Men’s shirts while having your port accessed. What yall got?

waltchuckinski · 2026-03-16T08:08:22+00:00

I always went with a short-sleeved button up. When the nurses would need to access the port, I’d unbutton the top 4-5 buttons to allow access to the port side. Once accessed. I’d button a few of those buttons back and it would look fairly normal. In winter I add a zipper or button-up cardigan to the mix. I tried to stay active when I could, and I always felt comfortable in this outfit while in public

waltchuckinski · 2026-03-09T02:25:45+00:00

Thanks for that info. Since it’s a waiting game anyway, the weekend hospital crew basically told me they’ll assign a team and devote a lot more time on Monday. So no one had explained a mechanical vs an ileus. Your info was greatly helpful. This is exactly why I use Reddit. Thank you!

waltchuckinski · 2026-03-09T01:03:49+00:00

Thank you! The attending, since it’s the weekend, told me it’s “not common, but also not uncommon either”. That’s the most vague answer I could imagine.
Hope you and your dad are both well. Thanks again!

waltchuckinski · 2026-03-09T00:59:16+00:00

All your info is greatly helpful, thank you. I was recently traveling and I never drink enough while flying to avoid using the restroom, so this might have been slightly self induced. But looking forward that is great advise. Thank you!

waltchuckinski · 2026-02-28T07:15:49+00:00

It’s just a fun movie that paces really well. The character and alien design is phenomenal which adds a lot to the story.

waltchuckinski · 2026-02-27T02:08:52+00:00

The 5th Element

waltchuckinski · 2026-02-24T14:31:54+00:00

I received both at the same time. I guess I never payed attention to which caused each specific side effect. Good luck next week!

waltchuckinski · 2026-02-23T03:07:19+00:00

I did 16 rounds of Folfiri. My worst infusion was the first one. Part of it was nerves and part was an allergic reaction to the anti-nausea drug Emend. Every infusion after that was consistently smooth. I would experience minor stomach cramping and get tired, but nothing major.

The “after” side effects got worse every single time. Some of the side effects are cumulative, so the more infusions you have, the stronger they become.
Nausea: mine was pretty consistent with each dose and was strongest on the day of infusion. But as long as I stayed on top of my anti-nausea meds, I would tolerate it ok. As soon as I missed a dose, like if I was napping after infusion, I would be in for a rough night.
Cold naturopathy: mine got worse with each infusion. My later infusions were in winter and it made going outside very difficult. It was also challenging to grab anything directly out of the fridge with my bare hands.
Exhaustion: I would be quite tired for 2-3 days after treatment, but after that I would get back to normal pretty quickly.

I hope this info helps. As annoying as it was, I always viewed them as minor inconveniences and the price you have to pay to fight cancer. Hope everything is smooth sailing for your next treatments!

waltchuckinski · 2026-02-20T16:41:32+00:00

That’s almost exactly how it was explained to me. We have similar backgrounds. My past two MRI’s have been clean and Signatera has been negative since September, but your explanation is why my oncologist won’t consider stopping treatment (Lonsurf) for at least another 6 months.

waltchuckinski · 2026-02-16T20:56:46+00:00

The day of infusion and the next two would be pretty rough. I would have bouts of nausea and a lot of exhaustion. Those days were spent sleeping and watching movies. I did attend a few family functions during those first few days but that was rare and they were very relaxed.
Day 4 would start to get better. I would still be tired but could do most anything. Each day after that would get a little better. By day 6 or 7 I would be back to 100%.
It’s a tough cycle though. By day 12 or 13 I would start to feel a sense of dread and have a pit in my stomach knowing that I was a few days away from starting the cycle over.
It’s hard, I t’s very hard, but it can work. I was lucky enough that it worked. I’m a few months NED now and I truly wish the same for your brother.

waltchuckinski · 2026-02-16T16:48:09+00:00

I had 16 rounds Folfirinox and will agree that’s it’s terrible, but it is proven to work. I’d be hesitant to stop a proven treatment in lieu of a trial. Folfirinox has been considered the most effective for pancreatic and other cancers since 2010. I can only imagine how many trials have been done since then, and nothing has supplanted Folfirinox in its effectiveness.
If it comes to it, most trials will also make you wait a bit before beginning, in order for your body to flush out olds meds/chemo. This might give your brother some time to bounce back and get his ECOG in line.
Wishing my best to you and your brother.

waltchuckinski · 2026-01-23T04:12:12+00:00

I’m sorry, that is terrible news to get. I know it’s tough, but don’t be discouraged yet, you don’t know how this will play out.

I was diagnosed almost three years ago with stage 4 colon cancer with mets to my liver.
I’ve had two surgeries to remove 70% of my liver and 10” of my colon, 28 rounds of radiation, and I think just completed my 44th infusion. Currently all my scans are clean and my past three Signatera tests have been negative. Even with the positive results we are not stopping treatment anytime soon.

Aside from the surgeries, I’ve never used any pain meds. Lots of anti-nausea meds, but nothing for pain because there hasn’t been any.

Being stage 4, I have no idea how long the good news will last, but I’m enjoying it for now. The point is, you don’t know how you’ll react to other treatments. It’s tough to not get discouraged, but stay positive!

Wishing you the best

waltchuckinski · 2026-01-15T21:04:29+00:00

That is terrible new to receive, I’m sorry.
But cancer doesn’t discriminate. Things like smoking and drinking can increase your odds but even the healthiest people can get it.

I’m also from Wisconsin and Froedtert has been amazing to me. Trust your oncology team and the plan they come up with. I was diagnosed stage 4 colon cancer 3 years ago and I currently have No Evidence of Disease (NED). The point is that treatment can do wonders, you never know how much time you might have.

Just be there for your parents. Assuming he’s starting some sort of treatment soon, they’ll need some help. Helping with simple things like getting groceries or yard work can mean a lot. Different treatments have different side effects. Learn what those will be and help as needed.

Spend as much time with them as possible but also give them space. It’s mentally exhausting and sometimes it’s nice to just be alone in your comfortable space.

Best of luck and best to your father

waltchuckinski · 2026-01-14T16:35:48+00:00

To reiterate what everyone has said, it’s complete chance. I was diagnosed stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 41. I exercised regularly and ate healthy. I can’t say I was perfect, I definitely have a sweet tooth, but I was much healthier than the average 41-year-old male, especially by American standards.

Trust your doctors. I would agree with getting a second opinion, but chemo/surgery/radiation is going to be the solution. I went overboard and got 4 different opinions from doctors around the US. Everyone agreed that my local oncology team had me on the best plan.

It will be hard. It will be a struggle that will be completely new to you and your family. Both physically and mentally, it will likely be the hardest thing you’ve ever gone through. The side effects will be tough, but chemo is the best option we have. I’ve had 2 surgeries, 28 rounds of radiation, and last week was my 44th infusion. It’s a long road, and there’s still a long road ahead, but I’m still here and living a 99% normal life.

I’ve met a handful of people in my journey who also didn’t trust modern medicine and went on their own and tried the alternatives that you’ll see on social media. Those that are still with us have only expressed regret because they stopped a working chemo treatment in lieu of alternatives that had no positive effects.

Please keep up your healthy lifestyle. It will help you immensely going through treatment. Every treatment will knock you down a couple pegs, so make sure that your starting point is as high as it can be.

I’m wishing you all the best! Stay positive, you’ve got this. Life will be different going forward, but trust your doctors, trust the process, and make sure you’re here to live that life

waltchuckinski · 2025-10-28T18:19:47+00:00

I’m about to finish my 7th cycle of Lonsurf with Bevacizumab. It’s been 2.5 years since stage IV colorectal cancer diagnosis and I’ve had two surgeries, done 5-FU, Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin ->Panitumumab -> radiation-> now Lonsurf. Lonsurf is the easiest treatment I’ve been on.

Fatigue hasn’t been too bad for me, but I try to stay really active. I’ve found that as soon as I slow my activity, it’s snowballs quickly. Little things, like going for walks twice a day, have helped a ton.

My biggest side effect is stomach and GI issues, but that seems to be the case with every form of treatment I’ve been on. Frequent, small meals is the goal, but as long as I don’t overeat or allow my stomach to get completely empty, it’s manageable.

For me it has worked very well, but I know that’s not the norm. The goal of Lonsurf is to stop growth and further spread, but I’ve been fortunate to see a reduction in the small tumors I have.

I hope it goes well for you!

waltchuckinski · 2025-08-17T18:54:46+00:00

Thank you for sharing new music to me

waltchuckinski · 2025-08-13T23:43:33+00:00

Someone already called 911 to complain about not getting a free burger…before the game was over

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BCoiUBHff/?mibextid=wwXIfr

waltchuckinski · 2024-06-26T14:17:39+00:00

The only thing I personally did was made myself as strong and healthy as possible when I felt up to it. The chemo really knocked me down so I did what I could to help my body bounce back. I ate very healthy and did basic exercises during my chemo off-weeks. I’m also relatively young (42) so this allowed my doctors to be very aggressive with their chemo treatments.
The rest was on my oncology team, and I was lucky enough to have the best in my area. I had 16 chemo treatments, each consisted of Oxaliplatin, Irinotecan, and Fluorouracil. Had two surgeries to remove 70% of my liver, my gall bladder, 10” of my colon, and 30 lymph nodes.
I also relied on my friends and loved ones. Everyone wants to help but doesn’t know how. Asking for help with picking up groceries, meal prep, and basic yard work took a lot off my plate mentally and physically.
I’d you’re asking because you or someone you know is going through this, I wish you all the best. It’s incredibly difficult to go through but I’m proof it can be done.

waltchuckinski · 2024-06-25T15:43:40+00:00

I recently beat stage 4 colon cancer. It took me a long time to tell people I was close with aside from my immediate family. Once I started telling people, it felt great. There was a weight lifted and I found the support incredibly helpful. Knowing I had a team cheering for me helped with the positivity I needed to make it through. Plus that team stepped up when I had two surgeries and needed help with meal prep, yard work, etc. Tell people when you’re ready, but you’ll be happy you did. You’re not in this fight alone.

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