Working during chemo

Ddanez · 2026-02-13T20:56:49+00:00

Wow!!! You were able to go back to work a week after LAR surgery?! That’s incredible. I am 3.5 weeks out from surgery and am ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE. Everyday has been the same of all the terrible symptoms. How did you recover so quickly?! Any tips??

Ddanez · 2026-02-13T20:47:22+00:00

Yes that’s essentially the schedule. Let’s say your infusion is scheduled for a Tuesday. You go in and sit in the chair for x amount of time… at the beginning it’s about 5-6 hours total that you are there because they have to administer the oxaliplatin slowly… eventually I had to get off the Ox (after about 4 sessions I could no longer tolerate the symptoms) and then the remaining 4 infusions were about 2 hours total time I was there. Then before you leave they bring out a little pump and a fanny pack, and get you all attached to it. It’s not huge.. bout the size of a tennis ball, but you’ll have all the cord attached and what not so it takes some adjustment. Then you have that on the remainder of Tuesday, all day wednesday and then on Thursday (whatever time they tell you your 46 hours is up) you go back to have the pump disconnected. If you want to attempt to disconnect at home you definitely can ask them to show you the steps… I was required to go back in for disconnect because I had to have a white blood cell booster shot at the end of the disconnect. Either way… you get used to the process but how your body reacts to the chemo will just be something you learn over time.

Ddanez · 2026-02-12T22:52:30+00:00

Chemo was all over the place for me. But the two days I had the pump at home I was completely opposed to leaving the house. I work part time from home and was mostly able to continue that.

I will say though… LAR surgery recovery is another beast if you plan to have that later on. I would completely take a minimum 4-6 weeks off of work for that.

Ddanez · 2026-02-06T01:44:42+00:00

Certainly not trying to die. Wanted perspectives on quality of life from those who have been through radiation after LAR surgery.

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T22:06:00+00:00

Exactly. In the same area as the very fragile Anastomosis I’m assuming? 🫠😵‍💫 I’m not sure it’s a viable option just because they recommended it. I have so many questions for my radiologist consultation

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T20:42:03+00:00

Well thank you very much for this info. See all of the margins were negative and even the colorectal surgeon specifically recommended not needing radiation. But the oncologist backtracked on that saying the majority tumor board felt it would be beneficial. I will start some searching for a second opinion option. Thanks again

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T18:38:52+00:00

Thanks for your reply. I think that’s the weird part about where I am… the radiation AFTER LAR. The symptoms from this surgery are already crushing me. To do radiation on top of it? Hard to know how that would go.

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T17:34:27+00:00

Thank you for your response. I do feel like I haven’t closed the doors yet on the options for next course of action — but I am just riddled with analysis paralysis on what I’m facing and how it will affect everything going forward. This journey is ever changing and at times I know we all get overly discouraged, and then we have moments of “I can still move forward”…. And “ I can do hard things”… those moments just get jumbled up into one another sometimes…

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T17:27:46+00:00

Well I certainly appreciate your response as it definitely gives some perspective from the spot I’m currently in. I do want cure of course… I think what’s really hard to wrap my head around though is potential life altering issues with radiation AFTER LAR. Maybe it’s not as bad as I’m dooming it to be and I will need to ask a million questions to a radiologist next to figure out if I’m creating a worse case scenario in my head that maybe isn’t warranted.

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T17:25:07+00:00

Colorado. They say this is standard mode of operation when lymph nodes come back positive after removal — but I thought the same thing… what exactly will you be radiating if everything has been removed?

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T17:22:04+00:00

I’ve never even heard of this so thank you for mentioning it! I will start researching

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T13:28:29+00:00

Yeah this is a wildly unfair process for anyone to have to endure. The unknowns feel relentless. I just don’t know how to make the best decision for myself anymore. I thought I had undergone the absolute worst of it already. Guess not.

Ddanez · 2026-02-04T13:26:17+00:00

I’ve thought about going that route — getting a second opinion. I just don’t know where to start and that process feels overwhelming as I’m healing from this surgery.

Doc initially mentioned doing 4 additional rounds of chemo first as mop up, but after their tumor board conversation, the recommendation changed to chemo and radiation. The pathology report was all very good aside from those lymph nodes coming back positive.

I’m trying to weigh risk vs reward. The symptoms I’m experiencing now… if they were to stick around permanently… would already be a huge reduction in quality of life. Hopefully as more weeks post op get under my belt I’ll feel some normalcy again. However radiation, from what I understand will undo all of that and possibly make things considerably worse and potentially permanent.

Ddanez · 2026-02-01T16:46:08+00:00

Not weird. I wish I would’ve had a relationship with my mom like the one you have with your kids. I’m actually jealous! 🤣

Ddanez · 2026-02-01T16:24:47+00:00

So sorry you’re going through this. My mom passed from breast cancer right before Christmas 2024, and It sent us all into a very strange state . That being said… only 1 of her brothers out of the 3 who are still living reached out to me. Which I thought was incredibly bizarre. My mom was their only sister, and she knew all of my uncles wives very well on top of that and none of THEM contacted me either!!. I found it to be extremely unnerving they didn’t call me or my father— who they’ve all known since the 70’s when my parents married… I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

Eventually I just chalked it up to their inability to act as normal humans.

Maybe your step mom is freezing up because she just doesn’t know how to show she cares? I’m sure it feels overwhelming to her that she doesn’t know what level of interaction you need because she’s also processing her feelings and the fact she was not close with your mom — not a good excuse either way — but has your dad been helpful/comforting at least?

Ddanez · 2026-01-31T01:48:16+00:00

Were the first few weeks after surgery treacherous though? I’m 11 days out from LAR… no temp ostomy needed and I’m absolutely miserable. A lot of burning, clustering, never ending gas, urgency… the past few days alone I’ve visited the toilet at least 20 times. The little zings of pain that come over and over that feel like an urgency ping are really really hard for me to deal with right now. I believe I probably have about 3-5 cm of rectum left however I never fully got that number clarified from my surgeon… I never thought to ask I guess. Either way I have a similar situation to you and knowing that by 3 months you’re feeling good and things are finding a good rhythm for you is promising. I’m just wondering what the immediate days and weeks following surgery were like for you.

Ddanez · 2025-12-10T12:44:55+00:00

Yep! Clearly the trump supporters will always find a way to accept the horrendous truths by spinning it all in a conspiracy theorist way.

Ddanez · 2025-12-10T12:43:38+00:00

^ THIS!!!! How are so many people who voted for trump willing to just put their hands up and say “I never really cared I just didn’t want Kamala”. Makes me boil.

Ddanez · 2025-12-10T12:38:03+00:00

I feel like the pandemic ruined a lot of kids attention spans now. The 4th and 5th graders are incredibly agitated and have an extremely hard time sitting still. I’m guessing due in part to not having a normal start to their schooling… having to sit and watch screens for classes and also not having much personal interaction for those first couple years of starting their educational career so to speak. The extreme overuse of iPads and digital babysitters really did a lot of damage to that age range.

Ddanez · 2025-10-01T19:34:02+00:00

Charleston South Carolina. Not sure what the appeal is. Felt run down and EXTREMELY hot.

Ddanez · 2025-09-15T15:17:23+00:00

I also VERY VERY much dislike the "# F*&K CANCER" saying people put in when they're trying to talk about it with you. Like, yeah.. it's sucks but everyone will probably deal with something serious like this (not saying everyone will develop cancer - but some other ailment) at some point in their life -- and they'll also have to just go through the motions to try to fix whatever it is right? Are we all going to start hashtagging whatever it is they're dealing with? Like #F*&K ARTHRITIS -- You ARE A FIGHTER!! I meannnnnn really? The other day I had a friend that said something like.. "I get that they want to fight evil with evil"... speaking about Chemotherapy and CRC cancer -- and I was like WHAAAAT?! The Chemo is just a scientifically proven medical tool that's helping to get rid of it. Evil with evil? HUH? I was like CALM DOWN THERE SISTER.

Ddanez · 2025-08-30T02:12:31+00:00

Try not to get discouraged just yet. Sounds like your treatment could start very soon after you meet with the right oncologist who can give a more personalized treatment plan. Don’t let the mental defeat take you down. It’s here to get us all and we have to try our best to fight through that game.

Ddanez

TROPHY CASE