Dad w/ Stage III-B CC

[Jmox]

Hi y'all, I'm glad to have found this board. There is a wealth of knowledge and expereince here. I've recently been forced to learn more about colon cancer than I ever wanted to know, but I'm hanging in there and ready to help my Dad fight this nasty disease. I will also be getting my own screening as soon as I'm done being prego and the doc releases me.

Please forgive me if I'm using any of the terminology out of context. This is all still very new to me.

Dad had a resection on 9/10/04. They took 17cm from the transverse colon. He was just today staged at III-B based on perforation of the colon wall and 2/26 nodes involved. A PET scan revealed no glowing spots, but the onco has ordered an MRI, brain scan, and lung biopsy on a spot the CT scan showed on the lung. Dad (64) was a smoker for many years, but quit about 5-years ago. We are hopeful the spot on the lung is scar tissue; but the onco seems concerned that it may be another primary. I am hopeful that since the PET showed nothing, then it is nothing. The chemo port will go in soon and he will get dosed every 2-weeks for the next 8-10 months.

I'm staying pretty optomistic about this. My Dad, I can tell, is concerned, but maybe in denial still. Like he knows this is happening, but he's not going to get emotionally involved. My sister, who is the primary caregiver when needed, seems to be more positive than she was a couple weeks ago.

I'm worried, but at the same time may be overly optomistic. I just feel like we can get through this. Maybe we only get 5-10 more years, but I'll take what I can get at this point, as long as Dad has a good quality of life and is able to be independent. Its so important to him, I think, to be independent. Stubborn old man!!!

Would be interested in other Stage III CC experiences.

Look forward to getting to know y'all.

Jill

[pgta5]

Hi Jill,

I am sorry to hear about your dad. It is a very difficult time...lots of questions and uncertainty. My father was dx'd stage IIIc--also had 17 cm of colon removed (May 2004). He had 7/13 involved nodes. No visible spread to any other areas. He is receiving FOLFOX 4--Oxaliplatin/Leucovorin/5Fu--48 hour infusions every 2 weeks. He has completed 7 treatments of 12 so far.

He has had one CT scan which was clear. They also did chest x-ray which was clear. His CEA is normal. He is to have a CT done every 3-4 months--no PET (both his surgeon and oncologist advised against). Liver function has been normal.

We are optimistic even though the doctors said his has about a 50/50 chance beyond 5 years. A statistic is just an educated guess as far as I am concerned. They could very well be in the 50% that survive! My father is very healthy and active--at 66 still works out and runs..very nutritionally conscious! The treatments have gone well. He is just now beginning to experience some side effects, but nothing unbarable.

Your father has better odds statistically with less node involvement...2/26 is low relatively! I think the mental part is one of the biggest struggles. There are a lot of survivors here...great results and outcomes of stage 4 at this site. It keeps me optimistic. It does get easier as time goes by. I was very panicked and constantly thinking about cancer when my father was dx'd. My mind is adjusting now...I know that being positive is the best thing for him and me. He's strong and I believe he can beat this thing.

Hang in there!

[Jmox]

Thanks for sharing your story and for the encouragement. I've gone back and read your previous posts and corresponding responses and found some of that information very helpful. I will continue to follow your posts as I suspect my Dad my experience many of the same side effects as your Dad.

Hard not to read those stats and get more than a little freaked out; but as you said it gets better with time and being positive does help tremendously.

We have a few more diagnostic tests before chemo starts. Hope not to get any more surprises.

Thanks again for your time and response.

Best wishes ~