topic Re: Colorectal surgery in Treatments and side effects

Colorectal surgery

Tom1938 — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 10:14:25 GMT

I’m posting this to gather some info for my partner. She has a colorectal cancer. There may be an option for surgery and there may not be...

Hoping to hear anyone’s experience that may have had colorectal surgery. What their staging was, how the operation went , how they are doing since and how long ago etc , any complications etc.

my partner has stage 4 cancer so curative is extremely slim, but we are forever hopeful. She would also need a liver resection if all went well. We are kind of weighing up options I guess so hoping to hear from others with loved experience.

Thanks

Re: Colorectal surgery

Tom1938 — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 10:17:51 GMT

.... and just to add if anyone has colorectal cancer with same staging with no option to operate,and is on a palliative path with ongoing chemo etc how that is or has gone for them

kind thanks

Re: Colorectal surgery

Iyana271 — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 11:04:07 GMT

Sorry to hear that your wife is going through this pain. I've just checked your post and I'm kind of disappointed as nobody has replied yet. I've not experienced such a thing so will not be able to give you the answer. So I'll suggest you consult with the specialist asap, maybe he can give you some hope and better options. As miracle still exists in this world so don't lose hope and always be beside your wife and give her love and mental support to cope up with the pain & fight with cancer. I'll pray for your wife's healthy life.

Best wishes!

Re: Colorectal surgery

wwroam — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 02:07:03 GMT

I'm an old Stage 3A patient from 2007. Still NED from that cancer.

The thing to remember from then is how much treatment has changed.

Oxaliplatin had only been available for a short time. Before that it was 5FU and nothing much else.

Avastin,Erbitux and Vectibix were distant dreams. Keytruda , Opdivo were unheard of.

Re: Colorectal surgery

Iyana271 — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 12:40:36 GMT

Well, you're right that treatment has changed and now advanced treatments are being used for cancer treatments.

Btw how are you doing recently, are you still taking any medicines?

Re: Colorectal surgery

Tom1938 — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 19:49:08 GMT

Hi there,

What does NED mean ???

Did you have colorectal surgery back then, how did it go and any ongoing issues?

My partner is about to have surgery in 10 days ( and now with covid19 about we have cause for more concerns ).

Would love any insights.

kind thanks

Re: Colorectal surgery

Tom1938 — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 19:51:47 GMT

Also what did stage 3A entail? Did you have Mets in any other organs and ho were they treated.

i hope you are doing

well.

Re: Colorectal surgery

wwroam — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 22:21:25 GMT

NED...No Evidence of Disease

I had a small tumour 25mm dia + 1 lymph node. Tumour had not penetrated outer layers of bowel.

In 2017 I was Diagnosed with Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (a new primary). It was not operable but chemo + radiation wiped it out. Unfortunately early 2019 it returned in lung nodules. More chemo ( Alimta + Carboplatin). I don't know its effect on the tumours but it reduced my Haemoglobin to 71 g/litre.Chemo was stopped. Six weeks ago I commenced Opdivo. I will be scanned at the 3 month mark to check on progress.

Re: Colorectal surgery

Tom1938 — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 02:48:36 GMT

Thanks for the info. Hope your next scan has some positive results for you.

We are at the early stages of all this it would seem ....... at least would hope that there is lots mote time ahead for my partner.

Im 10 days she is going in for colorectal surgery and I hope all goes well for her both with the procedure/ complications and also the covid19 vulnerability.

After that I guess we look at liver resection if both recovery goes well and it is still a possibility if it hasn’t spread too much further.

Tough times , and a cruel disease.

I hope you are also well and keeping

as safe as possible through this challenging time.

Tom

Re: Colorectal surgery

wwroam — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 03:49:39 GMT

Tom

I have only recently begun posting on this forum.

Prior to that I posted on a US forum that was extremely active internationally.

On that forum there were many Stage 4 members with many years cancer-free.

There is always plenty of hope.

Re: Colorectal surgery

kj — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 03:40:50 GMT

Tom

A mate of mine had rectal cancer surgery,then he had half of his liver removed,as well,he is in to his third year,he is stage4,he also had Chemo,radiation,and now he is on a maintenance dose of chemo he has worked most of this time,he lost his wife to Cancer about 5 years ago, for him working takes his mind off it,

He goes camping,cuts his own wood, I realise not everyone can respond how he has to these treatments,but if surgery is a chance,and liver resection occurs it can increase expectancy until further advances are made I take so much inspiration from how he is going about his life he says he is living with Cancer.

Re: Colorectal surgery

Iyana271 — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 11:09:55 GMT

It becomes possible because of his will power, I guess he has a strong will power that he responded positively to treatment and living his life to its fullest.

Btw thanks for sharing this inspirational story here.

Re: Colorectal surgery

PhilPepper — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 12:52:21 GMT

Hi Tom

I had colorectal surgery in July. Thought it was stage 2 initially but after surgery they upped me to stage 3. Found it in a lymph node. So off to chemo for me.

This was my first surgery... and what a kicker! Wasn't real nice. it was about 20cm of bowel removed, which included the top of my rectum. It also included an ileostomy, which was a whole new life experience. was only supposed to be about 6 weeks, but then I needed chemo.

I feel fortunate that my chemo only needed to be 3 months instead of 6. I couldn't cope with the chemo. I ended up in hospital with 3 out of 4 cycles.

Eventually had my ileostomy reversed in December. That was a strange 2 months of trying to relearn what my body had forgotten. This was a time that I thought I'd getting over it all, but I was house bound. Couldn't stray far from the bathroom. Many times I just wanted the ileostomy back. It was far worse than I expected.

Things are still a bit unstable. My missing pieces mean I'll never be the same, but I'm able to get back to doing normal things.

i've got a couple of years of checkups ahead of me, but in the current climate, appointments are by phone and future treatments are deferred.

I hope that helps. The biggest lesson I've learnt on my journey is that everyone's experience is different, even when they are the same.

All the best.

Cheers

Portly Phil

Re: Colorectal surgery

PaulineF — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 05:37:01 GMT

Hiya Tom,

I'm in the same boat as your wife... stage 4, mets'd into liver, looking potentially at surgery, just doing the final 2 months of a 6 month chemo stint. Oxaly might be a wonder drug, but it's pretty harsh on the body, too. Hope your wife's surgery goes outstandingly!! And her recovery quick and painless. 🙂

I look forward to hearing how she went, as I'm looking at the same thing. (2 x liver resections, 1 x bowel resection).

Hugs,

Pauline

Re: Colorectal surgery

Tom1938 — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 21:18:28 GMT

Hi Pauline

Firstly I’m sorry to hear of your own diagnosis and predicament. I hope all you are about to go through goes as best as it possibly can.

My partner has been through a lot and things haven’t rolled out the way we hoped.

After the colorectal surgery and whilst she recovered amd got used to her stoma we had scans to prepare for liver resection. Unfortunately the Mets in her liver had spread as had the Mets in her lungs. Any more surgery wasn’t possible as a treatment approach.

It was pretty devastating news. The goal posts have changed so many times for us..... so we went through the process of readjusting.

She had the stoma reversal and really took a fair time to recover. She is an amazing woman. I found it very difficult with all else going on ( managing an 8 year old and covid in the mix ). But we got through.

All that seems to be offered now is ongoing chemo which she goes in for every second week for a dose on a Wednesday and has a pump that keeps trickling through for the following two days.

Her oncologist took her off the oxalyplatin because from her first rounds she hasn’t been able to feel the bottom of her feet anymore. She is now on fofuri and avastin.

We will have another scan in September to see how the treatment has managed her cancer.

Our oncologist has led us to believe it’s highly unlikely she will ever be cancer free.... and really can’t give us a “ time “ frame. My partner is forever hopeful that she will be one of the people that lives longer than expected and I can only hope that her inner strength and belief will be the thing that gives her the ability to keep being the wonderful mother and partner that she is for many years. Fingers crossed.

We will go on living with cancer in all its unpredictable and changeable nature.

My sincerest best wishes and positive outcomes for yourself. I hope surgery continues to be an option and I hope you have some good amd loving care.

Best health

Tom

Re: Colorectal surgery

PaulineF — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 10:35:49 GMT

Oh Tom, how horrible for you and your family, to be dealing with that!

When I got my diagnosis I was freaked out that it was in the liver, but relieved that so far (touch wood) it hasn't gone into the lungs. I did manage to develop blood clots in the lungs, but hopefully the cancer will stay out of there. Mine was in the liver, too - so much so that it was initially inoperable. I, too, have been doing chemo every fortnight (and isn't that fun?) so I can sympathise with your wife for the probably limited days she's feeling even remotely well. I have the three drugs on the Thursday, with the takeaway bottle for the next two days... also high on my list of stuff I'd rather do without.

It does tend to shift the goalposts a bit, when the cancer goes wandering. Mine's reduced somewhat, enough that they now think operations are a possibility, however, I'm always aware that it could decide it wants to grow again. So my deepest sympathy for your wife there - it's so horrible when you've got yourself braced for the operations, only to have that change so suddenly.

I'm glad she's off the oxalyplatin. That's yucky stuff. My own neuropathy has been getting worse, so I suspect that's a big factor in the oncologist deciding to stop that treatment.

There's a clinical study being done by QUT, Queensland Health, and UCSF (?) into chemotherapy induce peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) which is seeking to alleviate symptoms using home based therapies (heat and massage). The website is research.qut.edu.au/real/cipn/ if you think that may be of some use.

My own philosophy has changed to "que sera sera" but I hope your wife's strength of character wins out over this pernicious disease. Sending hugs and love to you, your wife, and your little one...

Hugs,

Pauline