Hi all, my name is Peter. I have been reading peoples posts on here for some time and thought I would introduce myself and how the cancer and treatment have been going.
I was advised the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes (sp?) spine, liver and what turned out to be the most alarming the femur in my left leg was so weakened by the cancer they kept me in when I went for a bronchostomy (Sp?)
While the surgeon was deciding which operation to give me (a temp fix or replacing the femur completely and a portion of my hip bone the bone snapped in my sleep it was that weak. Never felt pain like it. Thankfully the surgeon decided to replace the femur and all good now with the leg.
I was given 3 round of chemo and then was given immunotherapy every 3 weeks. It worked well but after approx 15 months I started to lose weight and had no energy. As the treatment was making me ill and wasn’t improving the cancer any longer it was decided that I would stop treatment and build up strength with steroids etc so after 3 months I would have 4 rounds of chemo. Long story short after 2 rounds of chemo I ended up in hospital for 3 weeks with severe infection. I decided that I would have no more chemo and my oncologist and most importantly my wife agreed with my decision. It wasn’t living the way I was feeling. I don’t know how I have forgotten to mention cancer spread to brain and I started seeing double. I had 5 rounds of whole brain radiotherapy and just before last Christmas my double vision had gone ( this was some weeks after the radiotherapy but I was told it keeps on working after treatment stops?)
If you have got this far in my story I will say that I am very comfortable in both body and mind and very glad my wife has been like granite though all this. Sorry for going on but have never really got it all out so to speak so it’s been quite a benefit writing it down.
Finally I would like to wish you all the best with your own treatment, Peter
Hi Peter, welcome to the group, but sorry you find yourself here. Ouch! The femur break! That sounds so painful.
I can completely understand the decision you have made to stop the chemo. It is not an easy decision to make, but I fully understand the quality over quantity of life scenario.
Radiotherapy does continue to work for sometime after treatment has finished as the radiotherapy builds up in the body. I had radiotherapy on my lungs, and I was still getting shrinkage of the tumours months after radiotherapy treatment ended.
I first was diagnosed in 2009 with womb cancer, and have been incurable since 2014 when it came back in my lungs. I have found this site so beneficial to chat to other people with cancer, and like you say just writing it down and hitting the post button does help. I am also a member of the Living with incurable cancer forum - patients onlywhich is a very supportive group for people who have an incurable diagnoses. It is so good to speak to so many people who are able to continue to have a good life, with this awful diagnoses. Please feel free to come and join the group, I know you will be made very welcome there too xx
