PGeorge's Journey with Adenocarcinoma, Colorectal Cancer

My 17 year old son was beginning to get ill, throwing up a lot, and just feeling fatiqued, dizzy, achey, etc. I was thinking it was probably a virus or something like mono or something so for a couple days, just tried to see if it would run it's course. Well when he didn't improve, I took him one evening to an emergency facility who thought he was probably on drugs. They did a drug screen and did find a small amount of thc in his blood but that was it. It was definitely NOT what was causing his symptoms. They couldn't find anything wrong, so we went home. After a couple more days, he still felt ill so we took him to a hospital emergency room. The docs were thinking maybe he was having a gall bladder problem so they did a CT scan. The results showed lesions on the liver, and surrounding lymph nodes. They told us it looked like it could be cancer. We were obviously in shock with this suspicion. After a referral to an oncologist, they did a Pet Scan and a colonoscopy and endoscopy which confirmed the diagnosis of colorectal cancer which has spread to the liver and surrounding lymph nodes. We are devastated. Turns out it's in his DNA. My father had colon and prostate cancer, my sister had stomach cancer, there are also others in the family line with other types of cancer. The puzzling thing is that he is only 17.

The procedure to put the chemo port in was simple and the recovery was short and he experienced minimal discomfort.

Philip has sensitivity to cold and to hot. Mainly the cold. He has lost about 15 pounds and has begun to lose his hair. He always has a bad taste in his mouth and he salivates a lot. The drugs make him feel tired, and strange sometimes. He doesn't like carrying around the pump and dealing with it, but he has done pretty good. He gets a little nauseous, but it has not been too bad lately. He just completed his third round. He is beginning to experience some depression and anxiety. He wants answers and wants to know why this happend and if the therapy is doing any good. It's difficult to see him like this.....I suppose we all want answers too.

Philip has excessing salivation, always needing to spit. He says his mouth tastes like metal.

Philip feels helpless, and hopeless and wants answers. He wants to know that the chemo is doing it's job. He wants to talk to others who are going through this now, people his own age perhaps. I am going to find a group for him.

Philip feels tired a lot, but feels mentally better when he keeps busy. He likes the distraction from thinking too much about the disease.