My Wife Has Cancer

[militarymoron]

Surgery was a success. They were able to do the full reconstruction as well.

That's great to hear! Keeping you guys in my thoughts for continued good news.

[Honu]

good to hear its on the up
bummer about the scare ? hope that was a one time post op thing

prayers and thoughts for sure and thanks for the update !

[26 Inf]

Good news!

[CoryCop25]

I just read this thread for the first time. I don't know how I missed it.
On January of 2018, my fiancee' was diagnosed with colon cancer.
On January 19th, she had surgery and had about a foot of colon removed. Three weeks later, the doctor reported that 4 of the 20 lymph nodes were affected so she had to start chemo. They gave her a new form of chemo in pill form. I'm not sure the exact name but it was something like oxlyplatin. I platinum based chemo. She got very sick and was admitted to the hospital 5 times in two weeks. They had to take her off that medicine and her 3 month chemo regimen had to be changed to standard type of infusions and they installed a port and extended it to 6 months. She got infusions every other week and had to have a medicine pump for two days after infusions. She lost a lot of weight for an already skinny girl. She lost a lot of hair but did not go completely bald. She had her last infusion in August of 2018.
The reason I gave you the whole story is that this experience was very hard on the human body and takes a toll. My fiancee' kept her head straight and went to the gym every day no matter how sick she felt. She has been off chemo for 6 months now and her hair is still not back the way it used to be but it's getting there. We postponed our wedding until she has all her hair back.
One of the negative results of this even though she is now cancer free it her neuropathy. She has numbness in all her fingers and toes and feet. The doctor prescribed her Gabapentin. BEWARE! This medicine is given out like candy to cancer patients with neuropathy. It is Neurontin and it has made my fiancee' have behavioral issues and after about 4 weeks of not knowing why she was acting the way she was, we weened her off of the Gabapenten and she returned to normal.
So Belmont, please, please, please keep an eye on your wife if she gets this med and in the mean time, good luck and I will keep you and your wife in my thoughts!

[FlyingHunter]

Prayers and best wishes for your wife and family.

[Hmac]

To make a patient wait 3 weeks for the pathology report is incomprehensible to me. That pathology report is back to the surgeon in a matter of days, even sentinel node biopsies where a lot of extra slices and immuno-histochemical testing is done. Around here, it would be extremely unusual if I didn't have the complete path report, including lymph nodes, within 48 hours.

[Buncheong]

Prayers sent up, Belmont. Lord have mercy.

Please keep us posted, pal. Very sorry to learn this news but will continue in prayer.

[Belmont31R]

Sorry guys I’ve gotten a couple messages for an update. You’ll understand why.

Surgery was a success but it’s not at an all in and out procedure. We had to track the surgical drains and omg those things were a PITA. Luckily a charity group from a church donated a ‘holder’ so the drains just didn’t hang loose.

After a few weeks the drains got removed and we started meeting with the radiology oncologist. He flat out told her ‘I’m going to burn the shit out of you but it’s going to double your chances (of NOT getting another cancer) from around 50% to 95%.’

So I took her 5x a week for 6 weeks and burned she was. The following week after her last radiation treatment I had to rush her to the ER as her radiation wounds were infected and she had a massive headache. They did their headache cocktail and started an IV antibiotic. She got released the same day but with a prescription ABX and I wasn’t happy with the radiation clinic. I took her back there the week prior to have a nurse look at her burns and do a swab. She was in a lot of discomfort and the wound was wet/sticky and smelled. Not normal. The day I took her to the ER the radiation clinic called and left a VM saying we should come in as the swab was Staph pos.

Anyways she just started 5 years of hormone treatment since her cancer is an estrogen machine. It’s not really hormone treatment but a blocker...which effectively puts her in early menopause...which means emotional instability. Joking aside she’s been ok besides a couple days of crying. A lot to look back on too because this whole thing has been like a ride where you step in then just go. No real time to sit back and think.

[LMT Shooter]

I'm sorry that you're wife has been having these difficulties, but she's blessed to have you at her side through all this. Keep your chin up.

[Belmont31R]

I just read this thread for the first time. I don't know how I missed it.
On January of 2018, my fiancee' was diagnosed with colon cancer.
On January 19th, she had surgery and had about a foot of colon removed. Three weeks later, the doctor reported that 4 of the 20 lymph nodes were affected so she had to start chemo. They gave her a new form of chemo in pill form. I'm not sure the exact name but it was something like oxlyplatin. I platinum based chemo. She got very sick and was admitted to the hospital 5 times in two weeks. They had to take her off that medicine and her 3 month chemo regimen had to be changed to standard type of infusions and they installed a port and extended it to 6 months. She got infusions every other week and had to have a medicine pump for two days after infusions. She lost a lot of weight for an already skinny girl. She lost a lot of hair but did not go completely bald. She had her last infusion in August of 2018.
The reason I gave you the whole story is that this experience was very hard on the human body and takes a toll. My fiancee' kept her head straight and went to the gym every day no matter how sick she felt. She has been off chemo for 6 months now and her hair is still not back the way it used to be but it's getting there. We postponed our wedding until she has all her hair back.
One of the negative results of this even though she is now cancer free it her neuropathy. She has numbness in all her fingers and toes and feet. The doctor prescribed her Gabapentin. BEWARE! This medicine is given out like candy to cancer patients with neuropathy. It is Neurontin and it has made my fiancee' have behavioral issues and after about 4 weeks of not knowing why she was acting the way she was, we weened her off of the Gabapenten and she returned to normal.
So Belmont, please, please, please keep an eye on your wife if she gets this med and in the mean time, good luck and I will keep you and your wife in my thoughts!

Taxol or taxotere?

My wife had the arm infusion device too but only during the AC ‘red devil’ treatment.

Feel for you about the diagnosis. There’s not much you can do besides be supportive and give that person the support they need. That’s not an easy task. We’ve had days of her thinking about dying and ‘that day’ when she would feel pain somewhere and get diagnosed with a secondary cancer. It’s a constant effort to remind her of what the doctors have told her and she had to delete her FB page because her feed was a constant barrage of cancer ads.

Also, not sure about you, but my opinion of our family has gone to about as low as it can go. It’s been all us. We are at 75+ appointments now and I’ve taken her to all but one which was just an oncology checkup. Didn’t get help from any relatives or her friends.