Post by suze on May 24, 2010 6:49:51 GMT
I know we've all done jokey intros elsewhere, but there is this underlying serious motivation for this forum, to have an anti-cancer focus.
If you want to, please feel free to share your own cancer story .. either as a patient of friend or relative .. what it is like for you?
Spring, 2006: Started to notice irregular bowel habits
April 2006 got married .. noticed really jippy gut on honeymoon, put it down to stress!
Summer 2006, doctor advised treatments for IBS - we ate a very healthy diet, lost a bit of wieght, over the summer, and felt great but no improvement in bowel action.
Sept 2006 diagnosed with bowel cancer - which was a shock, to say the least
Oct-Nov 2006 the tumour was too big to operate on so I had to have chemo (two lots of inpatient and then orally for 6 weeks) and radiation (six weeks with the oral tablets). When Dr Adab (my oncologist) gave me the tablets we said thatnks .. he said not many ppl do that.
The radiation inflamed the area and virtually closed my bowel at times durig this 6 week period. The constipation from that was the most pain I've had in the cancer journey (so far )
Jan 2007 surgery to remove tumour, and 18 inches of bowel and while my surgeon (Chris Hall) was there she took out my ovaries because my cancer was locally advanced. I had to have an ileostomy at this point - a tricky thing to get used to. God bless my new pals from the Ileostomey Association for the help their forum gave in coping wiht that.
March 2007 to mid Oct 07 another 6 months IV chemo was prescribed, and it took longer than 6 months. .. the drug regime was 5FU, oxylplatin (and the bits of stuff you have to have with that) and avastin. Three nights in hospital, every other week.
Dec 2007 started to get back to work on a staged return, part time basis. Dr Adab told me there was a 66% chance the cancer would come back within 2 years so I decided to stay part-time to max our quality of life and work on my health while I could.
June 08 opted to have my stoma reversed. Then started a strict anti-cancer diet and lots of cycling. Lost 5 stones over all! Fit as a fiddle.
August 2009 Cycled up Mont Venoux, and various alpine climbs, something I've never done before,and really loved it, felt great, totally fit and well. So sure that I was fine and that my 2 year check would be a formality I threw out all my cancer files when we decorated the study.
Oct 09 - Dr Adab was right, there was a high chance of it coming back. I was fit as a fiddle, apart from a big secondary tumour on my bowel (now cut out) and small growths on both lungs This second lot of bowel surgery has left me with about 1/3 of the normal colon-rectum length. My toilet needs are <cough> interesting .. to say the least it can be very sudden, quite unpredicatable and often for extended time periods .. that would cover it! Oh aye, and the smell. I dunno what the science is but I stink more now.
Nov 2009 I started this current lot of chemo, slightly different regime, 5FU and iriniticin and avastin. The iriniticin makes me very queasy / sick, but I am happy not to have the oxy-poxy that effects your hands and feet .. PLUS only 2 days 5 hours in hospital, one less night than before.
April 2010 decided to apply for retirement on health grounds. Still waiting to hear about that.
That's the facts. It doesn't really cover the emotional stuff .. cos even though I mostly keep calm, and mostly enjoy my life and mostly distract myself with projects, hobbies, internet forums and my lovely family and friends, it is emotional. Of course it is.
My occupational (teacher's) pension (TPA) will pay out on ill-health grounds if they accept that I am:
that's all the criteria are .. pretty simple, in a way. It's not an easy thing to accept emotionally .. people do not get better from advanced bowel cancer, we're looking at keeping me alive and quality of life now.
This week I'm shakey. We get another scan this week. The waiting game ...
EDIT
So I did get my pension and was in remission for a while after this third lot of chemo therapy and then ...
Nov 2011 the growths on my lungs had been stalled by the chemo (and I think my own anti-cancer regime). HAD BEEN, but now the bugger on the left had grown. Scarey.
Jan 2012 More surgery, this time on my left lung and luckily by key-hole so no ribs cracked.
Cancer, the gift that keeps on giving!
Maybe the final edit: Dec 2016 - my onco signed me off - cancer free for so long he is quite sure I am cured. Hey!
Another edit
June 2022
I continue to be cancer free but all around me friends and family are affected by cancer. Sometimes they turn to me for help.
I do my best to help. But also know we’re all different and have different results with whatever we can try.
I wish the science about reducing our cancer risks was more widely known, but there’s no profit in it.
Personally I continue to struggle with my weight but see that as a key plank in staying well.
B has retired now and we continue to enjoy exercising on our bikes together and now more walking cos we have more time.
We take great care over nutrition and use Headspace to meditate daily. Quality of life is essential. None of us are certain of any future and having this “back-story” reminds me to carpe diem.
If you want to, please feel free to share your own cancer story .. either as a patient of friend or relative .. what it is like for you?
Spring, 2006: Started to notice irregular bowel habits
April 2006 got married .. noticed really jippy gut on honeymoon, put it down to stress!
Summer 2006, doctor advised treatments for IBS - we ate a very healthy diet, lost a bit of wieght, over the summer, and felt great but no improvement in bowel action.
Sept 2006 diagnosed with bowel cancer - which was a shock, to say the least
Oct-Nov 2006 the tumour was too big to operate on so I had to have chemo (two lots of inpatient and then orally for 6 weeks) and radiation (six weeks with the oral tablets). When Dr Adab (my oncologist) gave me the tablets we said thatnks .. he said not many ppl do that.
The radiation inflamed the area and virtually closed my bowel at times durig this 6 week period. The constipation from that was the most pain I've had in the cancer journey (so far )
Jan 2007 surgery to remove tumour, and 18 inches of bowel and while my surgeon (Chris Hall) was there she took out my ovaries because my cancer was locally advanced. I had to have an ileostomy at this point - a tricky thing to get used to. God bless my new pals from the Ileostomey Association for the help their forum gave in coping wiht that.
March 2007 to mid Oct 07 another 6 months IV chemo was prescribed, and it took longer than 6 months. .. the drug regime was 5FU, oxylplatin (and the bits of stuff you have to have with that) and avastin. Three nights in hospital, every other week.
Dec 2007 started to get back to work on a staged return, part time basis. Dr Adab told me there was a 66% chance the cancer would come back within 2 years so I decided to stay part-time to max our quality of life and work on my health while I could.
June 08 opted to have my stoma reversed. Then started a strict anti-cancer diet and lots of cycling. Lost 5 stones over all! Fit as a fiddle.
August 2009 Cycled up Mont Venoux, and various alpine climbs, something I've never done before,and really loved it, felt great, totally fit and well. So sure that I was fine and that my 2 year check would be a formality I threw out all my cancer files when we decorated the study.
Oct 09 - Dr Adab was right, there was a high chance of it coming back. I was fit as a fiddle, apart from a big secondary tumour on my bowel (now cut out) and small growths on both lungs This second lot of bowel surgery has left me with about 1/3 of the normal colon-rectum length. My toilet needs are <cough> interesting .. to say the least it can be very sudden, quite unpredicatable and often for extended time periods .. that would cover it! Oh aye, and the smell. I dunno what the science is but I stink more now.
Nov 2009 I started this current lot of chemo, slightly different regime, 5FU and iriniticin and avastin. The iriniticin makes me very queasy / sick, but I am happy not to have the oxy-poxy that effects your hands and feet .. PLUS only 2 days 5 hours in hospital, one less night than before.
April 2010 decided to apply for retirement on health grounds. Still waiting to hear about that.
That's the facts. It doesn't really cover the emotional stuff .. cos even though I mostly keep calm, and mostly enjoy my life and mostly distract myself with projects, hobbies, internet forums and my lovely family and friends, it is emotional. Of course it is.
My occupational (teacher's) pension (TPA) will pay out on ill-health grounds if they accept that I am:
a) unable to work
b) this condition is permenant ...
that's all the criteria are .. pretty simple, in a way. It's not an easy thing to accept emotionally .. people do not get better from advanced bowel cancer, we're looking at keeping me alive and quality of life now.
This week I'm shakey. We get another scan this week. The waiting game ...
EDIT
So I did get my pension and was in remission for a while after this third lot of chemo therapy and then ...
Nov 2011 the growths on my lungs had been stalled by the chemo (and I think my own anti-cancer regime). HAD BEEN, but now the bugger on the left had grown. Scarey.
Jan 2012 More surgery, this time on my left lung and luckily by key-hole so no ribs cracked.
Cancer, the gift that keeps on giving!
Maybe the final edit: Dec 2016 - my onco signed me off - cancer free for so long he is quite sure I am cured. Hey!
Another edit
June 2022
I continue to be cancer free but all around me friends and family are affected by cancer. Sometimes they turn to me for help.
I do my best to help. But also know we’re all different and have different results with whatever we can try.
I wish the science about reducing our cancer risks was more widely known, but there’s no profit in it.
Personally I continue to struggle with my weight but see that as a key plank in staying well.
B has retired now and we continue to enjoy exercising on our bikes together and now more walking cos we have more time.
We take great care over nutrition and use Headspace to meditate daily. Quality of life is essential. None of us are certain of any future and having this “back-story” reminds me to carpe diem.