I was diagnosed in June 2023 with stage 4 metastatic colon cancer with spread to the liver, lung and abdomen. Surgery and radiation were ruled out because of the spread. I was put on aggressive chemo (5FU) and did have side effects, ie loss of hair & weight, dental issues because my gums receded, malnutrition due to sores in my mouth. But after 15 months of chemo, the cancer in my liver, lung & abdomen was gone. I then had 28 radiation treatments on the colon and a recent pet scan showed just trace amounts. I'm on a chemo pill now (Capecitabine) and will just visit the hospital every few months for bloodwork and an office visit. No, chemo isn't easy, but my oncologist told me around 6 months into my treatment that if I hadn't come in when I did, I would have died. I think it helps to be in decent physical shape when you begin treatment and I made a point of getting outside to walk every day, even when I was wearing a chemo pump. Yes chemo weakens your body but daily stretching, light exercises at home, and eating healthy really helped me. I consider myself lucky, but if God forbid, a friend faced the same situation, where chemo was his/her only option, I'd say absolutely. Go for it. You never know how your body will respond. My kids lost their Mom to leukemia when they were 10 & 7 so I owed it to them to fight. Hopefully this positive trend continues.
No comments:
Post a Comment