Wellness

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My prayers go out to all of you facing these scary results or waiting for results.  I pray everyday for all in despair.

God bless you.

[Pink123]

@Gracies Mom  I had a feeling it was the peritoneum as I have a close friend who had colon cancer and they thought that it had spread there even though there was no lymph node involvement.

It is an area to watch though for all abdominal cancers.  It's like a layer of fat over the abdomen.

What I'm happy about (please don't take this wrong as it's not happy at all but I like this new treatment from France.  I think there will be little pain or suffering for you.  Only the mental which is torture of course and the worst, ugh!!

My husband died of liver cancer at 52 after 23 years of marriage.

I was 46.  It was 6 months of H****.  The caregiver gets it too and I believe your husband is suffering for you as well.

Again, you are in my prayers and I understand your mental

pain.

ps. please stay in touch.

[Pink123]

@wagirl  No, your not being nosy at all.  I know so much about abdominal cancers as I told Gracie's Mom my best friend had 

colon cancer, Stage 2, T3. There was no lymph node involvement

but there was concern about that fatty layer called perontineum which covers the abdominal area.

And also my huband who died of liver cancer.  They were looking there too but it turned out to be primary liver.  You can read about it in my email to Gracies Mom.

Hope your walking is almost normal.  I'm almost 100 percent on that.  Some days a little stiff but I turn my ankle around and around watching tv.  

Have a great day! 

[wagirl]

@Gracies Mom ---I took tamox for 9 years after my breast cancer stuff---couldn't take the other drugs  due to side effects. I did fine on it , until year 8 and then started having issues with thickening of my uterine walls--had a D & C once and then a couple biopsies  for the same thing--decided it was time to stop it and my onc dr agreed--she wanted me on  it for 10 years--was just a 1 year short. so I really had no issues with tamox---

You just HAVE to stay on top of this thing----as you are doing----and as time goes on, treatment keeps getting better and better---choices are a good thing!! It's the waiting and preparation that makes me go crazy---or crazier--not a far trip for me!!!!

[wagirl]

@Pink123 --I am very sorry that you lost your husband at such a young age--and how did your friend do? 

My foot/ankle----grrrrr--------is doing ok. Am walking better, tho still limping and after my p/t days--it still lets me know who is still  the boss!! I do  my ankle exercises  while I am sitting too--never not moving the dang thing---

[Gracies Mom]

Hi Pink....

So....you think the procedure I'm scheduled for sounds promising? I thought so too--so did my oncologist--the interventional radiologist told me I am a good candidate as I only have one malignant mass--at least this doctor gave me some hope. As you must know, some doctors are cold and are far from comforting (I've had two and I miss them-one retired and one left to have a baby). The one I use now is blunt and just tells it like it is--not my cup of tea. I spoke to the interventional radiologist and I liked him--personable and didn't make me feel like a number.

I am so very sorry about the loss of your husband---so sad and so young! My father died when he was 37 years old of lymphoma (in 1961)--it was thought he was exposed to cyanide--he was a drug researcher and was working on new cancer drugs--the irony was that nothing he was working on could help him--it actually caused his disease.

Yes, I will keep everyone here updated. And you are right--the mental torture is the worst--although I should be used to it by now--had uterine cancer since 2011 and it's been ups and downs ever since.

[Gracies Mom]

Hi Pam...

I'm glad to hear that you had no issues with Tamox for so many years. I had no issues with Letrozole for the last seven years except for very dry skin and some loss of hair. My oncologist told me there are two anti-estrogen drugs I can try--the Tamox and one other (can't remember the name of it)--but it's up to her--b I hope one of them helps keep away the cancer for awhile.

I agree with you---medicine keeps coming up with newer and better treatments as time goes on. Maybe if this comes back again, there will be another type of treatment that can help me hang around longer. Yes,my doctors beieve in frequent scans and testing--which is how this new mass was found.

My oncologist tells me that this disease is a forever thing--it will always be around--it's the nature of the beast--this type of cancer tends to pop up over and over. Of couse, that was something I didn't want to hear, but now that it's said, it will be in my head forever. My cross to bear I guess.

[Pink123]

@Gracies Mom  Hi.  Oh yes I do think this procedure sounds promising indeed and not too invasive mostly, thank God!

Thank you for your words about my husband.  Oh yes, I know how cold some of these Oncologists can be with my husband.  Is it that they deal with this everyday and are numb to it?  I don't know the answer to that.  But there a few warm ones out there.  Anyway, the night in the ER they discovered a huge mass in my husband's liver he was imediately taken to a room around midnight. I did know it was cancer when he was having a sonogram to his abdomen.  I heard "beeps".  I think those "beeps" were the masses in liver.  I about fainted then but kept quiet and cool.

Then when he was taken to a room I went out into the hallway for a walk because I was in total shock.  He had just had an exam,  blood work, etc a month before at my insistance. Nothing came back suspicious, even his liver enzymes were a bit high but ok.  Only thing I noticed was he had lost about 7 pounds and he became very picky with food.  He was a runner and so I chalked it up to that, wanted to look his best.   I also noticed a bit more sleeping.

So back to the hallway.  Long story short, One Doctor came up to me and said he has 5 to 6 months at best.  I backed up against the wall and slid down in shock.  He helped me up and I said promise me one thing Doctor.  It's 3 am and I'm going to go home to rest a bit, and clean up. I need to make a few calls to his sisters. I will be back by 9 a.m.  Please do not tell him he is terminal until I am in the room holding his hand.  Well guess what?  I'm ready to leave for the hospital that morning and he calls me on the phone.  he say's to me "The Doctors told me I have 5 or 6 months to live.  i was so upset, I cried my eyes out.  I felt so bad that he was alone.  So yes I know how cold and callous they can be.  I just wanted that one little favor and I did not get it.

Oh they did reach out to Sloan to see if there were any protocols for him at his stage but they could not find any.

Back to you,  they have come such a long way and thank god it's in one area and again this new treatment sounds very promising!  Take care now.

[Pink123]

@wagirl  Hi Pam.  My friend is still ok after 9 years. The tumor went through the muscle wall, (hence the perontineum worry - that why it is called a T3 tumor - when it busts out the colon wall.  They tested 23 lymph nodes around the large mass in the cecum but did not find anything.

She did not have any chemotherapy after because there were no malignant lymph nodes.

I too have Barrett's like Hycknut John. Everyone in my family has stomach problems.  My Grand father died at 54.   So I get yearly endoscopies and colonoscopies.  Once they found a polyp in my duodenem and of course took it.  BTW Barrett's means there is a change in the cells in our esophogous.  They can turn into cancer and so they are watched carefully.  

Now you know why I panicked three weeks ago when he said they found a polyp in my stomach, ugh!  It looked awful big on the picture and my boyfriend agreed.  It was near the opening of my stomach.  Then he calls and says it's nothing, a big irritation, ulcer like.  Sure looked round to me.  But whatever.  He's an excellent Doctor.  He told me to up my med's and watch diet.  He will let me wait 2 years this time before I have to go back.  I did not fight him on that one. lol.

I always say live for today.  Let's all take it "One day at a time".  I know easy to say, LOLOL --- NOT!!

PS.  I also studied natural medicine for 10 years.  I got on a kick and bought a multitude of books when he was still alive. After hubby passed I worked 2 days a week at a very cool health store.  I had to take a test on medicine to be hired.  We advised the customers on what would be best for them.

So I learned alot from that experience even though I do not take any of these supplements anymore.

[wagirl]

@Pink123 --wow---you have had a very interesting life! Glad your friend is doing well too.

Yes indeed, we cannot escape the family genes can we. I battle with high cholesterol mostly. Dad died in 1976 at age 47 from blocked arteries. Both my brothers do too.  this cancer thing came out of left field tho--but I did take hormones to control menopause for about 4 -5 years and that's what I think was the trigger. My onc dr seems to agree altho I know cancer happens for no good reason.

I have always been interested in the holistic/natural sciences too---thought I would have enjoyed that field in my younger days. I have a cardiologist who aften uses natural ways first before the drugs---haven't been able to go see him since this stupid broken ankle thing------such a royal pain in my................foot/ankle/ leg