Hi - new to site, recently diagnosed Stage IV bowel cancer

[maddie86]

hi cazza... my late husband had stage IV colon cancer... he was on the same treatment as you, he had that, then radiation then surgery. All in at the start the said he had only 6 mnths to live and was in operable, he managed to live 2 and a half years... unfourtunatly he died 2012. i put him on an all alkaline diet that i believe made his tumors shrink.. he being a young 24 years old didnt want to eat the food i was making so decided to just eat watever.. i truly believed this alkaline diet worked for a bit... look it up. Its supposed to kill cancer cells and alkalize your body.. Im a big believer in alternative treatments along with mainstream medicine. I hope you are doing ok, and remember to rest lots especially during chemo! all the best xx

[DG]

Hi Pam that sounds similar to my treatment, i went for an infusion yesterday and today started on tablets morning and night for 2 weeks and then 7 days off and then the 'cycle' starts again, they also cant cut my tumors out of my liver either because there is too many and are dotted all over the place, also spread to my lymph nodes ... Your daughter sounds like she is very strong, I don't feel strong at all right now, only found out yesterday just how serious mine is.. a lot worse than i originally thought Hopefully things will get better for all of us Take care Deb's

[Cazza]

Dear Ron sorry I have not responded sooner. Stories like yours are so inspiring. I have been a bit down as I have been told that my liver issues are too complex and I will never be a candidate for surgery so my survival relies purely on chemo. Fortunately it is shrinking the tumours and CEA is coming down so I am hopeful. So far have had 7 treatments the 7th today and if it was not for the cancer you would call me strong and healthy! So positivity, diet and chemo I believe will get me through this! I wish you continued good health Regards Carole

[Cazza]

Dear Ron sorry I have not responded sooner. Stories like yours are so inspiring. I have been a bit down as I have been told that my liver issues are too complex and I will never be a candidate for surgery so my survival relies purely on chemo. Fortunately it is shrinking the tumours and CEA is coming down so I am hopeful. So far have had 7 treatments the 7th today and if it was not for the cancer you would call me strong and healthy! So positivity, diet and chemo I believe will get me through this! I wish you continued good health Regards Carole

[Cazza]

Dear Ron sorry I have not responded sooner. Stories like yours are so inspiring. I have been a bit down as I have been told that my liver issues are too complex and I will never be a candidate for surgery so my survival relies purely on chemo. Fortunately it is shrinking the tumours and CEA is coming down so I am hopeful. So far have had 7 treatments the 7th today and if it was not for the cancer you would call me strong and healthy! So positivity, diet and chemo I believe will get me through this! I wish you continued good health Regards Carole

[Ron50]

Hi Carole , The secret to survival for me was compliance. They suggested ,I did it. There are break throughs happening all the time. To take advantage of them you need to survive. Not all long term survivors are cancer free. Quite a few ,like yourself , are holding it at bay .You do the best you can, you give the medicos a hard time and above all you survive. I have had no recurrence of the cancer but at the moment I am in nephrotic syndrome with my kidneys, they believe the chemo caused it years ago. I have been losing seven grams of protein thru my urine each day, 150mg is the max permissable loss. I am now taking cyclosporine which is an immuno suppressant used for heart and liver transplants. In three mos my protein loss has dropped from 7 to 2 grams. Survival is a full time job and it ain't easy...Hugs Ron.

[samex]

Hi carole, I only drop in here every now and again so have just caught up on this thread. Yes, I am nearly 7 years from diagnosis and cancer free.The chemo did leave me with some long term side effects such as the neuropathy in my hands and feet and I struggled with depression for a while, but I have definitely come out the other end! Which is why I pop in here from time to time to let people know that while the cancer journey is hideous, some of us do manage to regain our lives (albeit changed from what it was.) I hope that things are going OK for you (and any others having to deal with chemo etc.) S

[Son1807]

Hi Cazza, you sound just like me. I have too many mets in the liver (over 50-did someone seriously sit and count them??) to be a candidate for surgery. And like you are praying and hoping that chemo works well enough to change that. What chemo are you on can I ask??

[Cazza]

Hi Ron Sorry I have take so long to reply. Your message was an inspiration and gives me hope. I have been told that they will never be able to operate on my liver unfortunately so will not operate on the colon either. The past few days amazing advancements in treatment using the bodies own immune system to reject the cancer have been announced in other cancers in the UK and US so I am remaining ever hopeful that there will be a cure soon. In the meantime we will continue with chemo for as long as it works. It is encouraging that you have now been 15 years since diagnosis with no return of the cancer - may it remain that way always. Take care, Carole

[Cazza]

Hi Ron Sorry I have take so long to reply. Your message was an inspiration and gives me hope. I have been told that they will never be able to operate on my liver unfortunately so will not operate on the colon either. The past few days amazing advancements in treatment using the bodies own immune system to reject the cancer have been announced in other cancers in the UK and US so I am remaining ever hopeful that there will be a cure soon. In the meantime we will continue with chemo for as long as it works. It is encouraging that you have now been 15 years since diagnosis with no return of the cancer - may it remain that way always. Take care, Carole