Hi everbody

  • 2 replies
  • 11 subscribers
  • 380 views

Hi,

After having a right homicolectomy, removal of the caecum and lymph nodes in Dec 2021 then chemo for 4 months I was clear for 3 months. 

My current diagnosis is metastatic colorectal cancer with peritoneal  disease. I'm in my 3rd cycle of palliative chemo, one more to go. I was told I had possibly 2 years maybe more if the chemo works. I'm in pain daily and take pain relief which gets me  through. I spent the day in hospital last week  and after checks was told its just the disease and he could feel the lump which corresponded to the petscan. I wasn't aware I had a lump till now. I was told the cancer was in my peritoneal lining/fluid ? Is this just the disease taking hold, is the chemo not working hence I'm in pain. I've lots of questions and am confused as to what's happening really.

Any help or advice would be great. 

Thank you.

  • Hi Dogma, sorry to hear about your pains.

    Let me describe my similar experiences and existing situation.

    I do not want to raise anyone's hopes and we must accept what will be inevitable !

    In February 2019 I had to have an emergency laparoscopic extended right hemicolectomy. I opted NOT to have follow up chemo and relied upon 3 monthly blood tests and 6 monthly CAT scans for monitoring. Unfortunately in December 2021 my bloods went sky high and the CAT confirmed tumors in my peritoneum, metastatic, stage 4

    i immediately started palliative chemo (CAPOX) 8 sessions over 6 months. Fortunately for me this arrested any further growth of tumors, of which there are < a dozen I believe, scattered all over my peritoneum. I was therefore given a break from chemo, which I am still on. (16/7/23)

    In the meantime I suffered a small bowel obstruction and had another emergency laparotomy on 22nd May 2023. This apparently was compatible to my resection in 2019 and NOT related to the mesenteric deposit in the peritoneum.

    I am suffering pretty continual pain in my bowels and motions are very erratic and painful (oral morphine and paracetamol help) I had another CAT scan last week and am seeing my oncologist when the results are analysed ( about 4 weeks these days!) with the options of continuing monitoring or of starting chemo again depending on what the scan shows.

    I would suggest you have a long frank talk with your oncologist or a nurse from your colorectal team who should be able to answer your questions. That is their job!

  • Hi plum1360, thanks for sharing your predicament with me. Your the first person I e met or spoken to with this cancer or disease. 

    I'm already on slow release morphine, oral morph and paracetamol  along with laxatives to combat th e constant threat of  constipation. 

    I've a follow up with my oncologist next month after another ct to see what's going on as their talking about possibly  more surgery and a chemo abdominal flush, both of which im reluctant to have at gge minute so ill make sure I've written a list of questions to ask. 

    Thanks again plum1360 and hope everything goes as well as it can for you.