for her. Hopefully, she does well. I don't remember too
much severe pain after surgery, and learning to empty my bag was pretty easy as well.


Thank you so much! She just got out of surgery, the operation lasted 4 hours! Surgeon came to the waiting room, and said that everything went great. He said that the chemo/radiation really shrunk the tumor and was able to surgically remove it. I asked him if it was a CPR or NED and he said he doesn't know yet. I am so happy that we found this amazing surgeon! My mom will be in recovery for one more hour then I can see her and spend the night with her. Anyhow, thank you for your continued support. xoxoxoxoxoxo


Great stuff Stacy. I hope that her mood improves a lot with the success of the procedure and hope she has a speedy recovery.
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

SweetC80
Posts: 103
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:28 pm

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby SweetC80 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:06 am

Yay! Such wonderful news! Glad surgery is over and it went well.
My Mom
12/16 Stage IIIb Rectal Ca CEA 1.2
1/17-2/17 Chemoradiation CEA 4.4
5/17 Entire Colon, Rectum & Anus removed Perm Ileostomy Bag
7/17 FOLFOX
9/17 Stage IVb 9cm Liver Met & 7mm Lung Nodule CEA 197
9/17 FOLFIRI CEA 160
10/17 Confirmed KRAS Pos CEA 210
11/17 Met growths Liver 10cm & Lung 8mm CEA 425
12/17 FOLFOX again Met growths Liver 13cm & Lung 1cm CEA 405
12/17 Xifaxan due to Hepatic Encephalopathy
12/17 New 2cm liver Met
1/18 CEA 992
2/8/18 Passed Peacefully

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Robino1
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Facebook Username: Robin.lawthers
Location: Florida

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby Robino1 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:36 am

Great news and I pray for a speedy recovery. :)
At 54 2014 1st colonoscopy colon cancer detect
Colon resect margins clear. No chemo Stage II
2017
Distend abd, pain in intestines.
CT scan seeding & Ascites
Lap diag - cancer on the omentum
CEA 217; 219
FOLFOX started 6/17
CEA 202
8/29/17 CT melting of tumor.
Latest CT scan shows 2 new tumors and return of ascites.
CEA: (2017)9/30 -109; 10/12 -99.1; 11/4 -90.7; 11/30 -70.7; 12/14 -83.4; (2018)1/4 -73.3; 2/1-84.2; 89.2; 89.8; 88.5; 81.8: 93.5; 107; 119
BRAF V600e

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby Lee » Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:03 pm

Glad she made it through surgery. Make sure she does lots of walking as that really does help with the healing process.

All the best to you and your mom,

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

DarknessEmbraced
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Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:16 pm

I'm glad her surgery went well and hope her recovery goes well!*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! :)

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ocstacy
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Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby ocstacy » Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:10 pm

Glad she made it through surgery. Make sure she does lots of walking as that really does help with the healing process.


We are still at the hospital, looks like she will be going home this Sunday. My mom is napping right now as she needs the much needed sleep. Today, the catheter came out and she went pee on her own about two hours ago (yay!) She also got off all pain meds.. She said the morphine one made her very sick plus she said that isn't it too much pain so dr. took her off that med and now just on oral. I walked with her around the hospital today, she is doing very good. We will find out more next week re: pathology report, etc. She feels dizzy with some of the nerve shots, or pain meds.. but is eating solid now so that is good. Now, she needs to practice on using ostomy pouch more.
Thank you for your support.

<3 <3
Last edited by ocstacy on Sat Oct 21, 2017 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Caregiver/daughter to dear mother age 78, dx 5/09/17 because of me!! :wink:
Rectal CA Stage 3 low-grade adenocarcinoma- 6 cm
Neoadjuvant start 7/10/17 ended 08/16/17
3D Lap. surgery @ Keck USC, Dr. Sang Lee 10/17/17 temp ileostomy
11/1 hospitalized abscess/hernia - home 11/06/17 antibiotics
NO LYMPHS INVOLVED! NEAR PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE! YAY! :shock:
Took her last chemo med 05/10/18! Ileo reversal 07/24/18
1st BM after reversal 07/25/18 Anal Fissure 8/15/18
Me:1st Colonoscopy age 38. 08/17 Benign polp.

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

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby NHMike » Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:15 pm

ocstacy wrote:
Glad she made it through surgery. Make sure she does lots of walking as that really does help with the healing process.


We are still at the hospital, looks like she will be going home this Saturday. My mom is napping right now as she needs the much needed sleep. Today, the catheter came out and she went pee on her own about two hours ago (yay!) She also got off all pain meds.. She said the morphine one made her very sick plus she said that isn't it too much pain so dr. took her off that med and now just on oral. I walked with her around the hospital today, she is doing very good. We will find out more next week re: pathology report, etc.
Thank you for your support.

<3 <3


Glad things are improving.

I appreciate the comment on the level of pain too. I've heard from others that have a fair amount of pain after being discharged. Your mother is fortunate in that it isn't bad.
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

tarheelmom
Posts: 168
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 5:55 pm

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby tarheelmom » Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:35 pm

So glad that everything went well with your mother. She sounds like a trooper, and you are a great caregiver!

NHMike - To reaffirm another post, I did not find the pain level that bad after my ULAR and temp ileostomy. My surgery started at 8 AM on a Tuesday; in recovery at ~2PM; in a room at 5 PM; on a conference call for work at 8 AM the next day. Yes, it did hurt, but I only took Tylenol and Celebrex. No opiods. By Thursday I was walking miles around the hospital, working from my room, and adjusting to ileostomy management. Everyone is different, but just wanted to provide an optimistic view.

I was on a floor that only had lower GI surgical patients (oddly the floor above me had only upper GI surgical patients). I think everyone had some sort of ostomy, NG tube, or drain, and there were several WOC nurses available 24/7 to help with any issue plus the nurses and techs all were fluent in GI recovery. For some reason, that was very reassuring to me.
52 y at dx, mom to 4
DX: RC on 2/22/2016
Stage I, T2N0M0, 0/32 LN
23 mm x 7 mm moderately differentiated invasive adenocarcinoma
3 cm from anal verge
4/12/16: ULAR, TME, & temp ileostomy
6/14/16: ileo reversal

Aqx99
Posts: 403
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Location: Pfafftown, NC

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby Aqx99 » Thu Oct 19, 2017 8:17 pm

ocstacy wrote:We are still at the hospital, looks like she will be going home this Saturday. My mom is napping right now as she needs the much needed sleep. Today, the catheter came out and she went pee on her own about two hours ago (yay!) She also got off all pain meds.. She said the morphine one made her very sick plus she said that isn't it too much pain so dr. took her off that med and now just on oral. I walked with her around the hospital today, she is doing very good. We will find out more next week re: pathology report, etc.
Thank you for your support.

<3 <3


So glad to hear that she is not in major pain. I bet that is a relief from what she has been feeling. Keep us updated on how she is doing.
Anne, 40
Stage IIIB Rectal Cancer
T3N1bM0
2/21/17 Dx, Age 39
2/21/17 CEA 0.9
3/23/17 - 5/2/17 Chemoradiation, 28 treatments
6/14/17 Robotic LAR w/temp loop ileostomy, ovaries & fallopian tubes removed, 2/21 lymph nodes positive
7/24/17 - 12/18/17 CapeOx, 6 Cycles
7/24/17 Dx w/ovarian cancer
9/6/17 CA 125 11.1
11/27/17 CEA 2.6
12/5/17 CT NED
12/13/17 CEA 2.9
1/11/18 CA 125 8.6
1/23/18 Reversal
3/21/18 CT enlarged thymus
4/6/18 PET NED
7/10/18 CT NED
7/11/18 CEA 2.6
9/18 Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy

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

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby NHMike » Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:14 am

tarheelmom wrote:So glad that everything went well with your mother. She sounds like a trooper, and you are a great caregiver!

NHMike - To reaffirm another post, I did not find the pain level that bad after my ULAR and temp ileostomy. My surgery started at 8 AM on a Tuesday; in recovery at ~2PM; in a room at 5 PM; on a conference call for work at 8 AM the next day. Yes, it did hurt, but I only took Tylenol and Celebrex. No opiods. By Thursday I was walking miles around the hospital, working from my room, and adjusting to ileostomy management. Everyone is different, but just wanted to provide an optimistic view.

I was on a floor that only had lower GI surgical patients (oddly the floor above me had only upper GI surgical patients). I think everyone had some sort of ostomy, NG tube, or drain, and there were several WOC nurses available 24/7 to help with any issue plus the nurses and techs all were fluent in GI recovery. For some reason, that was very reassuring to me.


Thank-you for this post. I know that there's a wide variety of responses to cancer and surgery but most of the accounts that I've seen indicate pain - it may be that those that have little pain don't talk about it because it is a minor issue. You're the first person that I can recall that didn't take the prescription painkillers. As you may know, my approach is to hope for the best and plan for the worst. I would love to not take opiods or prescription painkillers and just go with OTC stuff. My manager made it clear that I should be recovering and not working but I'm the kind of person that can go nuts if not doing something productive.
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

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ocstacy
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Facebook Username: stacy

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby ocstacy » Sat Oct 21, 2017 3:36 pm

I would love to not take opiods or prescription painkillers and just go with OTC stuff. My manager made it clear that I should be recovering and not working but I'm the kind of person that can go nuts if not doing something productive.


Hi there,

My mom was on a push pen type of med where it released something stronger than "Morphine" in her body but it made her very very dizzy so they took her off of it. This was 5 hours after surgery. She said mainly the pain was like around the belly area where the surgery took place. I noticed the surgeon went in through her belly bottom, did a C-section below the belly button (maybe 3 inches) and she had two small incisions on the side. The ileostomy is on the right side next to her belly button. She mentioned that she has no pain in her rectum anymore (thank goodness!) cause that is where she had pain before. Now that her rectum is taken out, I think she will feel more comfortable going places, we hope. She will have the reversal done in 6 months following taking Xeloda. I wish I could be with her tonight, but I am overly exhausted staying at the hospital. The nurses, dr., aids came in every 2 hours and interrupt your sleep. At one point, i got upset and said, "Could you please let my mom get some rest for maybe 3 hours', she really needs it". I will say the scariest and most horrible experience that I had to experience with my mom was 3 hours after recovery when they put her in her bed. I don't want to sound ghorry, but the whole floor was empty and they just left my mom in her room with no nurses monitoring her. She had a very sour painful look on her face, she kept saying "Ouch, my eyes" as if she were blind. Well, i didn't know that they taped your eyes shut during surgery, I get it now thought. She said that her eyes were in so much pain. Apparently when they took the tape off, they kinda took her lashes out with it (poor thing) I fed her water through the sponge wand. She was so thirsty, but couldn't drink anything due them not wanting her to vomit. After a couple of hours she slowly opening up her eyes.. she only complained about her eyes hurting, then she kept thanking me and i started to cry. I yelled at the nurse cause I pretty much her nurse for a few hours until the nurse finally came. I just lost it. I really loved my mom's 2nd nurse, she was more sympathetic! Anyhow, please make sure you talk to the dr. about the tape. My mom is still at hospital cause her blood pressure is up and down but hopefully will be home tom or Monday. The pouch ain't that bad, and my mom has a cute brazillian wax down stairs. lol :D She will be staying with us next week. Its good that she is still at hospital. She is eating solid foods now. She is doing Tylenol every 4 hours and some nerve shot every 6.. I think she is off everything else and oxycotin PRN (as needed) but she refused to take the hardcore meds.) xo
Last edited by ocstacy on Sat Oct 21, 2017 6:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Caregiver/daughter to dear mother age 78, dx 5/09/17 because of me!! :wink:
Rectal CA Stage 3 low-grade adenocarcinoma- 6 cm
Neoadjuvant start 7/10/17 ended 08/16/17
3D Lap. surgery @ Keck USC, Dr. Sang Lee 10/17/17 temp ileostomy
11/1 hospitalized abscess/hernia - home 11/06/17 antibiotics
NO LYMPHS INVOLVED! NEAR PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE! YAY! :shock:
Took her last chemo med 05/10/18! Ileo reversal 07/24/18
1st BM after reversal 07/25/18 Anal Fissure 8/15/18
Me:1st Colonoscopy age 38. 08/17 Benign polp.

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby Lee » Sat Oct 21, 2017 5:46 pm

ocstacy wrote: . . . She mentioned that she has no pain in her rectum anymore (thank goodness!) cause that is where she had pain before. Now that her rectum is taken out, I think she will feel more comfortable going places,
xo


Sounds like she is doing better. I too had my rectum removed (I now have a Barbie butt :shock: ). This is something of a heads up. Not everyone experiences this, butt I did. About 2 weeks following my surgery, my tailbone started to hurt (felt like it was broken) when ever I sat. When back to the surgeon, guess it sometimes happen, butt it will goes away. Could take up to 4 months. I had to sit on a donut hole for a few months. At it's worst, I could only sit for 15 mins, then the pain would kick in.

It took a few months, butt everything is fine within a few months. I can sit on the hardest cement sit for hours without any problem. So if this should happen to your Mom, know it's just temporary.

Remember she still needs to walk when she gets home.

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

AbbyDoo
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 2:25 am
Location: So.Ca.

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby AbbyDoo » Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:11 pm

Glad Mom is doing good.
Try not to leave the hospital without a good supply of ostomy supplies. I would say at least 10 complete changes. Hollister makes a spray adhesive remover.this stuff works great and is worth more than gold when removing a wafer.
P.S.
No four wheeling or jumping curbs on the way home tomorrow :D
53 yrs old
4/30/15 colonoscopy Mass found
5/21/15 staged 3 C rectal cancer
7/3/15 finished xeloda and radiation 28 rounds
9/30/15 LAR
10/29/15 picc line installed
11/2/15 start chemo 5 fu Oxaliplatin
3/7/16 Finish Chemo
4/29/16 Ileostomy Reversal.
7/13/16 colonoscopy clear.
CRC survivors know there Sh%t

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ocstacy
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Facebook Username: stacy

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby ocstacy » Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:36 am

No four wheeling or jumping curbs on the way home tomorrow :D


Hehe. Ya I went very slow.... she was like ouch ouch ... she is having a tough recovery at home now :-(
Caregiver/daughter to dear mother age 78, dx 5/09/17 because of me!! :wink:
Rectal CA Stage 3 low-grade adenocarcinoma- 6 cm
Neoadjuvant start 7/10/17 ended 08/16/17
3D Lap. surgery @ Keck USC, Dr. Sang Lee 10/17/17 temp ileostomy
11/1 hospitalized abscess/hernia - home 11/06/17 antibiotics
NO LYMPHS INVOLVED! NEAR PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE! YAY! :shock:
Took her last chemo med 05/10/18! Ileo reversal 07/24/18
1st BM after reversal 07/25/18 Anal Fissure 8/15/18
Me:1st Colonoscopy age 38. 08/17 Benign polp.

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

Re: Mom's surgery is in two days!

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:29 pm

I'm sorry your Mom is having a tough recovery at home and hope things get better for her soon!*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! :)


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