Hello! Just introducing myself. My name is Brittany. I am 34, married, 2 children (7 and 5). I was diagnosed last year with stage 3 upper rectal cancer. I recently finished treatment and have been declared NED. I read a lot on here while in treatment. This is my first time posting.
As far as my treatment, my mass was 11cm up, moderately differentiated. pMMR (wasn’t tested for KRAS or BRAF). Completed 4 rounds of neoadjuvant FOLFOX6 which ended with toxicity due to failure to metabolize the 5FU. CT scan after those 4 rounds showed near complete response so I moved into radiation with a low dose of Xeloda. After radiation I had my LAR, no bag. Pathology showed complete response to treatment, my tumor was gone, no residual cells in my rectum. 1/21 nodes showed treatment effect but viable cells. Another cell was dead with treatment effect. Completed 3 rounds of CAPOX after surgery. I had a clear scan in January and a clear scope last week. CEA was 1.5 (4 at dx) and my port was removed.
Now I deal with the mental side effects from my diagnosis which seem to be harder than anything I’ve been through. It’s like I can’t accept potentially being “cancer-free”.
Thank for reading!
New here
New here
34yo Female Dx 2/27/2019
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
Re: New here
Welcome to Colon Talk. Thank you for checking in with your status report.
Now that you are in the 5-year follow-up period, here is some information on survivorship planning. There is also some information available on stress reduction during the follow-up period.
When treatment is finished: Comprehensive Survivorship Plan
https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59411&p=471581#p471581
The three pillars of survivorship
https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59611&p=473473#p473473
Now that you are in the 5-year follow-up period, here is some information on survivorship planning. There is also some information available on stress reduction during the follow-up period.
When treatment is finished: Comprehensive Survivorship Plan
https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59411&p=471581#p471581
The three pillars of survivorship
https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59611&p=473473#p473473
Re: New here
Welcome!
But sorry you are in the club.
It is very common to struggle after treatment. I found thE “after” to be worse than the “during”.
Just try to take one day at a time
Ksue
But sorry you are in the club.
It is very common to struggle after treatment. I found thE “after” to be worse than the “during”.
Just try to take one day at a time
Ksue
Dx: 6/2017 stage 3 CC
Sigmoid, 2 nodes
CEA at dx: 6.1
Sigmoid Colectomy/folfox (last chemo (1/31/18)
CEA 4/2018: 2.4
CEA 7/2018: 3.7
Colonoscopy 8/18 clean
PET scan 8/20/18 NED
CEA 11/2018: 3.8
CEA 2/2019: 3.2
CT NED 6/18/19 / CEA : 3.4
CEA 10/21/19: 3.2
CEA 3/9/20: 3.8
CT NED /CEA 6/17/20: 3.8
CEA 11/4/20 4.6 <——— whyyyy? (will retest in a few weeks)
CT NED 12/1/20 CEA: 3.5
CEA 5/21 4.2
CEA 10/21 3.4
colonoscopy 10/21 10mm polyp
CEA 4/22 3.7
CEA 7/22 3.8
CEA 12/22 4
CEA 1/22 3.2 and NED 5yr scan
Sigmoid, 2 nodes
CEA at dx: 6.1
Sigmoid Colectomy/folfox (last chemo (1/31/18)
CEA 4/2018: 2.4
CEA 7/2018: 3.7
Colonoscopy 8/18 clean
PET scan 8/20/18 NED
CEA 11/2018: 3.8
CEA 2/2019: 3.2
CT NED 6/18/19 / CEA : 3.4
CEA 10/21/19: 3.2
CEA 3/9/20: 3.8
CT NED /CEA 6/17/20: 3.8
CEA 11/4/20 4.6 <——— whyyyy? (will retest in a few weeks)
CT NED 12/1/20 CEA: 3.5
CEA 5/21 4.2
CEA 10/21 3.4
colonoscopy 10/21 10mm polyp
CEA 4/22 3.7
CEA 7/22 3.8
CEA 12/22 4
CEA 1/22 3.2 and NED 5yr scan
Re: New here
Thank you everyone!
34yo Female Dx 2/27/2019
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
-
DarknessEmbraced
- Posts: 3817
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
- Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Re: New here
Congratulations on being NED! 
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!
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!
Re: New here
Thank you so much! I feel like I should be more excited than I am. I am more scared than anything. My oncologist says that’s normal. The mindset while fighting is different, because you are doing something. Now that treatment is over I feel like it must just be spreading and I am not doing anything to stop it. Such a weird feeling!
34yo Female Dx 2/27/2019
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
Re: New here
How you feel now is completely normal. Cancer, even post treatment and surgery when you declared NED can consume you. It's on your mind all the time and extremely hard to shake. Everybody deals with it, in time, in their own way. Just wanted to let you know that I understand exactly what your going thru and I can tell you now that my husband and I are ten years out from initial Dx, it gets better with time. Hang in there!
Deb
Deb
Re: New here
Thank you Deb! That gives me a lot of hope! Congrats and beating this!
34yo Female Dx 2/27/2019
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
T3N2M0 upper rectum
MSS/pMMR
4 rounds of FOLFOX6
Radiation/xeloda completed 8/8/19
LAR 10/22/19, no residual tumor or cells in rectum
1 positive node after chemo/radiation
No bag
3 rounds of CAPOX
Clear scan 1-16-20
Clear colonoscopy 3-4-20
CEA 1.5 2-28-20, 1.4 5-28-20
Clear scan 7-1-20
Currently NED
Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 76 guests