Introduction

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Jeremiah
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:47 pm
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Introduction

Postby Jeremiah » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:57 pm

Hi all,

I wanted to introduce myself as I have just come across this wonderful site and decided to add it to my long list of group/education/etc sites.

I am 32 years old. I live in Lexington, KY, and have stage 4 colon cancer. I was diagnosed in April. I had a resection of my colon (about a foot removed) but the disease metastisized to my liver and possibly my lungs.

I had complications from my first surgery and had another one 1 week after the first for a small bowel obstruction. I will be having a liver resection on Dec 21 in Pittsburgh. From there, most likely 5 or 6 more rounds on top of the 10 I have already had. Surgery for the lung is possible depending on whether or not it is deemed to be cancer.

Anyway, I wanted to give a quick hello and join the club so to speak. I loved the calendar and have applied for an application for the 2008 version.

I look forward to getting to know each of you a little bit better.

janb
Posts: 154
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2006 8:21 pm
Location: Somers, Connecticut
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Postby janb » Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:09 am

Welcome and if you hang around long enough ~ you'll meet some very nice people. :D
Together....we can make a difference!
www.whereintheworldisgregkelley.com

kch57

treatment in Pittsburgh

Postby kch57 » Sat Dec 09, 2006 9:43 am

Hi Jeremiah...Your situation sounds similar to my husband's who was dx with Stage 4 in Jan of 03. We have also received treatment in Pitts. and are from Ohio. We went first to Allegheny General and now are at UPMC. Where are you going? My husband started out with liver mets, and after colon and liver surgery remained NED for 2+years. Had lung mass removed in June 05, cyberknife for recurrence of that same spot in Sept. of 06. Now going to go back into chemo. Stay tough...we have been told there is hope!!
Kim

JasonTR
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:28 pm
Location: Prairie du Sac, WI

Introduction

Postby JasonTR » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:10 pm

Welcome to the Club. My husband also has Stage IV, diagnosed in May '06. Would you mind telling me more about your liver resection surgery coming up December 21? A surgeon told us last week that she would not operate on Jason because the tumors were, basically, too close to the major arteries feeding and leaving the liver. We're torn between getting a second opinion and continuing with chemo through January and then reevaluating. He is responding to chemo and tolerating it well.
Thanks much and best of luck to you,
Sherri & JasonTR

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Jeremiah
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:47 pm
Contact:

Thanks

Postby Jeremiah » Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:53 pm

Thank you all for the welcome.

I am now back from my liver resection. I was at the UPMC Montifiore hospital. Dr. David Geller was my surgeon. Absolutely great guy and doctor. Everything went off without a hitch. As far as he is concerned at this point, all the cancer has been removed from my body.

The surgery took about 6 hours. I had to have no transfusion, no ICU, and was released from the hospital on Dec. 25. Surgery occured Dec. 21.

They cut out half of my liver (which is where the majority of the tumors where located), and had to ablate (or burn) the other tumor which was positioned at roughly the "50 yard line", so to speak. The one tumor that was burned was, in fact, nestled between those main veins/arteries that come and go from the liver. Obviously, resection was the best option, but given the position, burning was all we were left with.

I would recommend a second opinion. We were originally told no to surgery even by Pittsburgh, until my doctor (who is the head of surgical oncology) called back and said we have to do this. Having tumors in the tricky spots does make it more difficult and the chance of reoccurance is greater, but given my already existing possibilities, we have to take those chances.

Pittsburgh was wonderful to us and we are thankful that everthing went well. They were a bit stingy on the pain medicine and I am in quite a bit of discomfort still, but I can't complain.

Anyway, if anyone else has more questions, feel free to ask. I will answer as much as I can.

missjv
Posts: 1416
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:38 am
Location: FLORIDA

Postby missjv » Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:33 pm

hi jeremiah,
glad your surgery went well. i had my liver resection dec 8 at sloan kettering i stayed in the hospital 12 days and im still sore but doing better. i had hepatic artery pump put in did you? i will receive chemo straight to liver and also systemic chemo with cpt11 and fulfurri for 6 months just in case i have any stray cancer cells floating around as of now im cancer free. and to jasontr get another opinion go to pittsburgh or sloan kettering and speak with surgeon who specializes in liver surgery. removing cancer from the body surgically is the best chance for long term survival chemo will not cure stage 4 just relieve symptoms of disease until cancer is no longer effected by the chemo and it stops working. surgery is the way to go and i also had a small .5 cm met next to a major artery and it was completely resected with clear margins. i think it depends on how aggressive the surgeon if they will cut or burn. good luck!

missjv


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