Dealing with Bowel Cancer

Hi RowdeScholars

Welcome to the forum . If you click on my user name you can read my mum’s journey through a stage 4 diagnosis. She initially had a spread to her liver and was inoperable but chemo allowed her to get to surgery . She had a recurrence and more treatment /surgery . Her liver remains clear . She also had an operation for a single lung met back in 2016 . She has had many , many scans etc but lots of good living when off treatment .

Chemo was tough on her though but it was effective . She had no symptoms but picked up on a bowel screen which started this all off .

How have you tolerated chemo ?

take care ,

Court 

Thanks for the message court and for sharing your Mum’s journey. I wish her well.

You ask about chemo tolerance. In my case, very good. Of course, for 48/72 hours after each infusion, I was very tired, and suffered the expected skin tingling, feeling pronounced levels of cold and general muscle aches. Nothing that, according to the paper work, was unusual.

These symptoms improved as time went on as the doctors lengthened the infusion times from 2 to 4 hours. This eliminated the worst aspects completely. The non infusion drugs were fine throughout.

all the best

RowdeScholars

Sounds as though tolerate it incredibly well RowdeScholars.

That is a big positive going forward . If surgery is recommended there can be a bit of a wait as the scans go to the specialist MDT for their consideration. However once they made the decision it suddenly changed and she was in theatre the following week in each instance . 
I have just read your profile and see your surgeons describe you as a complex case however I have to say at the centres of excellence for the liver and lung I think they were highly skilled with a dedicated team of anaesthetists . 
My mum has actually got issues with her blood supply to her abdomen and some have the equivalent to varicose veins or partially blocked now . She can’t take blood thinning meds but is on a beta blocker which has been working well  for a few years but makes her tired .

She was actually the same age as you at diagnosis. 

Have you had a look at treatments like Radio Frequency Ablation . As with surgery they come with criteria but worth a read and a few posters have had good outcomes with it also .

Take care  and hope the scans bring good news for you .

Court