May 2021
Wow! Thank you for your inspiring words! Truer words have never been spoken. I'm not afraid of my cancer. I have plans that I WILL see to fruition. I've been given 5 years at best. And I'm going to make the best of the time I've been given, whether it's 5 years or 15 years (I keep telling my doctor I won't be a statistic, I'll be a miracle). As you said, we could be hit by a bus tomorrow and die. But we don't let the fear of something like that rob us of our joy like cancer does. I for one refuse to let cancer rob me. Instead, my cancer has made me realize that life is not only precious but it's beautiful, hopeful, joyous, and something to look forward to every morning when I wake up. I haven't given up on long term goals or projects. A positive attitude and determination might not be a cure but I believe they can get you further than most doctors predict.
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May 2021
Hi Dianne. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I've been handling my cancer on my own and I have to say that if I was being suffocated as you are, I would prefer to handle it alone. There's a big difference between supportive and stifling. It may just be that he's feeling helpless over your struggles and needs to feel in control. But please don't give up because of that. I'm many cases, colon cancer can be dissected from the bowel successfully with clean margins. Mine wasn't removed, or even discovered, until my bowel ruptured. By then it had spread to my liver. If you do in fact have colon cancer, take care of it before you end up like me. Had I not put off having my colonoscopy due to Covid, I most likely wouldn't have a colostomy or cancer lesions on my liver. Please don't misunderstand me, I have a very positive attitude even though the odds are stacked against me. My chances of being cured are minimal but yours doesn't have to be. But because of my positive attitude, I expect to be around longer than predicted. Please don't give up. Your odds are so much better with early detection.
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May 2021
1 Kudo
I try to avoid even small crowds but when I have to get out, I wear my mask and use hand sanitizer after touching anything such as door knobs. For exercise, I take walks in my neighborhood instead of going to a gym. One thing I do is make sure I'm getting enough of is vitamin C, D, and E. I also use herbal supplements such as echinacea and elderberry, and drink a cup of green tea each morning with Manuka honey. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies each day and keep yourself well hydrated.
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May 2021
hello friends. On November 26, 2020 I was taken to the Emergency room due to severe abdominal pain and weakness. It turned out that my bowel ruptured and I needed immediate surgery. I honestly wasn't upset when I was told I had a very large mass in the sigmoid colon and lesions on my liver. I wasn't even upset about needing a colostomy. The colon mass was removed with clean margins but the liver lesions would eventually be treated with chemotherapy after recovering from my surgery. It's really weird that when the oncologist gave me a prognosis of 5 years, more or less, that didn't even bother me. I've always been a positive person and I guess I'm determined to live longer. So far I've had 7 rounds of FOLFOX and I've responded well to the treatment. Most of my liver lesions have disappeared, one is almost gone and two have been considerably reduced. My only side effects until recently were skin issues; hand an foot syndrome and a rash on my face. Now I'm having neuropathy mostly in the hands, some in the feet and back. I'm also experiencing diminished night vision. With the exception of the vision problems, the other symptoms are being treated with pretty good results. I've never been sick and have regained some much needed weight. For the most part, I don't feel sick. Now I'll be having a consult with a liver surgeon in 2 weeks. For the first time since November, I'm scared. I know this surgeon and he's brilliant but the thought of cutting my liver terrifies me. Has anybody else here gone through liver surgery? From my experience as a surgical tech, and having assisted this surgeon in the past, I know if he can successfully remove the lesions, my survival rate will greatly improve, with a slim chance of a cure, but I'm terrified of the surgery.
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