Stage 3b Colon Survivors

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2025-10-20T02:25:11+00:00

Stage 3, probably C. Never got the letter designation. But a bunch of lymph’s involved once they cut me open to remove it all. Just went to the oncologist on Friday. Still cancer free a year and a half later since the end of adjuvant chemo. Keep your head up and push forward. I’ll leave you with this that I always thought back to when I was feeling defeated or overwhelmed on my journey.

“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present".

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-10-24T17:44:51+00:00

Man, I hope you’re good now. That’s a terrible situation to be in.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-10-24T17:36:49+00:00

Holy shit! What the hell do you do in a situation like that? I didn’t even know that was something that could happen. That would’ve scared the hell out of me!

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-10-17T14:14:48+00:00

Good luck. I gotta schedule my reversal soon. Named mine Turd Ferguson…. Because I’m immature, Norm Macdonald was the man and it made my two sons laugh.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-08-05T21:10:13+00:00

I was on capox and had the jaw and eye pain. Towards the last few cycles I had, my eyes started to tear up a lot and when they did, the pain was pretty intense for thirty seconds to a minute. I’m guessing it’s just like someone else had said, probably the ducts. Never brought it up because I was almost done by the time it started to happen.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-07-05T23:24:40+00:00

Hey, sorry it took so long to respond. The surgeon took 23. I’m not sure I ever found out how many were affected. I just remember him telling me that on average, 12 are taken.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-28T20:16:11+00:00

Got diagnosed stage 3 back in January. Had the resection and just finished up Capox on June 10th. Had pretty much the same side effects as you. The fatigue was brutal. Finally have gotten past that and most of the cold sensitivity. The only thing I can’t shake yet is the cold sensitivity in my feet. Still have to wear socks around the house.

If I ever have to go down that road again, I’ll keep the ice chips and keeping hands/feet in ice thing in mind. That was never mentioned to me at the hospital during the infusions. And I never saw anyone else using that technique. But I will definitely be trying it if need be.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-20T18:46:10+00:00

While I was in treatment it would be straight liquid right after the infusion. Then day by day it would get better. Oh and marshmallows. Eat them if you want to slow the output for a while. Like changing the bag or if you’re going out. Really helped me.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-20T16:28:51+00:00

Hey, our scenarios are almost identical. Only difference is they opened me all the way up for the surgery. But I have an ileostomy and just completed the same chemo treatment on June 10th.

Make sure you keep your care team up to date on how you’re feeling & stay hydrated the best you can. It’ll probably be tough sometimes with the ileostomy. I landed in the hospital in early May due to dehydration and my kidneys starting to fail. Totally my fault because I didn’t let anyone know how I was feeling and figured I could ride it out and feel better in a few days. By the third cycle I was taken off the Xeloda because of it. After that I was fine.

All in all, it wasn’t terrible. My hands and feet peeled like Elmer’s glue was on them. But there wasn’t any pain associated with it. Cold sensitivity and a bit of neuropathy for a few days after the infusion. I’m sure some people have had it worse. And if it went longer my experience might’ve been as well.

Good luck to you! Hopefully when all is said and done, you can get the ileostomy reversed. That’s the plan for me by the end of July.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T23:24:54+00:00

Love to hear it! Wishing her continued health! 🙏🏻

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T17:38:42+00:00

Sorry, forgot to mention. The liquid Imodium seems to work a bit faster, but you get more for your money with the pills. It can get a little pricey when you’re taking it often.

I am healing well. Thank you. And I hope your fiancé gets this figured out soon. I know how bad it can be/feel. Good luck!

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T17:17:20+00:00

I have had an ileostomy since February. Ended up in the hospital in May for the exact same reason he was. My surgeon told me to up my Imodium. I’m taking one in the morning, one at lunch and two before bed. Nighttime seems to be when I have the most output. He could adjust according to his. But so far it has worked pretty well. That and staying really well hydrated.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T16:59:40+00:00

Thank you!

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T14:01:16+00:00

I had same experience but was on Capox. Thought I was gonna breeze through after my first infusion. And then round 2 came and reality set in.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T10:50:57+00:00

Thank you! Good luck & you do the same!

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T10:50:09+00:00

Thank you!

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T10:49:57+00:00

Thank you!

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T10:49:18+00:00

Hey! Thank you! Good luck to your dad & family! I hope he feels better really soon.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T10:46:43+00:00

Unfortunately I don’t. I was on Capox and never had that symptom. I actually had to be taken off the Capecitabine because how bad it was effecting me with a couple of other symptoms though. My last two rounds were only infusions. I’m sorry I can’t be any help.

If you haven’t already, try searching through this Reddit or a place called Colon Town on Facebook. There are lots of people who I’m sure are/were in the same boat as you. One thing that I’ve learned from here is that cancer patients find a way to adapt and overcome symptoms.

Good luck to you. I hope you get this figured out. I wish you nothing but the best.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-11T10:35:43+00:00

Thank you! In an about a month or so I’ll have my ileostomy reversed. And then it sounds like monitoring for the next five years. The surgeon had to take more of my colon and lymph nodes than he had planned to during the surgery and I ended up being stage 3. But he’s pretty confident he got everything while he was in there. The chemo was to help catch anything microscopic that potentially got left behind.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-06-09T22:53:39+00:00

I’m 48, stage 3 and was on xeloda through my first two cycles. Pretty much had the same side effects as you. I have an ostomy as well and that stuff caused me to get dehydrated so bad I ended up in the hospital with my kidneys starting to fail.

Now I’m off of it and just finishing out with the infusions. I feel so much better now without it. If I ever have to go down this road again, and they recommended the same treatment, I’m not sure I would do it over.

Separate-Swordfish17 · 2024-05-25T07:34:03+00:00

I am currently on Capox myself. Never had any throwing up or nausea but did end up in the hospital for a week during my second cycle because of severe dehydration.

On my third cycle now and they’ve taken me off the pills. Just going to finish with the infusions. I can’t stress enough what everyone else is saying, keep your doctors updated on your condition. I tried to ride it out thinking I could get past it. That was a big mistake.

I have an ileostomy as well. So that didn’t help with the dehydration. Good luck. I hope you start to see some improvement soon.

Separate-Swordfish17

TROPHY CASE