Hey Everyone

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Gailann
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 11:31 am
Facebook Username: Gail Sizemore

Hey Everyone

Postby Gailann » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:21 pm

Hi. This is my first post here. In early in 2016 I was diagnosed with Stage 3B colon cancer. I was 50 and had never had a colonoscopy before. My cancer presented in an odd way. On October 26, 2015 I had a cardiac arrest at my home. I was very lucky my kids were home that night. They are all in there 20's. My daughter heard the IPAD hit the floor and came in - she came in and I was not breathing and she called the others. My son did CPR until the ambulance got there. I died several times on the way to the hospital before the Doctors were able to stabilize me. I was found to have (in addition to the heart problem) severe anemia.I had to have blood transfusions and was in a cold come for 2 days. I had a defibrillator surgically placed the following week. They did the test with the camera down the throat but everything was fine.Later I had the colonoscopy and they found colon cancer and that I had been bleeding and that is where the severe anemia came in. They took the right half of the colon out and I had the chemo. I am back at work but was still having the pains and now I am told that my gallbladder is bad. I have read here many people also have had gallbladder problems after colon cancer. I don't want another surgery - I just had to go into the hospital in March and have a new defibrillator put in. I also feel like I have gained weight and now I think maybe the gallbladder has something to do with it. Does the bad gallbladder cause diarrhea? or is that a leftover problem from the colon resection?
Gailann
cardiac arrest 10-15
defibrillator 11-15
discovered Stage 3B colon cancer 3-16
right hemicolectomy 3-16
12 rounds folfox chemo
replaced new defibrillator 3-17

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3816
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:11 pm

How scary!*hugs* I'm sorry you've been through so much!*hugs* I can't answer your questions but I'm sure others on here will be able to help! :D
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! :)

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby Lee » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:52 pm

Gailann wrote: . . . Does the bad gallbladder cause diarrhea? or is that a leftover problem from the colon resection?


Hi and welcome,

Not sure about the gallbladder issue, butt my theory on diarrhea issue is this. We were made with a certain amount of colon to process food, water, etc. You lose a chunk of your colon and now your colon is expected to work/produce the same result prior to surgery with far less to work with :shock: .

Some people have found great results with daily enemas. If you enter that word in the search bar, there is one thread by tammylane where a lot of information is documented on that subject.

Yes I believe weight gain becomes a problem after chemo. I am not overweight, butt I am a card carrying member of Weight Watchers to keep my weight in check. I've gain 10 pd since my diagnoses.

Good luck,

Lee

P.S. Edited to add this. Result of chemo, my fingers gained weight. Could not take my wedding ring off if my life depended on it. 3 years out, I need surgery for something else. Was told if my wedding ring was on, they would cut it into pieces to get off prior to surgery. I soaked my hand in ice water for 20 mins, no success. DH and DB were there with me, ring was not coming off, PERIOD! Went to hospital, surgeon was like tape it up and don't worry about it. A year later I was messing with my wedding ring, REALIZED I could take it off (had done this many time before without success). Worked, worked, worked, and took some skin off, BUTT ring was now off. Told my DH I was going to keep it off until AFTER the end of summer. DH agreed, went to Kohl's and got a cheap silver ring. After summer, got ring/finger resized, gained 1/2 size in my fingers. I've been wearing my wedding band (with new size) ever since and no problems. Often wondered, if in time, would need to reduce ring size, did not happen.
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

TXLiz
Posts: 249
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:31 pm

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby TXLiz » Sat Jun 10, 2017 12:30 pm

I had my gallbladder out about 20 years before I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I just remember pain and nausea.

My son had his gallbladder out a few years ago, and he had terrible diarrhea as one of his symptoms.

His Gastro doc said with the GI tract, it could be multiple issues, and after extensive testing they took out his gallbladder because when injected with a specific "nuclear" drug and watching his gallbladder excrete during an MRI, they concluded it was not functioning as it was supposed to. Thus, they thought it may be causing his symptoms. They cautioned that even after surgery he may not be "cured."

He was, but this is a hard one. I have diarrhea now after a right colectomy almost every day.

You will have to discuss this with your doctors and make the decision if you want to have your gallbladder removed.

It may solve your problem, or not. That's what my experience has been.

Good luck!

PS- what an extra terrifying way to find out you had colon cancer! My goodness! I can see why you are hesitant to undergo another surgery. My gallbladder pain got progressively worse, so keep an eye on it. You don't want to be doubled over in pain and undergoing emergency gallbladder surgery.
Vomiting and blockage 9/19/16 46 y F
R hemi colectomy 9/20/16
Stage 3 B CRC, located in cecum
3 out of 16 lymph nodes positive
perineural invasion/lymphovascular invasion
infiltrating, mod differentiated adenocarcinoma with a mucinous component
separate tumor nodules present in pericolonic adipose tissue
MSI-high
Baseline PET scan clear 9/16 CEA 0.5
FOLFOX 10/16- 3/17
April 16th, CT scan clear. CEA 1.1
Lynch "inconclusive"
Colonoscopy 10/5/2017 clear

canadiandaughter
Posts: 676
Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:19 am

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby canadiandaughter » Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:31 am

My husband had gallbladder issues and never had diarrhea. It was more indigestion type pain, chest pain. After he had it removed is when he had bowel issues.
DD to 81 year old father
dx 24/07/14 iv cc mets liver/lung
folifiri started 19/07/14
shrinkage of all mets
growth in the liver,started folfox/avastin 80% 13/01/16
reduced to 70% due to side effects 27/01/16
First scan on folfox shows shrinkage in lungs, but liver just stable
6 rounds of vectibix-fail. 3cm growth and new spots showing Waiting for panel recommendations
At peace January 8, 2017

Ron50
Posts: 699
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:04 pm

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby Ron50 » Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:04 am

I had my gall bladder removed several years after cancer. I had no choice the small black gallstones were blocking off my pancreatic duct causing acute pancraetitis. They were able to flush the stone with saline and oxygen. (don't ask me how that works but it did) . after gallbladder surgery I started to develop severe diarrhea It was finally dxed as bile salt malabsorption or bile salt diarrhea. I still have bouts of it and control it with cholestramine which binds the bile salts and free cholesterol and takes them thru the system without them causing any problems.. Kidney stones are also quite common in survivors as well. Ron.
dx 1/98
st 3 c 6 nodes
48 sessions 5Fu/levamisole
no recurrence cea <.5
numerous l/t side effects of chemo

Gailann
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 11:31 am
Facebook Username: Gail Sizemore

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby Gailann » Wed Jun 21, 2017 3:44 pm

Hello,

Thanks for all the information. I guess with this kind of thing not everyone will react the same way - even if the diagnosis is the same. I need to get a gallbladder scan done soon so I will know more then. I was more worried that it was my liver - so if it is the gallbladder causing the pain I am alright with that. My Doctor told me that I had a high threshold for pain - but that is not a good thing when pain is a symptom.

Also, what is a good healthy snack that you like that does not bother your stomach or digestion and does not cause you diarrhea or gas?

Take care everyone,
Gailann
cardiac arrest 10-15
defibrillator 11-15
discovered Stage 3B colon cancer 3-16
right hemicolectomy 3-16
12 rounds folfox chemo
replaced new defibrillator 3-17

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby Lee » Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:43 pm

Gailann wrote:Hello,
Also, what is a good healthy snack that you like that does not bother your stomach or digestion and does not cause you diarrhea or gas?


Not sure about some thing that will bother your stomach, digestive tract, butt I'm a big fan of watermelon. We are having a heat spell here in the southwest. Yesterday and today high 120. When I went walking this morn at 5am, it was 84. So it's real popular snack around here especially at this time.

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

jep
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:45 pm
Location: New England, USA

Re: Hey Everyone

Postby jep » Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:50 pm

Hi Gailann...my gall bladder was not functioning at all and was removed about 15 years ago....my main symptom was terrible pain in the middle of my abdomen that would last for hours (and it always happened at night)....I know that there are different symptoms, but I didn't experience diahrea with my non-functioning gall bladder. I hope you get some relief soon!
jep
Stage IV CC 5/16/17
Loc: recto-sig
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Size: 7.4 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N2M1
LNs: 8/20
BL CEA: .9
LVI: present
Perineural invasion: present
LAR margins: clear (w/in microns)
Folfox (8/17-1/18)
Scope 6/18 - CLEAR! - 2 polyps
PET 10/17/18: 3 pos LNs
Irino + Vecti (11/18)
CEA: 1.7 (2/19)
Xel + rad (5/19)
Surgery: 8/21/19 (aborted)
P1 Trial 10/19 - 12/19
Bypass 12/6/19
Folfox + vecti 1/2/19 - 4/3/20
Kid Fail 5/1/20
Folfiri + Avastin 5/20 - 6/20
bypass 6/29/20
Stivarga 7/18/20 -
Home 9/10/20


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