Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

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

Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby menreeq » Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:40 am

Just finished chemo last night. Took those pills and thought to myself, ok, this is done. Now starts the watching and waiting. On the outside, I am happy for this milestone. On the inside, I wonder if I am deluding myself. I really just want to enjoy this... does one ever feel free after cancer?
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

Beckster
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 3:01 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby Beckster » Tue Jan 23, 2018 5:54 am

I remember the last night I took my Xeloda...it was a mixed feeling just like you stated. I am 8 months out and still worry and get nervous every time I have blood work or a scan. Hoping to hear the word "cured" at the 5 year mark.
57/F
DX:(CC) 10/19/16
11/4/16- Lap right hemi(cecum)
CEA- Pre Op (1.9), Pre Chemo (2.5)
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size:3.5 cm x 2.5 x 0.7 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N0M0/IIA
LN: 0/24
LVI present
Surgical margins: clear
MSS
12/27/2016 - Capeox, anaphylactic
1/2/17 to 6/9/17- Xeloda
6/17,12/17,6/18,12/18,6/19,12/19,12/20,12/21 CT Scan NED :D
CEA- 6/17- 3.6, 9/17- 2.8 12/17-2.8, 3/18-3.1, 6/18-3.0, 9/18 2.8, 12/18 2.5 3/19 3.1 6/19 3.1 9/19 2.6 12/19 2.8 6/20 3.0 12/20 2.7 6/21 2.9,[color=#000000]12/21 2.7[/color]
Clear Colonoscopy 10/17, 11/19,11/21 :D

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

Re: Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby NHMike » Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:53 am

Congratulations.

I can't wait for the day.
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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susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby susie0915 » Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:14 am

I am over 2 years out from finishing treatment and it is always in my head. I am so thankful I am cancer free and for the most part have done pretty well, but I don't think we are ever free from cancer. Talking to my survivorship nurse and oncology therapist helped. I am hoping the further out I get the easier it will become so long as there are not any recurrences or issues that arise. I remember how great it felt to take those last xeloda pills, congratulations!
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

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

Re: Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby SweetC80 » Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:37 am

What a great milestone. Congratulations :).
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

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

Re: Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby Caat55 » Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:13 pm

Cheers to you. Can't wait for that day.
S
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

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WriterGirl1969
Posts: 524
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Central NY

Re: Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby WriterGirl1969 » Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:54 pm

menreeq wrote:Just finished chemo last night. Took those pills and thought to myself, ok, this is done. Now starts the watching and waiting. On the outside, I am happy for this milestone. On the inside, I wonder if I am deluding myself. I really just want to enjoy this... does one ever feel free after cancer?


I *so* remember that day. The whole time I was taking Xeloda all I kept thinking was "I can't wait to be done with this crap!" Then I was, and all I could think was, "Now what?" I felt like suddenly I was no longer actively fighting the cancer. Oi. <:- )

All I can say is to take it day by day. At some point, you'll look up and realize you haven't thought about it for a while. Life has a way of settling back into a rhythm. That doesn't mean you won't have plenty of moments where you think about it, but the moments when you don't think about it will start to increase. Until scan time... :?

I'm glad you're done with that part of your journey. Focus on healing your body after having hit it with that crappy chemo. I celebrated by adopting a kitty. I call her my end-of-chemo-kitty. She's persian, so she's a grumpy kitty. I have to laugh when I look at her cute, grumpy little smushed up face. Things like that made it better for me. Distraction. Redirect. Change of focus.

Will keep you in prayers.
Smiles and hugs,
Tracy
DX 3/4/2016 Colon Cancer; age 46 Mom of then 4-yr-old
Stage IIIB: T3N1M0
3/31/16 Surgery
4 to 10/2016: Xeloda Monotherapy
CEA: 10/16 0.56, 1/17 0.54
CT CLEAR: 3/6/17; 4/17/18; 4/16/19
NED 3 years
“If I can help somebody as I walk along, then my living shall not be in vain.”

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horizon
Posts: 1669
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:10 pm

Re: Took my last dose of Xeloda last night

Postby horizon » Thu Jan 25, 2018 12:30 am

menreeq wrote:Just finished chemo last night. Took those pills and thought to myself, ok, this is done. Now starts the watching and waiting. On the outside, I am happy for this milestone. On the inside, I wonder if I am deluding myself. I really just want to enjoy this... does one ever feel free after cancer?


Congrats. That's a huge milestone that I remember well! I won't lie to you. I still think about cancer a lot and sometimes do the "what if it comes back" routine in my head BUT I can go long periods without thinking about cancer at all. That was unthinkable a few years ago. I'm living a great life now and try to appreciate it.
I'm just a dude who still can't believe he had a resection and went through chemo (currently 13 years NED). Is this real life?


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