Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

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AlexMichelle
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 11:54 am
Location: California

Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby AlexMichelle » Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:29 pm

The open colorectal surgery went much better than expected and the details of their findings are in my signature. I was told prior to surgery I would be a stage II or stage III. They are now saying Stage 1. What a physical and emotional roller coaster. I am not going to sugarcoat it. The surgery is not easy, but it is certainly worth it. I was in surgery 4.5 hours with a cancer surgeon and his assistant was a general surgeon. I had this surgery in the cancer center so this large team works together frequently. Yesterday Doctor handed me the pathology report and told me that I was in remission. I put my hands over my face and cried so hard. I have no idea why I bled so much with such huge blood clot's for two months and did not get past stage 1. It is shocking to me. Thank God I did bleed so much because it was the only thing that made me think something was wrong. I tell you that I am going to ask every single person I meet 40 yrs plus if they have had a colonoscopy. I am a colonoscopy advocate now. I feel like because this tumor was Stage 1, I have a job to go out and tell everyone to get a colonoscopy.

I am still in the hospital because we reduced my pain medication in order to get my bowels to wake up and the pain is quite intense. I have not had a bowel movement movement since the colon prep on November 8. I have not had any gas either so I cannot leave the hospital until I have passed gas, had a bowel movement, and we figure out the right dosage of pain medication for when I get home.

So I take two Percocets and two hours later I get an IV of Dilaudid and two hours later The Percocet again. That has been my medication for a week but it is slowing down my intestines so last night I decided to stop taking the Dilaudid which was completely controlling the pain and now I am in quite a bit of pain on just the Percocet every four hours. Hopefully tomorrow my pain will lesson and I will finally have a bowel movement. I am a very thin person and I have a very distended stomach that hurts a lot with all of the food sitting there I was nothing by mouth the first couple of days and then clear liquids after that and then full liquids after that and the last two days I have been on a low residue diet and the Hospital brings me ensure +3 times a day.

I'm so glad I made a very organized packing list for the hospital and have had everything I could possibly need. I wheeled into my room from recovery last Thursday at 4 PM. On Friday morning I started walking and they said they've never seen a patient walk as much as I do. I try to walk five times a day and for about 30 minutes each time Anyway it is a tough surgery and I am exhausted but if anyone has any questions please let me know.
F 9/14/17 blood, 10/05/17 endoscopy/colonoscopy 4.5 cm tumor lower colon/upper rectum/left side -11/09/17 open Rectosigmoid Colon Resection remove invasive adenocarcinoma, moderately diff marg clear.15 lymph nodes neg malignancy. benign liver w/fibrous nodule- rectum at 15cm Tumor location: above peritoneal reflection 4.2 x 2.7 cm Tumor inv muscularis closest 1.5 cm. pT2pNO Stage 1. No Lynch

AlexMichelle
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 11:54 am
Location: California

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby AlexMichelle » Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:36 pm

No external stitches. Glue. Scar from mid pubic area (much lower than I imagined) and above belly button a couple of inches. If we can post photos here and anyone would like to see the surgery scar, I would be fine posting it just tell me how to do it It's not pretty but I i'm alive so I don't care.
F 9/14/17 blood, 10/05/17 endoscopy/colonoscopy 4.5 cm tumor lower colon/upper rectum/left side -11/09/17 open Rectosigmoid Colon Resection remove invasive adenocarcinoma, moderately diff marg clear.15 lymph nodes neg malignancy. benign liver w/fibrous nodule- rectum at 15cm Tumor location: above peritoneal reflection 4.2 x 2.7 cm Tumor inv muscularis closest 1.5 cm. pT2pNO Stage 1. No Lynch

AlexMichelle
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 11:54 am
Location: California

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby AlexMichelle » Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:43 pm

Also I had prepared myself for a colostomy since part of the tumor was in the upper rectum, and I signed all the paperwork giving him permission to give me one, but he was able to get a clear margin and connnect the remaining rectum to the remaining colon. Altogether 7 inches were removed.
F 9/14/17 blood, 10/05/17 endoscopy/colonoscopy 4.5 cm tumor lower colon/upper rectum/left side -11/09/17 open Rectosigmoid Colon Resection remove invasive adenocarcinoma, moderately diff marg clear.15 lymph nodes neg malignancy. benign liver w/fibrous nodule- rectum at 15cm Tumor location: above peritoneal reflection 4.2 x 2.7 cm Tumor inv muscularis closest 1.5 cm. pT2pNO Stage 1. No Lynch

peanut_8
Posts: 2340
Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby peanut_8 » Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:40 pm

Good news about the pathology. Are you doing any walking? That helps with getting things moving again.

Best Wishes,
peanut
female, diagnosed Jan 14, RC stage 2a, age 56
MSS
April 14, 28 chemo/rad with Xeloda
June 14 adjuvant Xeloda 6 rounds
currently NED

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

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby NHMike » Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:49 pm

Happy to see you on the other side and it does sound like it was a rough surgery. Your walking is definitely impressive. Did you try the chewing gum for waking things up?

The down staging sounds great. Does thus mean no or minimal mop-up? Congratulations on being a Stage 1.
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

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

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby Lee » Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:41 pm

AlexMichelle wrote:. . . I have no idea why I bled so much with such huge blood clot's for two months and did not get past stage 1. It is shocking to me. Thank God I did bleed so much because it was the only thing that made me think something was wrong. I tell you that I am going to ask every single person I meet 40 yrs plus if they have had a colonoscopy. I am a colonoscopy advocate now. I feel like because this tumor was Stage 1, I have a job to go out and tell everyone to get a colonoscopy.


Count your blessings, I had no bleeding, other them my hemorrhoids (6 months), yet I was a stage III. All those test that look for blood in stools or are anemic came back negative or normal. A total shocker to me, my family, the GI doc and my PCP.

As others have said, walk, walk, walk those hospital halls, it really does help with the healing process. And waking up your bowels. And do it when you get home too.

All the best,

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!

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O Stoma Mia
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Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:29 am
Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby O Stoma Mia » Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:04 am

AlexMichelle wrote:...Anyway it is a tough surgery and I am exhausted but if anyone has any questions please let me know.

Congratulations on making it through surgery with a good outcome!

And thanks for giving all of the details from your path report.

I don't have any questions right now, but I might have some later on.

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chrisca
Posts: 246
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:35 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby chrisca » Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:39 am

Do your walking, as others have suggested. It helped a lot for me. For pain control, consider this strategy. I tried Marinol pills combined with Tylenol. It worked like magic for waking up the bowel, as I'm very opioid sensitive. Marinol is synthetic THC from Cannabis. You may have to be persistent, but I was and got it. Two days later, I was out of the hospital, and off opioids. I only took the Marinol and Tylenol at home, and in about a week stopped it too except for occasional use if I had episodic pain.

There is one trick with Marinol though. If you have opioids in your system, you will have very trippy dreams until the opioids wear off. So try to wean yourself off them for a few hours before starting the Marinol if you can. I took mine in the evening before bed while still on hydromorphone, had the craziest dreams at night, but in the morning it was over.

Sending positive vibes...
Male, false negative colonoscopy age 48
DX: 12/2010 rectal cancer age 51
Stage T3N0M0 2 cm from anal verge
neoadjuvant rad/chemo Xeloda
Rectal resection (open surgery) straight anastomosis
Xeloda round 2
ileostomy reversal 11/2011
Successful adhesion X-lap 8/2013
Ongoing LAR syndrome but NED 10 years

menreeq
Posts: 70
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:26 am

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby menreeq » Thu Nov 16, 2017 1:48 am

I also alternated opiates with Tylenol. Constipation from opiates after my first Caesarian section was so bad that I took them as little as possible after my CRC surgery. Colace, walking and water were my friends. With an open scar, it may take longer to wean off the Percocet and Dilaudid, but I would try to do that as soon as you can tolerate it. Alternating with Tylenol helps.

Gosh there was also another drug I was taking that was only offered in some hospitals who participate. It really helped... I found my in-hospital drug list. I took Entereg to help with gut motility. Are you on this also? Here's my list:

Tylenol 1000
Gabapentin
Dilaudid PCA --> oxycodone 5
Entereg
Toradol IV
Zofran
Reglan

I got off the PCA in less than 24 hours. It was making me too drowsy. Now I see I also had gabapentin and Toradol to help with pain. Maybe you are already taking all of these, but if not, I hope the information helps! When I got home it was just oxycodone and Tylenol in alternation.
Stage IIA rectosigmoid CC (T3N0M0)
Dx 6/5/17 @age 41ls
Workup: c-scope, EUS, rectal MRI, CT C/A/P
AdenoCA 5.5cm, WHO Grade 2, 0/22 LN, no distant mets
CEA 1.9 (6/5/17), 0.8 (2/28/18), 1.0 (9/17/18), 1.1 (4/16/19), 1.0 (9/24/19), 1.7 (7/8/20)
No lymphovasc/perineural invasion, clear margins
MSI intact, OncotypeDx RS 7
Lap sig colectomy 6/23/17, no ileo/colostomy
Genetics neg for mutations, 4 VUS
Xeloda monotherapy 8/13/17-1/22/18
PET/CT 3/21/18 NED
CT C/A/P 9/17/18 NED, 3/8/19 NED, 9/19/19 NED, 5/13/20 NED

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Maggie Nell
Posts: 1150
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 1:57 am
Location: Central Highlands, Victoria, Oz

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby Maggie Nell » Thu Nov 16, 2017 5:45 am

AlexMichelle wrote: I tell you that I am going to ask every single person I meet 40 yrs plus if they have had a colonoscopy. I am a colonoscopy advocate now. I feel like because this tumor was Stage 1, I have a job to go out and tell everyone to get a colonoscopy.


If you're happy and you know it, share your meds!! Ain't the drugs great?! Your job, AlexMichelle, is to prioritize your own recovery from
this exhausting tough surgery and let the colorectal cancer people continue with their public awareness campaigns and make their advertising
people earn their money.

Really....they've got it! This is something you do not need to be anxious about at this time. Take things slower, the world with all it's
unscoped colons will still be here 12 months from now.
DX April 2015, @ 54
35mm poorly diff. tumour, incidental finding following emergency R. hemicolectomy
for ileo-colic intussusception.
Lymph nodes: 0/22
T3 N0 MX
Stage II CRC, no adjuvant chemo required.

AlexMichelle
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 11:54 am
Location: California

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby AlexMichelle » Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:45 pm

Today it is Friday, November 17, 2017 here in California. I am still in the hospital but I think I will get to go home today. My intestines woke up yesterday, however, my white blood count was elevated and we did not why. Today my white blood count is in normal range and I am pretty sure when the doctor gets here this morning he wIll discharge me because I have checked all the boxes.

As for walking, the staff has told me they have never seen anyone walk as much as me. I started walking less than 24 hrs after surgery and I am walking several hours per day at brisk pace.

As for Meds, I am no longer on Dilaudid. Last night had Tylenol IV at 10 pm and nothing again until 2 Percocets at 8 am. Everyone at hospital comments on my positive attitude, walking so much, looking not sick.

Today is day 9 in hospital which is not unusual for open surgery involving rectum and colon.

Peanut8 - thanks! I'm doing loads of walking

NHMike - I did chew gum a lot. That was even one of the doctor's recommendations. No mop up. Met with Oncologist yesterday here in hospital and he said CT scans every 3 mths, with blood work up. I can imagine that waiting for those results every 3 mths will be nerve wrecking. No chemo at this point. I am quite in shock (good shock) that I don't have a colostomy nor need to do chemotherapy. I was prepared for both. How are you recovering?

Lee -I'm so sorry. It is so strange that I bled so much, with huge blood clots, at stage 1. If not for that, I had no plans for colonoscopy and would have been so much further along before I knew I had cancer.

O Stoma Mia, thank you!

Chrisca- thanks!

Menreeq- thank you for the information!

Maggie Nell - thank you. You are correct in that taking care of me and trying to reduce stress needs to be my priority now.

When I go home, I will be on Percocet and Tylenol and I will keep spacing them further and further apart. I have a 2 story house so the stairs will help for activity and I have a mini trampoline that I will walk on several hours each day. No light weights like I used to do for 2 more months. Oncologist wants me on baby aspirin once I have healed from surgery .
F 9/14/17 blood, 10/05/17 endoscopy/colonoscopy 4.5 cm tumor lower colon/upper rectum/left side -11/09/17 open Rectosigmoid Colon Resection remove invasive adenocarcinoma, moderately diff marg clear.15 lymph nodes neg malignancy. benign liver w/fibrous nodule- rectum at 15cm Tumor location: above peritoneal reflection 4.2 x 2.7 cm Tumor inv muscularis closest 1.5 cm. pT2pNO Stage 1. No Lynch

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

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby NHMike » Fri Nov 17, 2017 2:30 pm

Glad to hear that you're in good shape (especially no chemo). I started work two days ago and am generally recovering and itching to run, play tennis and lift. Though realistically those look to be some time off. I think that my WBC was a bit elevated for a bit after surgery but came down again. Getting sliced open probably gets an immune response from the body. Even if there is no real infection around. I hope that you continue your rapid 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

User avatar
Maggie Nell
Posts: 1150
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 1:57 am
Location: Central Highlands, Victoria, Oz

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby Maggie Nell » Sat Nov 18, 2017 2:38 am

When you get home to your own bed, AlexMichelle, the first thing you are going to miss is the
convenient swing-away trapeze arm and bar that you've been using to heave yourself out of bed!

You won't be doing any walking if you can't wiggle yourself out of bed without help.... :lol: Lots
of muscles got sliced.
DX April 2015, @ 54
35mm poorly diff. tumour, incidental finding following emergency R. hemicolectomy
for ileo-colic intussusception.
Lymph nodes: 0/22
T3 N0 MX
Stage II CRC, no adjuvant chemo required.

User avatar
O Stoma Mia
Posts: 1709
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:29 am
Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby O Stoma Mia » Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:59 am

Maggie Nell wrote:When you get home to your own bed, AlexMichelle, the first thing you are going to miss is the
convenient swing-away trapeze arm and bar that you've been using to heave yourself out of bed!

You won't be doing any walking if you can't wiggle yourself out of bed without help.... :lol: Lots
of muscles got sliced.

Yes, this is very important, You want to avoid getting an incisional hernia at all cost. You don't want to twist your torso in the wrong direction while getting out of bed:

http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=53704&p=426283#p426283
.
.

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

Re: Colorectal cancer surgery 11/09/17- still in hospital 11/15/17

Postby NHMike » Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:49 am

They didn't have the trapeze attachments on the beds where I was but they didn't need to as the beds were electric and they could do all sorts of tricks. So you could use the electric motor to raise your upper body and then roll to the side and swing your legs out. There were handrails on the upper third of the bed as well and you could grab those to pull.

The approach that I use at home is to roll to the side. Then push my upper body to a sitting position using my near elbow and then hand along with my far hand. It's far from an elegant way to get out of bed. I know a lady with an incisional hernia (original surgery was for a weightlifting accident) and the doctors don't want to operate on her because of other risk factors. She wants them to put in a mesh. So better to heal up the right way the first 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


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