Hello!

Hi IanB54 and a warm welcome to the board. Yes the first few weeks are a flurry of scans, meetings and tests but it’s all to make sure that your team has the full picture to give you the best treatment plan. Do you mind me asking where your mets are? 
Bowel cancer is very treatable but it can be tough. I’ve attached a link to a previous post from some of the members on folfox that you might like to have a read of?

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/f/new-here-say-hello/233804/hi-new-to-the-group

The oxaliplatin part of the chemo can have a lot of side effects. There’s no predicting how each individual reacts to the chemo but please speak to the nurses if you’re struggling - trying a different anti sickness med or reducing the dosage can make a big difference. There’s (another!) link below to a post about chemo - you probably won’t get every side effect but sometimes it’s handy to think ‘ooh yes I’ve read about that and it’s normal?’

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/f/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/221768/chemo-care-top-tips--

In the meantime stay away from google - it is out of date and scary - you can ask anything you like on here. Try and stay active and eat healthily although don’t worry if you put a few pounds on as chemo can have the opposite effect. Chemo is tough but it’s doable.

Keep posting and let us know how you’re doing?

Take care

Karen x

Thanks Karen 62.

So far there's one possible nodule on my liver with lymph node involvement in my abdomen. The PET scan yesterday will tell them more.y biopsies have gone to Birmingham to be tested see if immunotherapy can be given as well as chemo.

I really appreciate the links. I've been on this journey before 3 times with my late wife. Suddenly it's me who has cancer and it's really different.

The clinical team are really good and the approach has changed so much since my wife underwent treatment 10 years ago.

Once again, many thanks.

Hi IanB54

Welcome to the forum . I am sorry to hear about your wife and your own recent diagnosis 

If you click on my user name you can see my mum was diagnosed back in 2009 with a spread to her liver .

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/TreatingAdvancedBowelCancer_BowelCancerUK.pdf

This link is very good for the up to date options open to oncologist now which has got a few new options in place since my mum was diagnosed. 

To put things into context my mum had five mets to her liver with one being five cm . Going straight to chemotherapy turned out to be a good option although it did not feel like it back at the start . It did however allow her to get to a centre of excellence for the liver where they removed 73% . As you will be well aware there is criteria for everything but you might like to read up on radio frequency ablation . Again another criteria but it gives you a feel for different approaches to manage the spread . I don’t know so much about Lymph nodes but location seems to come into play .

It gave us great comfort in the early days to see all the different chemotherapy options open to the oncologist depending on cell type . Also you will see people who use chemotherapy in a maintenance setting on the boards for five and six years . It’s very individual and so is the response but therein lies the Hope .

It does take time for the oncologist/surgeons to get a feel for how best to manage each person but we found them proactive and always seeking out windows of opportunity.

Take care ,

Court 

Hi Court 

Thanks so much for your message it was really helpful and encouraging️

Best wishes, Ian

Hi IanB54,
A warm welcome to the board from me, I'm pleased you've found us but so sorry you find yourself here.

Just though I’d pop in as my chemo was also FOLFOX – prescribed 6 cycles which started in early March last year. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer (1 node involved and intra mural invasion) at very end of 2020, had surgery in early Jan 2021 followed by chemotherapy. Everyone reacts differently to chemo but please ask me anything you like.

Do try and stay as active as possible and eat as well as you can before treatment starts as it sets you up for the treatment.

There is so much help and support on this forum, do keep posting & let us know how you’re getting on.

Take Care,
Net77

Hi Net77 

Thanks for your message and advice.

Best wishes, Ian54

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/treatment/preparing-for-treatment/eating-well-and-keeping-active

There is actually a lot of research just now into the benefits of even moderate exercise . Activating the T cells .  I have linked in a booklet to give you some ideas if you have not got a plan in place .

Take care ,

Court 

My situation is the same as yours; I also have a single liver metastasis. May I ask how you're doing now? Thank you.