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

Hi Jash - Great to hear from you.  Yes I know what you mean about worry when they are feeling good, does that mean the chemo is not working?!  So hard, I really don't think there is any hard and fast rule.  Just sometimes the symptoms are worse than other times.  I also think, if you are like me, then you just worry about anything... you know 'eek Dad is feeling good - chemo might not be doing it's job!'  'eek Dad's as crook as a dog, must be diesease progression!'  Oh everything is a worry really isn't it!! But the fact that Alex is feeling good, that is fantastic... try to enjoy it and let the worry subside for now!  I am just thrilled that Alex is doing well, looking like a wonderful Christmas for you.  I see your winter over there is pretty horrific, keep warm and keep smiling and let the good times role!  Also love and luck for your scan coming up. XOX

Take it easy all - Jules         

Hi everyone,

I've been pretty unwell over the last week so havn't kept up.  

Nice to hear from you Jash, hope Alex is ok.  Nev has a scan soon and we get the results on 5th Jan.  He has been really well throughout so I have often wondered if the stuff is doing its job, but then I think if it wasn't would he feel well because he certainly didn't before chemo started, nightmare isn't it!

Magda,

How are things with Gregory?

Hope everyone else is ok

Love Ann xx

Hi everyone

Thanks for asking how Gregory is feeling and how I am.

He is still in hospice but we have been going home for some hours almost every day recently. Gregory is feeling a bit stronger now. His symptoms seem to be under much better control. But because he had to take such strong painkillers doctors offered him nerve block for pain relief. It is quite risky but Gregory had agreed. He had it done yesterday and everything went without complications. We have to wait couple days to see if it helped. Gregory is going to start chemo on Wednesday if everything is ok. He will have FOLFIRI. NHS rejected to pay for Cetuximab and they said that they will pay if they see only liver mets. Because Gregory has also lungs mets they refused. I am going to appeal but we do not expect positive decision. So I will be starting to look for money for the drug and negotiating with the hospital to pay only for the drug.

I am feeling a bit stronger at this moment. Also Gregory’s mum came and she will stay a bit longer with us. I am trying to concentrate on every day without thinking about the future and it definitely helps me…

How is everybody now? I hope there is more good news that worse ones…

Patrick do you know your Ctscan results?

Take care

Magda

Hello all.  I hope your are all OK in the snow and it's not interrupting things too much for you... and you are keeping warm.  Especially those of your that are on Oxaliplatin, as I know from Dad having that treatment in our winter, it can be a tough side effect with the cold making the numb and tinglers far worse.  Madga, good luck for Wed, I hope that Gregory will be strong enuogh to get into chemo, let us know how it is all going.  Must be nice that he is starting to get strong enough to get home for visits.  thinking of you x.    Well Dad had his 6th Folfiri treatment today.  The medication that they gave him to sort our his fluid retention in his feet is working!!!  He doens't need his walking stick anymore and is starting to put on weight again.  He has had control of vomiting and diarrhea this time and is looking fantastic and in his words 'feels better than he has for 6 months!!'  Such good news just before christmas.. long may it last!  It's like, my DAD is back!  Can't stop smiling!  Well all I hope there is some good news for some of you out there.   Love and wishes to all for a lovely christmas with our and your loved ones.  Jules  = ) 
      

Jules,

Pleased to hear your Dad is improving through the judicious use of different pharmaceuticals.

The finger tingling / neuropathy is a problem when the weather is so cold - minus 3C at the moment. I do my best to put my hands in hottish water as soon as I get the problem. At this very moment I am sitting at the computer with a hot water bottle on my lap to warm up my hands. So far I've managed to hold the dreaded neuropathy at bay, but whether I can maintain that remains to be seen.

I am most interested in what your Dad has been given to avoid the water retention as it's a problem I get all the time. It takes me at least 3 days after a 3-day infusion session in hospital for the swelling in my feet to decline to an acceptable level.

Patrick

Hi Patrick, I'm pleased you are keeping the neuropthy at bay.  Yes keeping those hands warm, and warm drinks helped Dad.  The meds that Dad is on for his fluid retention is spironolactone 25mg x 2 in the morning.  His fluid retention was quite severe - after all his IV potassium, fluids, and magnesium his body struggled to get rid of it.  His feet and calves were huge, these meds took about 2wks to work and now are almost normal again.  He was only given 30days of this, and he will see his oncologist again next week so I am unsure if it will be repeated or something he can stay/or need to stay on long term.  These were great for Dad as it also retains your potassium while reducing the fluid, not something that they all do I understand.  I hope that helps.  You must be getting due for your scan result, all the best for that and I look forward to hearing some good news for Christmas from you.  Take care   -   Jules  

Jules,

Many thanks for the info' on the fluid retention medication. I'll see if my docs can prescribe that for me if it gets bad again. Meantime I've been told that my liver mets have shrunk very slightly and that the liver surgeons are now going to consider the options open to me. I hope to hear next week.

Have an excellent Christmas.

Patrick

Hi Patrick, well even a slight shrinkage in this game is fantastic!! that's great news, I wait to here what your surgeons suggest.  Good luck and a very Merry Christms to you!  Jules

HI ALL,

Glad to be reading good news. Shrinkage always brings a smile Patrick hope they come up with a good plan. And Jules perfect timing for your dads legs to resolve.and no more walking stick. I am so glad he is feeling good too. Its a tough treatment but I still want to believe it can achieve good things

My mum is having the same chemo as last year but is experiencing pain on her off week. However it is different to last year. She is out and about in minus ten with no issues, but has new symptoms. On the whole she is good.

Just want to wish you all a great Christmas and fab scans in 2011.

Take care COURT

Court,

Thank you for those encouraging words. I have been feeling pretty ill in the last few days but the knowledge that at worst my liver mets are stabilised and at best shrinking a little - reminds me why I'm going through this whole thing.

My catalogue of problems is boring but even so the chemo doctor listened to them all today and prescribed something for my chect/abdominal pains. I start them tomorrow and I can only hope they do the trick as I've been pretty miserable today. However the chemo nurse was most encouraging and that alway helps. Not only that but she canulised my first time - so that was a blessed relief - 5 goes before success last week - in another ward. And what's more I've got 10 more sessions to go and my veins are beginning in places to collapse so I get a bit uptight about failures.

Have a great Christmas.

Patrick