Hello forum!
I really appreciate the existence of this place. It was very helpful to me. Needless to say, I send you all the love I have in me.
If I am not posting this topic within the forum rules, I apologize, I am completely new here.
If I get anything medical incorrect, please excuse me!
English is not my mother tongue, so apologies for the mistakes as well.
Speaking on my mom - well we have heard the pT3N1c diagnosis. She had colectomy in late January and the staging afterwards was not pleasant as we are facing IIIB diagnosis with no lymph nodes involved, but tumor deposit. We are getting showered with information as she is about to begin treatment soon. I just wanted to get some advice from the veterans here as to be quite honest I want to limit the mistakes in the treatment process. I have a list of questions, if somebody has anything insightful for me, I will be very thankful.
1. Doctors are advising for chemo and they don't have definitive opinion on the radiation therapy in addition to the chemo. What was your treatment? I feel that she is scared of the side effects of the radiation therapy - what is your experience with chemo + radiation?
2. What was your chemo - I am asking this, because I live in Bulgaria - it is a small country and the main fear is that she is not going to be treated according to the best medical standards - I see 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), Xeloda and etc. Is that the standard so to say?
3. Did you take second opinion on the treatment? What was the process? How did you do it?
4. Me and my sis are living 600 km from the city where my parents are, so we are not there. My father is with her, but I just wanted to ask - what kind of care did you need during the first cycle of the chemo - did you need a special caretaker to be with you. Could you fulfill normal daily tasks?
5. It is probably not the place, but I have a hard time understanding the N1c term. If anyone can explain it just like you would explain it to your golden retriever, I will be very thankful.
6. What is the support that you expected from your children, how have they helped you. To be quite honest I have a hard time placing myself in the right spot right now.
7. What medical tests did your children undergo? This is not a freak out question, just a genuine rational thought that I should probably go and screen myself more regular than other people.
Thank you for your answers!