The good news is the histology was back after the surgery and Mrs Hall has got it all out .. clean margins .. always good news. Also good is that they found nothing in the lymph glands ... and nothing in the lumps she thought they were suspicious in my old scar. Three goods!
Dr Adab can't see the point in a PET scan, cos the treatment ... chemotherapy ... would be the whatever any other scan showed. I need more chemo now, because there has been a substantial new growth on my bowel.
The hope is to contain the lesions on my lungs and stamp on anything else that was thinking of growing. He'll review progress with another scan in three months.
I asked him if this was my outlook for the rest of my life, and he said not every other week for the rest of my life, there will be breaks in the treatment, but yes, I can expect regular burst of chemo to contain the metastasis in the future.
The new regime is going to be slighly different. Still 5FU and avastin, but NOT oxaliplatin this time (the one that gives the peripheral neuropathy side effect). This time I'll be getting irinotecan - side effects: chronic gut pain, diarrhoea and if that wasn't enough - you get hair loss with this one too .. hey ho! Actually you can read the whole bloody page on some of these chemo drugs without spotting the bit that tells you what GOOD they're doing you ... I assume they're killing cancer cells ino the bargain.
The only redeeming feature to this is that I will be inside for two nights instead of three this time, and he wants us to carry on living our lives as normally as possible.
Right then.
19 comments:
Phew. Thanks for telling us, hon. Am gonna calm down now and see what the raffle's second prize was. (Private joke, folks.)
Lotsa love
J x
Lots of good wishes from me too, thinking of you loads
Anne/guppy xx
Thinking of you, loads of love and hugs
Jayne xx
A relief to have news honey. I wont be online for a few days, but still sending massive love. I am pleased to hear there is a regime that will help you, even if it is challenging. I can hear you 'girding your loins' in your post, and very mighty loins they are too. (Stop grinning B!). We are all alongside you hon. love Liz
x
News on the cancer sounds generally good -- must be a relief to hear it's all come out. The chemo doesn't sound fun, but you're in good shape and fewer nights inside will be a good thing!
I'll be in the Midlands at the weekend; any chance you'll be free at any point on Saturday?
Love
Greg. xx
hi Suze, thanks for the update so the fans can wave and cheer as you whizz past us pedalling furiously. at least, whew, it isn't all uphill and there is a road. i sure like this dr. adab, up on his stuff and can put it out honestly and simply. my thought (not original) is that many cancers are becoming like having diabetes, they're "manageable" (even if you have to lose your hair over it... hair grows back!)... that irinotecan sounds pretty amazing in how it works (it's in wikipedia!)and i have to say, anything that makes your guts cry for mercy is also going to be majorly killing cancer cells too. unwinding their dna in fact! anyhow, you have the kind of guts that originate in the head and heart, and they'll keep you going! as will that dreaming B! sometimes dreams tell us where to go and what to do!
and we're here too, you're our pal, and we're cheering!
much love, and hey to carrying on living!
xo xo erín in montreal
Concentrate on the 'goods'and maybe the side effects won't affect you badly at all. As for the hair, just think what fun you can have with a range of different colours and styles! Start searching the internet NOW!
Will ring you. Celia F x
Thanks for the update suze!
Hope everything goes ok, got to keep positive :)
Even if you do get hair loss you will look radient as always :)
xxxxxx
Well, it's proportionally good news. So I'm smiling for that. The reality that you are going to be having chemo on and off for the long term is tough, really tough, but also something that you're going to have to battle and defeat day by day, week by week. Which you will. You're so much stronger this time round, and the fact that the Almighty Adab has decided to avoid the oxocube is nothing short of a good thing.
I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say we're all here for you both. And we *will* get up that bloody mountain again if it means you, me and B on a trike. With hats on. :-)
Lots of love
xx
PS. Amusingly or not, my word verification of the day is "deriers". So bottoms up. xxxxx
Hi Sue, Cousin Pauline here. I'm sure you have mixed feeling about the treatment ahead. Partly you will feel relieved & armed with all the knowledge that this thing can be cracked, & partly the dread of it all & just wishing it would all go away.
You have always been strong minded & done all you can to be fit. That doesn't mean you won't feel weak sometimes.
I wish you all the very best with the tough time ahead of you. But as your dr. says, you must just live your life normally in between the sessions.
Lots of love. Pauline. xxxx
Hi Suze, just to say that I'm thinking of you and that I know you'll show it who's boss because you're you.
Adam x
Hi Suze,
Just want to add my good wishes to all of the others.
vita x
You are much stronger than before!!
You can do this.....
Lots of love to you both
Nadge x x x
just wanted to add my very best wishes. We all dread further treatment but when it arrives somehow the strength to grit the teeth and stomp on seems to come from deep inside i find and you strike me as a woman of immense strength. Love the comment about the trike. well i can't ride a bike so gonna find a great pigging tractor for slow continuous chugging so you've always got backup for that climb up at the mountain. Keep stomping, love Rosy
hi folks, lovely messages -- I feel more like taking a tractor than a bike just now, but I hope to recover that energy again soon.
Greg, we are hoping to get my new car (from Wigan!!) on Sat, but give us a ring and see how it has panned out?
Morning! There is a lot of positives and that is what you need to be concentrating on! In fact just focus on living your lives the way you do/did!At least you know what's what and what to expect!Thinking of you and maybe see you on Sunday?Kasia xxx
A tractor, I thought you'd never ask. I'll drive.
Hi Susan
so glad about the clear margins etc . Enjoy your evening with Andy.
Love Cathy XX
Hi Suze and B
Thanks for the update have been thinking alot about you lately.
I am glad you they got clear margins and the lymph glands/nodes are still in working order.
Heres hoping the chemo gets rid of those little "shites" on ur lungs and in 3 months we get more good news.
The side effects may be yukky but as long as the treatment does its job all the better.
Love to you both
Enjoy your new car (cool about the number plates)
Love
Saffy, Kate and Darcy
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