Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

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

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Caat55 » Sun Mar 03, 2019 10:13 pm

Isn't it nice to have the port gone? I have a little over a month to go before reversal. Trying to get loose ends wrapped up. I can do writing from home but need to see a lot of kids between now and then.
Good luck with the 5k. I am happy to be getting my 10000 steps in most days and get in my yoga.
Stay safe with the cold coming your way.
Susan
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

Jannine
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:46 am
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Jannine » Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:20 pm

I managed to knock 2 minutes off my 5k time from last year (the numbers are not glorious; went from 43 minutes to 41 minutes of run/walking). I'm really happy to have done so well, given that I haven't been training steadily. I really thought I'd be lucky to match my time from last year.

Eventually I'm going to run the whole way on one of these races! :)
DX: sigmoid colon cancer 5/2018. 48 F
laparoscopic sigmoid resection (24 cm removed); no stoma.
7.5cm adenocarcinoma -- mod. diff.
1 noncontiguous tumor deposit removed; 0/31 lymph nodes
T3 pN1c M0
5/18 before surgery, CEA 11.2
6/18 began FOLFOX
7/18: CEA 1.9; added neulasta post infusion
9/18: CEA 2.8
10/18: 25% chemo reduction
11/18: CEA 1.8
7/19 CT scan clear

PatMc4
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:11 pm
Facebook Username: Pat McChesney

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby PatMc4 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:09 pm

Hi, new to the forum, but have found it very interesting and helpful. I expect to have my 3rd round of FolFox next week, after having it postponed for 2 weeks due to low blood counts. I got lots of patient education material prior to starting treatment and fatigue seems to be the only side effect mentioned in the material that I have had. However, I had a mild case of shingles (which probably messed with those blood counts) and I was just diagnosed with a DVT behind my left knee. Once I started researching, I discovered that neither of these is particularly unusual. I was particularly surprised to read that cancer itself, chemo and having a port all increase the risk of DVT. I consider myself very fortunate so far and realize things can change at any time.

Jannine
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:46 am
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Jannine » Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:44 pm

Yikes. Good luck! I can't imagine dealing with both of those on top of dealing with chemo.
DX: sigmoid colon cancer 5/2018. 48 F
laparoscopic sigmoid resection (24 cm removed); no stoma.
7.5cm adenocarcinoma -- mod. diff.
1 noncontiguous tumor deposit removed; 0/31 lymph nodes
T3 pN1c M0
5/18 before surgery, CEA 11.2
6/18 began FOLFOX
7/18: CEA 1.9; added neulasta post infusion
9/18: CEA 2.8
10/18: 25% chemo reduction
11/18: CEA 1.8
7/19 CT scan clear

Jannine
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:46 am
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Jannine » Wed Oct 09, 2019 9:09 pm

It's been a while since I've posted to this thread, but: Had my bloodwork yesterday morning, CEA is holding steady at 1.8 and everything else looked fine. I'll have bloodwork and my 6-month CT scan in January. If that looks good she'll be pushing me back to an annual CT scan.

Over the summer I contracted c diff after my one-year colonoscopy. The colonoscopy looked great; no polyps, and only one diverticule. But I feel certain that the colonoscopy gave me c diff. I had c diff two more times, with only a couple of weeks between ending antibiotics and the c diff coming back each time. I met with a gastroenterologist after the last one, and we decided that if I got it again we were going to try a fecal transplant.

Fortunately it has now been two months and the c diff has not come back. Didn't have to give the fecal transplant a try yet. I am being fastidious about washing my hands, but I'm concerned that I really don't have much control over it coming back. I just have to hope that my gut is now healthy enough to fight it off if I do re-encounter it.

Metronidazole was what knocked it out, after two unsuccessful rounds of Vancomycin, the second of which was a pulse taper. Metronidazole isn't statistically as likely to be successful with a recurrent infection, I understand, but it somehow worked for me.
DX: sigmoid colon cancer 5/2018. 48 F
laparoscopic sigmoid resection (24 cm removed); no stoma.
7.5cm adenocarcinoma -- mod. diff.
1 noncontiguous tumor deposit removed; 0/31 lymph nodes
T3 pN1c M0
5/18 before surgery, CEA 11.2
6/18 began FOLFOX
7/18: CEA 1.9; added neulasta post infusion
9/18: CEA 2.8
10/18: 25% chemo reduction
11/18: CEA 1.8
7/19 CT scan clear

Jannine
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:46 am
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Jannine » Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:54 pm

I didn't realize it had been so long since I'd updated my thread!

Today was my annual CT scan and bloodwork. CEA is 1.3; that's the lowest it's gotten so far. The rest of the bloodwork looks fine.

Already got the chest scan results back; that looks good. Still waiting on the abdomen/pelvis results.

Looks like I've got another year before I need another Colonoscopy. I haven't had any recurrences of c diff.
DX: sigmoid colon cancer 5/2018. 48 F
laparoscopic sigmoid resection (24 cm removed); no stoma.
7.5cm adenocarcinoma -- mod. diff.
1 noncontiguous tumor deposit removed; 0/31 lymph nodes
T3 pN1c M0
5/18 before surgery, CEA 11.2
6/18 began FOLFOX
7/18: CEA 1.9; added neulasta post infusion
9/18: CEA 2.8
10/18: 25% chemo reduction
11/18: CEA 1.8
7/19 CT scan clear

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

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Caat55 » Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:07 pm

Great news. Congratulations.
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

Jannine
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:46 am
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Jannine » Wed Aug 25, 2021 7:36 am

Thanks! :)

Everything did look good on the scans, whew. Next appointment is in 6 months, for bloodwork only. CT scan and colonoscopy next summer - that will be 4 years after surgery, 3 years after my last colonoscopy.
DX: sigmoid colon cancer 5/2018. 48 F
laparoscopic sigmoid resection (24 cm removed); no stoma.
7.5cm adenocarcinoma -- mod. diff.
1 noncontiguous tumor deposit removed; 0/31 lymph nodes
T3 pN1c M0
5/18 before surgery, CEA 11.2
6/18 began FOLFOX
7/18: CEA 1.9; added neulasta post infusion
9/18: CEA 2.8
10/18: 25% chemo reduction
11/18: CEA 1.8
7/19 CT scan clear

Jannine
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:46 am
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Colon cancer: my treatment and side effects

Postby Jannine » Wed Sep 20, 2023 7:15 am

My oncologist has cut me loose! :D

Colonoscopy was clean, with no polyps; 5 years before I need another one.
CT scans look good, too.
Bloodwork also clean. I'm hovering at 1.4 CEA. Everything looks great. I'm still on no other medications other than calcium+D supplements, and my weight is unchanged from 4 years ago (after gaining back 10+ pounds post-chemo to get back to my normal weight).

I do not have neuropathy in my hands (I did, briefly, after my last dose of Oxaliplatin). I have continuing neuropathy with partial sensation in my feet -- it is annoying rather than painful. I wear toe socks or shoes/sandals with a grippy sole whenever I am on my feet. Our stairs at home are steep, and if I ever need to use them in bare feet I take it slow and careful.

I have a divot in my chest where the port was, I think due to the work he had to do to get it out, and an obvious scar. It looks weird to me but I suspect most people don't even notice it. I cover it up if I expect to spend time in the sun, and I wear a jacket with a high neckline in the car to keep the sun off of it when I'm driving to/from work. I use sunblock on it if I have to.

My hair is now finally, within the past six months or so, falling out at what I'd call a normal rate, after years of just ... not falling out. So I got the reverse of what many people get on chemo. That plus my hair not getting dirty any more (which went back to normal soon after I completed chemo) were my personal weird chemo side effects.
DX: sigmoid colon cancer 5/2018. 48 F
laparoscopic sigmoid resection (24 cm removed); no stoma.
7.5cm adenocarcinoma -- mod. diff.
1 noncontiguous tumor deposit removed; 0/31 lymph nodes
T3 pN1c M0
5/18 before surgery, CEA 11.2
6/18 began FOLFOX
7/18: CEA 1.9; added neulasta post infusion
9/18: CEA 2.8
10/18: 25% chemo reduction
11/18: CEA 1.8
7/19 CT scan clear


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