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Never too young for colon cancer.. Where I've been

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by F8L, Apr 25, 2009.

  1. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Dude! You're just a baby! We too will be prayin' for you & your family. Do you know if it runs in your family? or are you the 1st? Be strong ... my dad's about 87 or so & just pulled through bladder cancer. He's back to gardening and such.
     
  2. moxiequz

    moxiequz Weirdo Social Outcast

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    F8L, I'm late to this thread but I just want to send my best wishes to you and yours. Please do keep us posted.
     
  3. Proco

    Proco Senior Member

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    Count me in with everyone else sending you good wishes. Keeping my fingers crossed that you can beat this relatively easily.
     
  4. apriusfan

    apriusfan New Member

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    +n. I have been down with the flu and then pneumonia; but that pales in comparison to F8Ls challenge.
     
  5. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    *update*

    Well today I actually start doing something other than testing :)

    I'll head over to the hospital in about an hour and I'll get the [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PICC_line"]PICC[/ame] installed in my upper arm. I will eventually use a port in my chest but since that device has not been shipped yet I will use the arm version for about a week. This will allow a small device to pump the chemicals for my chemotherapy treatments into me around the clock and in small amounts which should help reduce side effects. :) I will go in once a week to swap out chemical container.

    Later in the day I will also start my radiation treatments. These will only last approx. 5-10min or so but I will do them 5 days a week for about 5-6 weeks. The really great thing about the ratiation treatments is there are a bunch of really pretty women working at that office and they are always really nice when I come in. Somehow being asked to drop your drawers doesn't sound so scary when it's a pretty girl telling you to do it.. :rockon:

    So the general idea is to run the chemo and radiation treatments for about 5-6 weeks then reassess my situation. From there we will do surgery and follow up with chemo again.


    That's it for now. I'll post back up when something significant occurs, unless it involves a hot nurse as I don't kiss & tell. ;) I don't want to bore with little details.
     
  6. Proco

    Proco Senior Member

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    Thanks for the update, F8L! We're all pulling for you.
     
  7. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Thanks Bru!
     
  8. MarinJohn

    MarinJohn Senior Member

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    F8, wishing you success with treatment. It seems as if you caught it early and will have full recovery. One more of life's little bumps, lumps and hoops for you to jumps.
     
  9. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Best of luck, F8L. Sounds like you're in good hands.
     
  10. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Good luck with the treatments. I didn't realize they did radiation and chemo before the surgery. But I'm sure they know what they're doing. I wish you all the best.
     
  11. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    John, yes I see this is just another bump but not one that will derail me on this road. ;)

    Hyo, You know me buddy. I'm taking it all in stride.

    Daniel, thank you sir. :) They are doing the chemo to try and catch the errant cells before they spread through my lymphatic system since I am in stage 3. The are doing radiation to try and shrink the tumor so that they may reduce the amount of tissue that needs to be removed and lessen the likelyhood of complications due to invasive surgery. It all seems rather straightforward but trying to remember all of my appointments is a bear.

    I'm currently all hooked up to my chemo pump and the PICC installation was a breeze. Despite the fact I have approx. 80cm of tubing in my arm, shoulder and chest, the procedure was painless except for the localized lidocaine injection. I knew one day my large veins would come in handy! All the nurses were amazed at how quickly everything was completed.
     
  12. apriusfan

    apriusfan New Member

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    +1. I too was surprised that radiation and chemo were done before surgery; but then again, this is not my area of expertise. Best wises for a speedy recovery.
     
  13. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Yup, those are good to have. Often when I donate blood, the trainees get called over to try. I'm not in the shape I used to be, but my pulse seems to get checked twice for some reason.

    So, you're all hooked up and nowhere to go? Does this mean you've been given a wifi laptop to play with?
     
  14. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    You didn't seem dead during my last visit. :p

    I'm doing outpatient treatments. I will only be stuck in the hospital when we do surgery. So I'm hooked up with a tube running up my arm, through my shirt then down to a hippack that houses the pump and chemicals. :) I feel pretty 80s right about know.
     
  15. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Keep your head up, F8L.
    I, like so many here at PC (and no doubt elsewhere) am rooting for you and sincerely wish for a great outcome.

    May I suggest you spend your downtime wisely, and head over to AGW thread ? The denialists are getting uppity.
     
  16. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Thank you SageBrush (Artemisia tridentata ). ;)

    I'm staying out of there for now, arguing points with some of those guys is not worth my free time and they just end up pissing me off with their attitudes. :) So I'll just hang out in the other forums and try to help people and post pictures and new science-based data that doesn't involve climate change. lol
     
  17. Blauer Glimmer

    Blauer Glimmer Active Member

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    Newcomer here, but wishing you all the best just the same. Have been through radiation and chemo (multiple times), so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Though it wasn't colon cancer (breast for me), I can relate and empathize. I am 16 years out from my original diagnosis and 11 years out from the last recurrence.

    There is life, hope and humor (lots of humor) past diagnosis and treatment.
     
  18. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I am pleased to hear that you are still here to join us. I'm been luck thus far and there has been no real pain, just annoying symptoms so I feel lucky compared to others. Thank you for sharing your success. :)
     
  19. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Your positive attitude and the fact that you're paying attention to what's going on and staying informed is going to take you a long way. I'm rooting for you too.

    And good luck with the nurses!:kiss:
     
  20. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    No, very much alive, thank you. From all those years of being so active, my resting pulse is pretty low. One rather attractive attendant once said "You know, I should be insulted. You'd think with a pretty girl holding your hand, your pulse might be a little quicker." :D

    A responsible tour leader needs to keep track of those at the head of the pack, and those bringing up the rear. But perhaps there's a time to abandon the recalcitrant stragglers, and act on the realisation you can be more effective at the front. ;)