One of the many survivors of colon cancer ...3 surgeries and 3 chemo rounds later
by Jeanne A.
(Contra Costa County, CA)
I was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal Cancer October 2005. I hadn't known anyone close to me who had gone through any kind of cancer diagnosis or treatment, so I had no idea what was in store. I think, in a way, my naivete has been to my benefit. The fear factor didn't set in until much later....
Treatment started with a colon section, done with the full incision, not laprascopically. One of the horrible things I remember about my hospital stay was vomiting for several days following surgery. The surgeon actually said to me "If you keep vomiting, you might pop something and we'll have to go back in to fix it." As if I was choosing to vomit!
When my skin started itching, and my daughter suggested it might be from the morphine, I insisted they replace the morphine. Wouldn't you know it, when they did, I stopped vomiting! Now why didn't the surgeon make an effort to find out why I was vomiting, instead of chastising me?
I was back at work in about 6 weeks. Prior to my return to work, I had visited with the oncologist who suggested chemotherapy. I wasn't sure I wanted to go that route. We agreed to do a PET/CT scan and decide on the next steps when we saw the results.
The very day I returned to work in December 2005 the oncologist called me to say the PET/CT results showed another couple of suspicious spots. I needed another surgery, and a gyne-oncologist who saw the results recommended a full hysterectomy. I had some fast-growing cysts on my ovaries, and colon cancer spreads easily to the uterus & ovaries. Since I was 50, it's not like I'd be planning more children in the future anyway. (They didn't say that particular sentence, that's my comment.)
January 2006 I had my second surgery. Without the morphine, recovery was much easier! And talk about feeling helpless & vulnerable, my 20-yr old daughter actually inserted a suppository for me, since I couldn't reach around. Since the hysterectomy requires a longer recovery, I was back at work in about 8 - 9 weeks.
March 2006 I started my first round of chemo - FOLFOX + Avastin. Man, that Oxaliplatin was tough stuff! After 7 sessions, the doctor removed the Oxali from my protocol, and I completed the next 2 months with just 5FU, Leucovorin, & Avastin. My white count was so zapped from the Oxali, that it was the first time my oncologist prescribed Neupogen for that set of drugs!
What distinguishes that round of chemo from the successive ones is that I worked all the way through. My boss generously allowed me 3 days off every other week for my chemo. Now, I can't believe I actually did that....
May 2007 - First recurrence. Another surgery in July, abdominal, to remove another tumor. At the same time, I wanted them to repair the ventral hernia that was a result of the 1st 2 surgeries. Rats. Cancer again. Chemo. Again. This time, FOLFIRI. That lasted from Sept 2007 through Mar 2008. Between the surgery & chemo, I was on a medical leave from work for 9 months. When I got back it was very difficult. The department manager had changed, and so had many of the decisions and procedures. It was a very long hard road back to that new normal!
April 2008 - I celebrated 1 year back at work, and the following day left for another medical leave. Second recurrence. No surgery, but 6 more months of FOLFIRI. I'm just about complete with that round of chemo, just 2 sessions left. Whew! 7 more months off work. At least this time the department manager hasn't changed!
Through all this my spirit remains strong, at least most of the time. When I waver, I rely on my support group, my family, my friends to support me. There is something very special about my relationships with my cancer friends. Nobody can ever understand exactly what you've been through the way another cancer survivor can. I've learned about organizations like ChemoAngels, and The Wellness Community. They have both been invaluable resources to me.
One word of advice if you're new to the cancer survivor world: the statistics are old. Don't buy into them, and don't believe them. So far I've quadrupled the median survival rate for this cancer! One day at a time, one step at a time. You can get through it.
Thanks for reading my story,
Jeanne
