Living with Cancer (from Cancer Survivors)

Hi Razd and others,Glad you started a new thread.I am doing good. I had my third of 12 treatments last week and side effects are manageable. Some first bite pain cold sensitivity while actively on chemo and for a few days afterwards. Worst effect is the fatigue. I spend my unplug day and the day after (every other Fri and Sat) dozing on the couch9.Best news is I'm back to work. I came back this past Monday and have had no problems putting in 9 hour days. I am totally ready for jammies and couch by the time I get home The only reason I'm putting in longer days this week is to help cover some hours next week when I won't be able to work the whole week.I'm still in the midst of some fear for the future and for my kids but it gets better every day. I believe the doc is going to check my CEA marker again next week, hoping it continues to go down.~~ Asgara
A Pain In My Ass | my journey through colon cancerEdited by Asgara, : switch to non admin mode

LOL, can I blame chemo brain for not noticing it was still in PNT? That does explain why I couldn't initially set it to being written in non-admin mode./sigh

RAZD, how are you doing, haven't seen you post since this message.Edited by Asgara, : changed subtitle

Thanks so much Xong, if RAZD is busy off living his life, please keep us informed

I started my fifth chemo session this morning and had a meeting with the nurse practitioner. Last session they drew blood to test my cancer marker CEA, Carcinoembyonic antigen. Before my surgery in July my numbers were 90, after surgery and pre-chemo it went down to 8.5. Normal is below 3. Today I was told that my number from last session was 2.2. With my clear PET/CT scan pre-chemo and my normal CEA, I am officially NED, No Evidence of Disease.Not to say that there are no cancer cells in hiding right now, or that it can't come back in a month, a year, 5 years or 10. But for now there is NO evidence that there is cancer in my system. I will take this any day

WONDERFUL news Xong!!! Let RAZD know that he is loved and missed around here, but HELLS yeah, go live your life! He will always be my inspiration and my hero.

Love you jar!A co-worker told me that she knew as soon as it knew who it was inhabiting, the cancer would turn tail and run LOL

Happy to see you back Paul. How are things going?I am 7 sessions in to my 12 and still doing well.In the news.... new chemo deliver methodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/...ases/2012/11/121108181443.htm

Survivor's Guilt kicks in big time here.

Well I unplugged from session 10 of 12 yesterday. Two more to go. I had a CT scan on the 18th and all is clear. There has been No Evidence of Disease since surgery on July 14. With clear scans and normal blood work, I'm thinking that there may be hope for those of us living with stage IV cancer.

Just thought I'd give everyone a quick update.I've gone through 6 of 12 chemo treatments and just got back from my 2nd trip to Mayo. I have a thoracic wedge resection on my left lung scheduled for Monday June 16th.Chemo has been working; my CEA marker is down to 6 again after a high of 18 on my last trip to Mayo and my lung spots are showing shrinkage.I get to be a part of two data gathering studies that I will explain if any one is interested.Here's to hoping the resection works and the follow up chemo clears out anything that's left. Please cross the pertinent appendages and swing the appropriate barnyard fowl.~~Asgara

Hello again,I am doing fine. I had a thoracotomy back in June where they removed 4 wedges from my left lung. Out of the multiple spots in these wedges only two were cancerous. I returned home after a week to recuperate and start chemo again. I had issues with my incision not wanting to close and have been in wound care for several months. I am happy to say that as of a week ago last Thursday my incision is officially closed up and no more wound care.I still have two spots in my right lung that they are keeping an eye on. I am currently on a greatly needed chemo break until the end of January when I return to Mayo for another scan. They want to see what these spots do. Grow? Multiply? Tap dance?I have been given multiple options as to what we might do about the remaining spots. I do NOT want to do surgery again. Open thoracotomy is NOT a fun recovery. I will probably talk to Mayo and my local onc about SBRT. This is a directed radiation that can be done on a moving (breathing) lung with fewer side effects than regular radiation. Another point in favor of SBRT is that I can probably have it done locally as there is a CyberKnife facility right here.As it stands right now I'm feeling good and am planning on going back to work part-time next week just to keep my foot in the door. My boss has been great. He told me he has never had any plans to NOT keep my job open for me. It will be an adjustment for me as I have been off work for 10 months.And that concludes my latest and greatest update. ~Asgara - Queen of the Universe and Surrounding Suburbs.Edited by Asgara, : No reason given.

Wow Theodoric, I generally have rides covered between kids, siblings and friends but you don't know how touched I am by this offer!Thank you.

Sorry, but it's all I can say. A dear, dear friend just died a few hours ago from pancreatic cancer. Three and a half months from diagnosis to death.I am heartbroken.

Farewell to Uncle Charlie and Uncle Pat... Cancer SUCKS