The Colon Club

Hi Mike's Wife,
I just finished reading your blog:) To be honest reading the post made me go back and reflect on the beginning of my cancer journey. I'm so glad that you have found this wonderful group of people to help support and educate you. This site has been a life perserver for me at times. I started my chemo 1 month after surgery. It is not a easy journey but, I'm here to tell you I was advanced stage 3..As of today I'm NED. My best friend was diagnosed 2 weeks after me with the same disease. She went to go have a colonoscopy after I was diagnosed. My pal passed away Christmas eve of last year. As you will get to know all the members...you will see people with great news and people who you come to love, pass away. The best thing that i have learned from all of this...is live each day. Say I love you, and be present..right this moment. We are here for you! Deb p.s. My family started a blog for me.. it was the best way to communicate to family and friends. i'm glad you started one.. I will follow your Journey:)

It's almost go time.

Break a leg, Mike!

Keep the faith, Mike's Wife!

Yes, Mondays' the day, as I recall.

My surgeon prescribed some Ativan prior to my surgery because I told him I was apprehensive and needed something to calm me down. When I went in for my pre-op checkup, they said I could take one on the morning of surgery to make it a little less intimidating. It helped. Just be sure to tell the nurse what he took and how much when he checks in, and then also tell the anesthesiologist before they put him under..

Welcome Mike's wife. You are getting a lot of good advice here. One thing I would add, is that after surgery, your husband will be given this thing (I don't remember it's name) to blow into. That helps to clear the lungs and prevent pneumonia. I also had things wrapped around my legs which every so often would fill with air. They helped to prevent clots. It's funny, while writing this, it's the first time I realized that my surgery was 6 year's ago this month. Eric mentioned riding his bike. I continued to do aerobics during chemo. Some people can keep doing these things, some can't. Everyone reacts differently to chemo. The important thing is to find something your husband likes that he can continue doing. You need something to keep some normalcy and control in your life. Can I ask where in Wisconsin you live? I lived in SW Wisconsin for four years after college, and there are a number of cheeseheads on this site. Someone mentioned the cost of the neulasta shot. The one bill I saw was for $7300! Good luck on Monday. Don't hesitate to post any questions or rants on the boards. Someone is always here to answer.
Jeff

Hey there, welcome to the club. You sound so familiar to me, maybe because 4years ago I was you. We had three children 6months, 4 and 6 were 35 and boom colon cancer stage 3. I cried a lot. My kids seemed to be young enough to shelter from the full impact of the situation and like others have said he went through surgery and chemo relatively well. He missed about 5 weeks of work for surgery and his mom came and stayed with us (life saver). Then slowly we got into the chemo routine he would get hooked up on friday rest the weekend and the first three months do very well, back to work monday and a little tired and pale but if we kept the weekend quiet we did well. Missed two friends weddings but they understood and we focused on getting him well. The second half of chemo he lost some hair but not all and not that much ....more thinning, most didn't even notice. He was paler and more tired and we had a few delays due to blood work but overall we kept things pretty normal.....low key but normal. Once done with chemo it was the scan anxiety we faced but in between really reclaimed our lives. Now we are over 4 years past surgery and we are a stronger family and couple and I thought we were pretty good to begin with We talk openly about our fears learning early if we didn't our fears crept in and put distance between us so as tough as it is we talked about it all. He like your husband is not really a colon clubber and sticks with family and close friends for support but I love the community and share stories with him. You too will get through this and someday hopefully be sitting on a couch reaching out supporting some other new comer......or maybe not hopefully we will find the cure we all so deserve. It is a journey and it is a fight at times.....I have learned it is just life and loving one another through anything. The what ifs are numerous not just in cancer but in it all so as my husband said lets not be just rats in a cage running on a wheel lets do the things we love, enjoy and do the follow ups as they are laid out but knowing we have done that go and enjoy our present moment because we are all here right now.......learning to live in the moment has been a unexpected gift cancer gave us......... we don't think about vacations we take them. Good luck we all have our ups and downs with this so what ever you are having share, we will be here.