Caring4Cancer

I was diagnosed with Liver Cancer late in May of 2006.  I am currently being treated for Colorectal cancer with the Folfox regimen, and have had 11 treatments so far.  My CEA blood markers started out well over 1,000, went down to 6, then recently went up to 15.  

The cancer was found only because I and my doctor expected I had gallbladder trouble.  To date, no real source of cancer has ever been found, not even after two colonoscopies!  Thankfully, PET/CT scans, full body bone scans, etc., also show no other source of cancer.  

How common is this?  What other things can I do to help speed my recovery since the cancer is in both lobes?  

Are there any other tests that should be done?  I have long suffered from bouts of severe intestinal pain which I just lived with because I had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in my early thirties that was so bad they had to do reconstruction on part of my colon.  I just experienced another severe bout of pain a week ago and am concerned that we are missing something.  Does a PET/CT scan show everything?  I have never had any kind of lower G.I. - would it or some other test be more likely to show a source?

Hi. I don't have the answers. I was diagnosed with colon cancer at 48 years old with no family history or symptoms other than some rectal bleeding. Genetic testing showed that I am not a carrier to my children.  I believe it was environmental as I was thin and exercised and ate right all my life. A colonoscopy found a tumor. It was removed  in a colon resectioning - 18 inches of colon along with 14 lymph nodes 8 of which were cancerous. I was stage3. I had 6 1/2 months of chemo - foxflor and oxiplatin every two weeks for 12 treatments. That was six months ago.  My first cat scans were clear and now my scans for the abdomen and pelvis are clear but the chest shows pencil point size nodules in the left lung.  They think is reactive inflammation from the chemo, or scar tissue from a previous infection.  My scans were always with contrast (drink barium liquid then they inject a dye and take pictures before and after dye).  I have never had a PET scan but have been told they will not help with diagnosing these nodules.  My doctor doesn't think it is cancer but in 3 months for my next set of cat scans he will have them do it with a finer cut (150x) and without contrast. He says he cannot remove them as he cannot see them from one slice of the cat scan to the next. However now I find out 2 were visable 3 months ago and now 3 months later 2 more have appeared. I feel fine.  

My prayers are with you. Ask questions of your chemo nurses and doctor until you understand the differences in the PET and Cat Scans. As I said I never had to have a PET.  Through all this my CEA levels never showed the colon cancer they were normal and I had the films to show the tumor.  I'm baffled at times.  I do trust my doctor as he saved my life.  I don't have colon cancer anymore and we will watch the lung nodules.

Stay strong.

Hi I hope you are doing better.  my husband originally had lung cancer and was being treated and after 6 months he has a spot on his liver and in his rectal area could you tell me what kind of chemotherpy treatments if any you had?

Hi- My story is very similar. It was discovered through a colonoscopy that i had two tumors- different cancers. One was twelve cevtimeter and the other smaller. Fourteen of seventeen lymphnodes were cancer. i had chemo( foxlor and oxiplatin) after the first infusion I was in critical care for 11 days with a stage four toxic reaction. I went back on it at 25 percent of the dosage. I've had two cea's and my numbers were way down around two. I am stage three in remission. I have neuropathy in my feet but otherwise feel OK. Just tired a lot and some discomfort and bloating. I guess it's just month to month but I believe a positive attitude if possible is the best asset and low fat low sugar diet and exercise i am told is good. My friend was at the same stage and the same treatment and she was not so lucky. I try not to think of ue as the same. I try to keep hopeful and pray. I pray everyone here does well.

chapre...sorry I haven't been back in awhile.  I had foxfor and oxiplatin same as imok.  I too suffer from neurapathy in my hands and feet that haven't gone away in the 6 months most patients get feeling back.  I did get a very expensive perm out of it all. My hair is curly curly now.  I kept a positive attitude, went to work and now exercise as much as I can. Machines are better as I can't hold the hand weights yet. My doctor says I'm cured. I can't dwell on cancer anymore. It took a year of my life away already. I live each day to the fullest.

Out of the three people I knew who had colon cancer, I too was the only ucky one.  I wondered why I survived?  I decided to give back- put forward and found peace. I volunteered at Camp Sunshine in Maine for a week last month.  It is a camp for children with life threatening diseases and their families. My week was children with brain tumors.  You want to see brave people. This week was a very rewarding experience.  I truly cannot put into words what this camp did for me while I was helping others.

Take care all of you. Enjoy life. Don't give up. Keep fighting.

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