I've made it!

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JudiB
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:30 am

I've made it!

Postby JudiB » Tue Aug 01, 2017 2:27 am

At last I'm sitting in the chemo chair having my final infusion... can't quite believe it!
At the start I was really down, felt aweful and found it difficult to accept the "poison" being pumped into me. After a month, with the help of You Tube and guided meditation, I became more positive about the chemo and my morale improved...so did my life! Yes, the side effects have been horrid, especially whilst I had the oxi, but after that, things began to get easier. The half-way mark boosted me further and overall I think that I have coped ok!
I still have numb feet, lots of toilet issues, sore nose, mouth, eyes and balance issues to catch me when I'm least expecting it but my body can begin to heal once the pump comes off for the final time tomorrow!
Hey, I've made it....so all of you on the forum still on the chemo voyage...you can do it too!
Thank you all for your support when I was at my lowest, it helped so much to hear from others who have been, or are still going through this grueling treatment. My love and best wishes go out to you all and I truly hope that your chemo journeys pass as quickly as mine seemed to...well the last part did!
Xxxx
May 2004 Breast cancer lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy, Tamoxifen 5 years, then Femara 2 years.

Jan 2017 resection around colo-rectal junction
T2bN1 M0
March 2017 Chemo Folfox started. Oxaliplatin for 4 treatments, then just 5 FU and Leucovorin for remaining 8 treatments.
June 2017 clear scan
Last chemo August 2017
August 2017 clear scan
February 2018 clear scan

James65
Posts: 383
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:41 am
Location: Exeter, NH
Contact:

Re: I've made it!

Postby James65 » Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:03 am

Congratulations. I remember my last day and it felt so good to know there would be no more poison (good poison, but poison nonetheless).

Wishing the very best for you.

James
Diagnosed with stage III rectal tumor (though probably late stage II) January 2006.
Chemo/Radiation
Full APR Surgery
Folfox Chemo
So far NED.
Oops. Liver tumor diagnosed 10/13 after elevated CEA. Liver resection for 5cm tumor 12/6/13. So far so good.
Oops again, one tumor in each lung diagnosed 8/8/16. One too small to deal with and the other resected in late September. Wait and watch for now.
Oops, another lung Met in upper left lobe on edge of previous resection scar 11/11/19.

Tdubz
Posts: 152
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 11:01 am

Re: I've made it!

Postby Tdubz » Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:35 am

Awesome news! It's weird how chemo can seem like it takes forever yet go by so quickly at the same time. I'm already on #7 and it seems like I just started not too long ago. I'm glad you are now finished and I pray the medicine has done its job.

Beckster
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 3:01 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: I've made it!

Postby Beckster » Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:58 am

Congrats! I know the feeling!
57/F
DX:(CC) 10/19/16
11/4/16- Lap right hemi(cecum)
CEA- Pre Op (1.9), Pre Chemo (2.5)
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size:3.5 cm x 2.5 x 0.7 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N0M0/IIA
LN: 0/24
LVI present
Surgical margins: clear
MSS
12/27/2016 - Capeox, anaphylactic
1/2/17 to 6/9/17- Xeloda
6/17,12/17,6/18,12/18,6/19,12/19,12/20,12/21 CT Scan NED :D
CEA- 6/17- 3.6, 9/17- 2.8 12/17-2.8, 3/18-3.1, 6/18-3.0, 9/18 2.8, 12/18 2.5 3/19 3.1 6/19 3.1 9/19 2.6 12/19 2.8 6/20 3.0 12/20 2.7 6/21 2.9,[color=#000000]12/21 2.7[/color]
Clear Colonoscopy 10/17, 11/19,11/21 :D

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: I've made it!

Postby NHMike » Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:10 am

Congratulations. Sounds like a good reason for a celebration. Maybe a little dance too.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

benben
Posts: 328
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 3:18 pm
Location: Washington State

Re: I've made it!

Postby benben » Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:53 pm

congrats Judib.

May your last treatment be followed by a lifetime of NED.
----------------------
3/29/17 diagnosed CRC - 44 y/o Male
4/17/17 ULAR - Straight anastomosis - no ostomy.
Path: low grade T3n1m0 - moderate diff.
KRAS - NO, MLH1/PMS2/MSH6/MSH2 - Normal.
5/3 med port install
5/22 folfox - first treatment.
3rd treat, delayed - low ANC - reduced to 90% OXI
zarxio all treats
Treat 7 - 75% OXI
Treats 8-12 - NO OXI, Luke & 5FU
10/20/17 CT- NED
3/18 Scope - Clean
11/8 PORT OUT!
7/22 CT - NED (5 years!)

cmrl
Posts: 174
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:39 pm

Re: I've made it!

Postby cmrl » Tue Aug 01, 2017 2:49 pm

Congratulations! Time to celebrate.
Resection of splenic flexure 7/24/13
T3N2BM0, Stage 3c,12/29 nodes
Folfox x12 9/13-3/14
CT scan 4/14, enlarged spleen, otherwise clear
CT 4/15, spleen WNL.
6/17 3 cm benign polyp at ileocecal valve, awaiting removal

Maelleous
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 8:13 am
Location: FL

Re: I've made it!

Postby Maelleous » Tue Aug 01, 2017 3:08 pm

Awesome! Congratulations!

A piece of advice someone gave me for when I am done with everything and I recommend it to anyone else.

Start planning a fun, celebratory get-away! Even if it is inexpensive if you can't really afford it. I was told to do it before my last treatment, but I would still apply it to now, you deserve it!
M 35 yr
DX Rectal Cancer, 10/16 (symptoms Feb 2016)
Dx stage 2 - Surgery Oct 25 201 Loop ileo w/ j-pouch
Close margins within 1mm
9/38 lymph nodes involved on path / Stg IIIc,pT4, pN2 B, p.M0. MSS, K‐ras, NRAS, no mutation
Started Folfox - 3rd Treament, Dec 30th 2016 Cardiac Arrest - Lucky to be part of the 6% to survive!
S-ICD installed / Port Removed
Vaccine Clinical trial at UPMC - last shot June 2017
Reversal 8/1/17 - Praying this is it!
Still NED

Basil
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:33 pm

Re: I've made it!

Postby Basil » Tue Aug 01, 2017 3:32 pm

Congrats! I remember thinking I couldn't possibly make it through 12 rounds. I did six before surgery and know I can do six more if needs be.
40 y/o male (now 46), kids 11 & 14.
Dx 3/16/17, rectal cancer s3,t3,n1,m0
PROSPCT trial (FOLFOX in lieu of chemorad)
FOLFOX 4/5/17 - 6/26/17
LAR 7/31/17, temp ileo
pathological complete response
Adjuvant chemo cancelled (IDEA Study)
Ileo reversed 9/25/17
NED
1 year scans - clear
2 year scans - clear
3 year scans - clear
4 year scans - clear
5 year scans - clear (considered cured)

tater
Posts: 133
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:53 pm

Re: I've made it!

Postby tater » Tue Aug 01, 2017 4:57 pm

Way to go. Celebration time for sure.
DH to 38 wife w/kids
Stage 3C DX 3/3/17 CEA 29
5-fu and radiation ended May 17, 2017
Stage 4 External iliac node July 17, 2017
FOLFOX + Avistan July 18 2017 CEA 2.3
Nov 9, 2017 Coloanal Anastomosis, Hysterectomy & External Nodes Removed W/ileostomy
Clear Margins NED
CEA 1.5 12/17, 2.1 2/18, 2.3 6/18, 1.1 9/18, 1.3 12/18, 1.8 3/19, 2.5 6/19
Clear CT and MRI on 2/5/2018, 9/18 Clear Scans
Reversal Surgery 6/26/18
Small Spot on right ureter surgery 10/30/19 adhered to artery
Dec. 2 start 12 rounds FOLFIRI

User avatar
Shana
Posts: 401
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:45 pm
Location: Sonoma, CA

Re: I've made it!

Postby Shana » Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:43 pm

Congratulations! Yes you must celebrate to mark this date.

:D
DX - 12/16
MSS - KRAS wild
Well-differentiated adenocarcinoma at splenic flexure
Stage IV CC with liver mets
5FU - Failed twice - 1/17 and 3/17
Irinotecan + Cetuximab: 8/17
Irinotecan and Erbitux ran it's course. CEA rising
Primary tumor invaded tail of pancreas and spleen. Liver mets major concern
Y-90 radioembolization on 9/17/18, liver enzyymes have dropped. 10 Radiation treatments to primary tumor completed too. CT scan Nov to assess overall situation...

JudiB
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:30 am

Re: I've made it!

Postby JudiB » Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:20 am

The nurse has just been to release me from the pump for the final time.... hooray!
It feels soooo good to see the end of this stuff!
Just one more lot of prednisolone tomorrow and I will take the Omiprazole for a bit longer till I'm sure the acid reflux has gone...then no drugs and my poor over worked liver can clean me up!
Yes bhmike...there will be lots more dancing, starting with a fest noz (Breton dance event), tomorrow! I'm hoping that the dancing will help with the neuropathy in my feet and affecting my balance! So now I can move on, scan again in a couple of weeks, but I feel confident that it will be clear as the mid-way one was. As a positive person, I think the surgeon got it all out in time!
Thank you all for your positive comments and support and I'll continue to follow your progress through the forum and hope you all soon reach where I am...end of chemo!
Love and hugs xxxxx
May 2004 Breast cancer lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy, Tamoxifen 5 years, then Femara 2 years.

Jan 2017 resection around colo-rectal junction
T2bN1 M0
March 2017 Chemo Folfox started. Oxaliplatin for 4 treatments, then just 5 FU and Leucovorin for remaining 8 treatments.
June 2017 clear scan
Last chemo August 2017
August 2017 clear scan
February 2018 clear scan


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