rgrover60's Journey with Colorectal (Colon) Cancer
Survivor: Colorectal (Colon) Cancer
Patient Info: Finished active treatment less than 5 years ago, Diagnosed: over 11 years ago, Male, Age: 69, KRAS mutation positive: Don't Know, BRAF mutation positive: Don't Know, Stage III
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Procedure: Drag this icon to show a procedure.
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Colon surgery (colectomy or hemicolectomy)
Procedure or Surgery
The actual surgery went well/"as expected". Recovery was rough, with complications with uncontrollable bowel function for many weeks after surgery... Even after initial 5 week recovery period... Took many months to completely resolve the problem(s)...
Targeted therapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
The infusion medication was difficult, because they never put in a port, and had to stick me each time. I would insist on a port, if I were to have to do this again... Even with nausea medication, this chemo would always make me nauseous, within a hour after. Impact to daily life was minimal. I was tired, but could make it through a days work... I also had "by mouth" chemo. This drug caused much nausea. It was tough to self administer. I had to force myself, with both AM and PM dosing... I was able to work through the side effects, but it wasn't easy...
Fatigue (tiredness)
Side Effects
Fatigue was one of many side effects to chemo. I was able to work through it, but if not for a gracious manager I would have had to quit work.
Nausea/Vomiting
Side Effects
Vomiting was a side effect I dealt with for a couple of days after infusion and just about every time a took the "by mouth" chemo.... Nausea was nearly a daily thing, all the way through treatment. I carried nausea meds around with me. That mostly did the trick...
Weight loss
Side Effects
After my 1st infusion and "by mouth" treatment period, I lost quite a bit of weight. I was asked by the Oncologist to NOT loose weight, due to the dosing calculations.. It was tough to maintain weight... Now, after treatment, it is tough to take the weight off...
Remission
Celebration
I've got two more checkups to go, but all reports to date are that there is no trace of cancer or cancer cells...