My Dad 66yr old with bowel cancer stage 4 with liver mets

Hello All,

Just dropping a note to say hope everyone is doing ok and thought Id put this link on if anyone hadnt seen it..its just a refreshing lecture by Randy Pausch, cheered me up a bit! even though he had cancer it actually takes your mind off cancer for a little while..we all need that sometimes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&feature=related

xxx

Well Good luck with that Sue!  Good to hear you stood your ground too, and received the whole treatment.  Magda, how are you and Gregory doing?  I hope all is going OK.  One thing I have learnt from this whole experience is not to stand back, don't every be embarrassed to make noises and push for answers.  How about all the rest of you out there - OK I hope.  Well Dad is doing really well now that he is at home.  Eating well and feeling good and no sickness.  He still has fluid retention in his feet, and so we are still 'Hopefull' that it is to do with the IV potassium and magnesium that he was on in Hospital and not the cancer - has anyone experienced this before?  He can't stomach the 'Fortisip' drips that the Onc wanted him to have to build up his weight, just about vomits at the sight of them!  No news yet of a scan, so hopefully soon, and the we will know where we are at.  WEll ALL  - bye for now - JULES          

Hi

I have had bad news from CTscan. It says there numerable soft tissue lung nodules in various size likely to be metastases and 9mm ill-defined nodule also likely to be metastases. New ascites and loss of the left fat wall suggesting widespread peritoneal disease. The tumour increased in size and now compress and occludes 2 veins. When Gregory had chemo the cancer was on remission but it seems that only couple week from finished chemo it has started progressing. We are going to see the oncologist next week. Do you thing they can refuse giving more chemo in this situation? If he had good results but it started growing back so quickly and seem to be nmore metastases now… Gregory has already told me that we wants to have more treatments but what if doctors refuse??? I have to be strong for Gregory but I feel I will go mad… We expected worse results but not so bad…

Do you think that if everything from CTscan that doctors say is metastases is always 100% metastases? We are devastated and really worried that the doctor will say to Gregory that’s it, there is nothing else what we can do… Can they refuse chemotherapy?

Magda xx

Oh Magda, your head must be all the place.  Who gave you the information, was it your Doctor?  I see from your post that you are seeing your oncologist next week.  Try to take a little step back from all that information, and remember that your oncologist is on your side, and they want to fight this as well.  I don't know about refusing treatment, I would imagine that if there is good results from treatment and Gregory is up to it (which sounds like he is), then they would want to keep up the treatment and FIGHT IT.  Your oncologist is working with you, try to have faith in that and keep pressing on and remember to keep asking questions if you don't fully understand something and tell your oncologist how much you and Gregory want to fight this.  My love and thoughts are with you  X - Jules         

Well Dad has scan date, next Fri 26th Nov... three days before his 67th BD!  I am so pleased that it has come through, but so frightened as to what it might say.  It's all that unkown and the fact we haven't had a scan now since we switched treatment and of course he has missed so many due to infections and hospital stays!  He has had 4 folfiri treatments so far.  Dad is feeling good still off the chemo, but yes still swollen feet which is slowing him down.  Well like I have just said to Magda we need to stay positive and have faith in the Oncologists in the fact that they will do everything that they can for us.... Keep on fighting!  Ann how is Nev going?  Judy, what about Bob, what's happening with you guys?                                                          Love to all   -   Jules           

Hi All,

Magda I am so very sad for you both . Like Jules said  it sounds like a good idea to highlight your desire to keep with chemotherapy. Rememder you can ask for a second opinion from another oncologist at any point but I hope it does not come to that.

Jules , I am with you on the scan front. They take me to the edge. How long does it take for the results to come through? Ours were six weeks this time.

Mum is having some building work done. She is enjoying serving the builders tea and rolls. She loves a busy house. Managing not too bad  for now. Early days but we just keep pressing on. We are going to get some activites for her to do during chemo. Activity , activity.

Take care Court

Hi  Court.  Not sure exactly when we will find out the results of the scan.  We will get an appointment to see the Onc, usually only a week though and he will fill us in.  Very nerve racking!  I don't know how you coped with six weeks... that would have done my head in!  Oh how great that your mum is getting some building work done!  Yes there is a lot to me said to keeping busy!  Oh that's great to bring some normality into her life, and I bet she loving getting the builders their morning and afternoon teas!  That is just great to hear.  take care and love to you and your Mum XOX  - Jules        

Thank you all for replies...

I took CTscan result from GP because we have a visit in hospital next week. I cannot stand the fact what Gregory feels now and cannot hepl him. If doctor will say that there is still a treatment possible that it wil give us some strength again but if not...

Take care

Magda

Hi everyone,

Magda,

How are you and Gregory?  I hope your hospital visit goes ok and I really hope they give Gregory more chemo,  Nev cannot have surgery and he cannot be cured but they are giving him palliative chemo to reduce his symptoms and (hopefully) prolong his life,so hopefully they will have something to offer Gregory.

Sue,

How are you, have you seen your Oncologist yet?  I agree about he scan, if the news is good fine but if not you don't want that to contend with at Christmas, unfortunately I think we will have to.

Jules,

How are your Mum & Dad, is he recovering well from the C.Diff?  Again, scans....the necessary evil, you don't want to know but you need to.  

Court,

How is your Mum and how is her building work going.  What other activities do you have planned for her?

Jash and Patrick,

How are things?

Nev had chemo today.  They didn't give him the 5fu because his fingers are splitting so badly, they will review it next session.  His cetuximab spots are a lot worse this time, really suffering.  Regardless of that  Nev, being Nev, is only worried about the fact that his band has a gig on Saturday and his split fingers make playing the guitar difficult!

Will keep everything crossed for scan results and Onc. appointments.

Take care

Love Ann xx

Hi

We will see the oncologist on Wednesday. Gregory is devastated but he tries to cope... He had 6 cycles of palliative chemo which worked very well. The chemo was stopped on 11th September and I think the cancer started growing back straight away and attacked even stronger. I hope there is still some treatment available for Gregory...

Take care

Magda