Mum starting Folfox

Bless u both.

Chemo is hard, but doable. When your mum has good days tell her to enjoy herself to the full. Fatigue, neuropathy and feeling nauseous were the worst symptoms for me.

your oncologist and McMillan nurses will look after your mum. 
take care

paula

Thank you paula

for your kind words yeah she has been a bit tired and she has experienced loose bowels with her stoma which has been a bit of a nightmare.  

have you finished your chemo xxx

if you dont mind me asking what stage is ur cancer xxxx

Hi there, yes i have finished my chemo.................................March 2020. I had 8 sessions of OXYALAPLATIN /CAPCETAMINE 

I WAS STAGE 3 CANCER (2 LYMPH NODES AFFECTED)

Having my follow up colonoscopy this Friday. My CT scan in April was clear - thankgod for that.

take care

paula xxx

Just to let you know that my brother had stage 4 colon cancer - spread to liver.

he fought very hard from the start. He was 59 when he had the cancer.

i was lucky in that Milne was stage 3. I was 57 when i got it.

it is a long road ahead of you and your mother - enjoy life to the full when she feels ok

good luck

paula xxx

Hi ,

Sorry to hear about your mum . My mum has had a spread to both liver and lungs although at separate times . Chemo did a good job for my mum and opened up other options . If you click on my user name to can read her full story . Not always easy and a few bumps along the way but a great team behind her smoothing  the way . 
How fit is your mum in general ?

For is it turned out positive and she is heading into 11 years after a stage 4 diagnosis.

take care ,

 Court 

Hi can i ask was your mum told her chemo was just to give her 2/3 years with you x if it works x

Because thats what we have been told x  its just pallative chemo mum is getting and she is not eligible for alternative treatments xx

its so difficult because we also have our dad who has terminal lung cancer who is on oxygen.

But we have heard so many good and bad Storys about folfox  Not working xxx
we have just come to terms that dad will probably not be here much longer without thinking something going wrong with mum too xx 

sorry for sounding negative but thank you for your positive story  tell your mum well done xx my mum is in her 60”s but she suffers mentally  quite bad  and has heart palpitations.And she has lost over 2 stone in weight  x x she has terrible loose bowels with the chemo so far xxx jill

That is great news so chuffed for you good luck on your journey paula

Hi ,

Yes she was given it under palliative conditions . However one of the nurses took her aside and balanced that out by telling her of the patients she still had coming through the system many years later . Having been on this site for over ten years I can confirm there are people ahead of my mum who are still doing well and she was diagnosed 11 years ago this summer . Not all people get such a good outcome but for some people they use chemo therapy on and off for a prolonged period of time , some stay on maintenance chemo and others get to surgery which can open up a treatment break which mum my has thankfully had . Others have disease progression . Over the last ten years Treatments have also come onto the market that were not around when my mum was diagnosed. She has only ever had Oxaliplatin and Cap tablets . Despite being difficult for her and they were very much she had a brilliant response. 
Response to chemotherapy is so individual but that’s where the Hope lies too. 

Keep speaking to her team too about how to tackle the side effects . The first year we were terrified to speak about them in fear of them withdrawing treatment . The second year they reduced her treatment slightly and a lot of the side effects diminished. If only we had known . I still have some regrets in that area as the treatment actually did it’s job at a slightly lower level . 

My dad had a stroke two weeks before my mum took ill . Both illnesses came out the blue and left us trying to find something to hold onto . So I send all my love and strength to you as you work through supporting them both . My mum was 67 at diagnosis and now still pottering around at 78 . Balance is a bit affected after lockdown .

take care ,

 Court