Last infusion (hopefully)

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
cathy123
Posts: 665
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:36 pm

Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby cathy123 » Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:03 pm

So I got to ring the bell today. Finished my 4th Xelox, with one xeloda only cycle to make 5. I know lots of people do 6 but my onc seems to think 5 is enough. Doses have been lowered from the start, so I hope it is enough, but good to be done. Just two more weeks of xeloda and then ct scan reversal in a few months. Really hoping and praying that is the end of cancer treatment for me.

I am going to bitch off topic a bit. In general I have been lucky in life, and I certainly am lucky to have hopefully caught this cancer early. I know I should be grateful. But I am just feeling like I am being kicked when I am down. My husband got laid off yesterday after only 4 months at his new job. So today should have been a celebration but instead I feel numb and depressed. This is after he was laid off a month before I was diagnosed last fall from a job we had moved cross country to take a year and a half prior. That time it was a hostile takeover with hundreds of layoffs so was easier to understand. This time he didn't really get a reason, but his boss retired a month after he started and the new vp has been clearing some people out to bring in his people, but my dh really thought things were going well in his group. He is really taking this hard, my daughter locked herself in her room sobbing when she heard because she is afraid we will have to move (which is at least a 50/50 likelihood) I guess at least I am almost done with this process so hopefully after reversal I can start looking for jobs as well and something will work out for one of us. I just was hoping to have a chance to live a normal life for awhile after all of this.

I hope I am not offending any stage 4 folks because you guys have it so much worse. Truly no comparison.
Cathy

Diagnosed 10/14 low rectal cancer age 43
Clinical T2NXMX
Radiation/xeloda 12/14-1/15
LAR with temp Ileo 3/15
pT2N0M0, lymphatic invasion 0/37 nodes
4 xelox, 1 xeloda only
Reversal 9/15
Mom to 9&11 year olds

midlifemom
Posts: 1358
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:58 am
Location: NJ

Re: Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby midlifemom » Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:23 pm

Cathy
Congrats on finishing Xelox. I hope it does prove to be the end of a cancer life for you.

Sucks about your DH. I don't know what else to say on that subject, it just sucks.
Stage 3 cc - dx Jan '14 age 53, cea 2.9
t2n2m0, KRAS mutant, MSS
Folfox Feb - Aug '14
Nov '14 cea 27.7 -2 liver masses
Dec '14 left lobectomy and HAI
Jan '15 FUDR and FOLFIRI
Aug '15 fudr done, liver clear, add avastin for lungs. Cea 4.3
Feb '16 CEA rising
May '16 2 wk break then drop Iri for 6 weeks.
Jul '16 cancer grew, constricted main bile duct. Stent inserted. On break till jaundice clears. CEA climbing. Doing reduced Folfox. Allergic to Oxali.
Sep'16 chemo failed. Trial or hospice?

User avatar
rwightman
Posts: 211
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:50 pm
Location: Southwest

Re: Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby rwightman » Thu Jul 23, 2015 4:55 pm

I guess congrats and sorry all in the same sentence. I am one of those "everything happens for a reason" girl so hopefully so bigger and better is waiting around the corner, even though you have to go through some sucky times to get there. Good luck to you!
10/9/14 DX Age 50 - MSS
10/23/14 - Colon Resection - Stage II - 0/15 lympth nodes
12/30/14 - Stage IV - 1 liver met 2cc - Liver Resection - No lymph nodes and margins clear
3/10/15 - peri mets
3/15 - Folfox with Avastin - 7 tx
7/15 - HIPEC - 2 peri mets
10/14 - resection of abdominal met
11/12 - 5FU

MSJC
Posts: 158
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:31 am
Location: Ashland City, Tn.

Re: Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby MSJC » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:11 pm

I've also lost a career, finished chemo and rang the bell, etc. Losing an income or career is tough to handle and always seems to happen at the worst time. Congrats on ringing the bell! Wishing the best for and you and your family.
Mike, 49 y/o at Dx 1/14 stage 3c
low rectal cancer 7 nodes positive
2/14 5 weeks chemo/rad. 5-fu
4/14 Lar gallbladder removed,
temp ileostomy
5/14 8 rds Folfox
10/14 reversal surgery
5/15 clean colonoscopy
6/15 clean ct scan

JudeD59
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby JudeD59 » Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:41 pm

Cathy,

So happy you finished your treatments and sorry that great news had to be tainted by your husband's job loss. I hope things turn around and he is able to find something quickly. And I hope your reversal goes well and you have some normalcy in your life.

Judy
56 yrs old, wife, mother to 4 daughters
RC Stage II T3N0M0 DX April 2, 2015
6 cm. mid-rectum-CEA 121
Xeloda and radiation finished 06/15/15- CEA 242
CEA right before surgery 81
LAR performed 8/12/15 Temporary ileostomy
CEA 10-21-15 1.6
PET scan 11-4-15 All clear
Port installed 11/11/15
Folfox started 11/18/15
Folfox stopped due to bad reaction
Reversal 2/17/16
CEA 2/3/16 1.7
CEA 3/31/16 1.3
CT Scan 4/12/16 All Clear
Port removed 4/21/16
CEA 5/24/17 1.4

lpas
Posts: 1010
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:11 pm

Re: Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby lpas » Thu Jul 23, 2015 11:16 pm

Ugh--I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's job situation. That just stinks, no matter how you look at it. Hopefully he's able to find something else locally so you don't have to be uprooted again. 2016 has to be better, right? That 's been my mantra lately (hope I'm not jinxing myself!).

With all that said, big congrats on finishing chemo!! I know you were initially on the fence and ended up with more side effects than most, but FWIW I think you made the right decision. Did you see that post the other day that correlated chemo side effects with response to treatment? I immediately thought of you.

So long, cancer! Don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out...
11/14 Dx sigmoid CC @ 45yo
12/14 Colectomy + hysterectomy
Stage IIIB, T3N1bM0, 2/20 nodes, MSS, G2, KRAS(A146T), TP53, SMAD4, ERBB2, CEA 1.0
2/15-7/15 XELOX & celecoxib
2/19 clean scope
11/19 clean CT
Ongoing cimetidine & other targeted supplements
Mom to a 6 & 8yo

Nik Colon

Re: Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby Nik Colon » Thu Jul 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Congrats on being done, but sorry about your hub. Life can just be so unfair at times. :(

cathy123
Posts: 665
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:36 pm

Re: Last infusion (hopefully)

Postby cathy123 » Fri Jul 24, 2015 8:19 am

Thanks all. Ipas I really hope 2016 is better for us all!
Cathy

Diagnosed 10/14 low rectal cancer age 43
Clinical T2NXMX
Radiation/xeloda 12/14-1/15
LAR with temp Ileo 3/15
pT2N0M0, lymphatic invasion 0/37 nodes
4 xelox, 1 xeloda only
Reversal 9/15
Mom to 9&11 year olds


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests