Husband’s New Diagnosis

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sunnysideupalways
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:22 am

Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby sunnysideupalways » Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:34 am

Hi All,

Thank you so much for this wonderful resource of information and individual stories - it is a light in the darkness during these times!

My husband, 38, had a colonoscopy last week where they found a mass they could not get the scope past in his descending colon near his splenic flexure. It was biopsied and came back as adenocarcinoma. He had a CT scan this week and we are just waiting for the call from the GI surgeon to go over what the scans found and if we are going ahead with LAR surgery to remove the mass or if there is any more findings that would affect that.

He’s otherwise healthy, active (but could stand to exercise more), we previously ate well with a high fiber diet (currently on low residue foods), and so young. We are generally trying to approach this with positivity, but his symptom that concerns me the most is his weight loss. He did drop about 15-20 lbs earlier this year, but it was right around the time that we went into lockdown and we chalked it up to stress/eating at home more and not eating fatty restaurant foods. He was sent to get a colonoscopy because of blood work that came back showing he was anemic. His hemoglobin levels have gone up a little since that first bloodwork, and his liver functions are good (but this was not a liver function test).

I guess I’m most worried about it having spread to his liver already with the weight loss being a key sign of that. I can’t seem to find many accounts of people having weight loss as a symptom, but I know every cancer is different. Any clarity or advice would be appreciated as we begin this journey!

utahgal7
Posts: 200
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:04 pm

Re: Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby utahgal7 » Sat Nov 14, 2020 12:46 pm

Hi,

I am sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. Weight loss is a common cancer symptom. Your husband may want to look into consulting a dietitian. That person can advise about diet to prevent any further weight loss. For me, I had lost 25 pounds by the time I was diagnosed, and my hospital's dietitian told me to eat calorie dense food and she wanted me to drink protein powder smoothies.

Best of luck to your husband!
02/20 Rectal Cancer dx - 4 cm mass; located 9 cm from AV
03/20 CEA 2.7; 0.9; 1.4; 0.9; 0.9; 1.2; 1.0; 0.8; 1.1; 1.0; 1.1; 1.7; 1.8; 1.8
1.9; 2.4; 2.3; 2.8; 2.2, 2.8, 3.2; 3.0; 1.6; 2.0; 1.2
04/20 ST Radiation; 04/20 LAR surgery w/ileostomy; ypT3N1bM0; MSS, KRAS G12A
05/20 CAPEOX; 08/20 Ileostomy reversal
12/20 CT scan; lung nodules (watch and wait);
11/22 lung nodule biopsy positive for RC met;
1/23 VATS right lower lobe wedge resection
FOLFIRI 10 cycles

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

Re: Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Sat Nov 14, 2020 3:03 pm

I'm sorry for your husband's diagnosis and I hope you get more information soon.*hugs*
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! :)

sunnysideupalways
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:22 am

Re: Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby sunnysideupalways » Sat Nov 14, 2020 3:36 pm

Thank you! I guess I meant that I’m worried the weight loss automatically means a poorer prognosis, but trying not to get ahead of myself :lol:

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

Re: Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby Lee » Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:19 pm

Hi & welcome, sorry for the reason you are here.

Agree, weight loss is a symptom of cancer.

The beginning of this journey is probably some of the scariest times, like free falling. Once you have a stage & a plan of action, you start to feel a bit grounded. When you know more, let us know.

Good luck,

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!

Koreysue
Posts: 258
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:36 pm

Re: Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby Koreysue » Sun Nov 15, 2020 3:52 pm

Sorry to hear of your husband’s diagnosis. Everyone seems to present with different symptoms, at all stages it seems...so it is hard to know. I understand the worry, and fear. Once you know more, there will be a plan in place. There are several treatment options available even with disease that has spread. Try to take one day at a time, one procedure at a time, if possible.
I am glad you found Colon Talk, it is a wonderful resource for info and support,
Keep us posted,
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

boxhill
Posts: 789
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:40 am

Re: Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby boxhill » Tue Nov 17, 2020 12:41 pm

Wait, your husband is having a lower anterior resection for a tumor all the way up near the splenic flexure? Are you sure of that?

Or do you mean that he is having a laparoscopic left hemicolectomy?
F, 64 at DX CRC Stage IV
3/17/18 blockage, r hemi
11 of 25 LN,5 mesentery nodes
5mm liver met
pT3 pN2b pM1
BRAF wild, KRAS G12D
dMMR, MSI-H
5/18 FOLFOX
7/18 and 11/18 CT NED
12/18 MRI 5mm liver mass, 2 LNs in porta hepatis
12/31/18 Keytruda
6/19 Multiphasic CT LNs normal, Liver stable
6/28/19 Pause Key, predisone for joint pain
7/31/19 Restart Key
9/19 CT stable
Pain: all fails but Celebrex
12/23/19 CT stable
5/20 MRI stable/NED
6/20 Stop Key
All MRIs NED

sunnysideupalways
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:22 am

Re: Husband’s New Diagnosis

Postby sunnysideupalways » Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:33 pm

Sorry I did mean laparoscopic left hemicolectomy, still getting used to the terms and abbreviations.

CT scans showed no spread to other organs, so next step is surgery and we’ll see where we are from there!

Thanks everyone for the kind words and reassurance.


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