CherylHutch's Journey with Colorectal (Colon) Cancer

When you hear the word "Cancer", everything else becomes "Blah Blah Blah". Your whole world turns upside down and all you can hear is "Cancer".

Was in the hospital for 5 weeks. The first three weeks were to battle perotonitis with IV antibiotics. They were trying to get rid of the infection before doing the surgery. The surgery took place in the first week of January 2007. The surgeon removed 18 inches of colon/intestine, including the tumour which had perforated the intestinal wall and attached itself to my abdominal wall. 6 hour surgery, but my wonderful surgeon appeared to get it all and he put metal clamps on the abdominal wall where the tumour had attached itself, so the radiologist would know where on the wall to radiate.

In March 2007 I started FOLFOX.

The Oxypiliptin has done permanent nerve damage to my shins/calves/feet which makes walking a bit of a challenge... some days, a real hard challenge.

I was on the oral (pill), Xeloda. This did cause fatigue now and again and severe pain in both my heels. I think it just aggravated the nerve damage that was already there.

For lack of better description, I had a reaction to the Irinotecan... and the longer I was on it, the stronger the reaction became. I developed a severe asthmatic response to the chemo. I have never had asthma in my life, but that is how I responded to this chemo. Very hard to breathe... to the point I ended up in Emergency.

I was put on Irinotecan.