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Last Reply:

Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancer

An_247926 posted:

So I am trying to find out if anyone knows anything about this.....my husband was diagnosed in April with stage 4 rectal cancer that has spread through his Colin, lymphnodes, liver and lungs. He has had 10 treatments of chemo every 2 weeks. He has had 2 CT scans since beginning chemo. Dr has said ere has been minimal shrinkage or the lessions on his liver, no change to the lungs and a few lymphnodes have shrunk others have become enlarged. After e last CT I asked the Dr why he hasn't had any other surgeries other than the ileostomy. She said the cancer is just too far. No liver, colon resection. We want this cancer to be taken out, but she said that he will just do the chemo until he feels he cant do the chemo anymore. I absolutely hate seeing him so miserable, because it does hurt him. The doctor can't predict how much time we have. We have a 9 & a 14 y/o daughters, hen just keeps saying he doesn't want to disappoint them! I honestly don't know what I am on here for, I guess I just want to he's that success story from someone like him! I have heard all sorts of success stories from people that were stage 2,3,4, ...please help give me something to look forward!! I love my husband and can't think of not having him...oh we've been. Married for 16 years oiur girls are 9&14 he is only 42!!! Thank you !!

7 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancerSo I am trying to find out if anyone knows anything about this.....my husband was diagnosed in April with stage 4 rectal cancer that has spread through his Colin, lymphnodes, liver and lungs. He has had 10 treatments of chemo every 2 weeks. He has had 2 CT scans since beginning chemo. Dr has said ere has been minimal shrinkage or the lessions on his liver, no change to the lungs and a few lymphnodes have shrunk others have become enlarged. After e last CT I asked the Dr why he hasn't had any other surgeries other than the ileostomy. She said the cancer is just too far. No liver, colon resection. We want this cancer to be taken out, but she said that he will just do the chemo until he feels he cant do the chemo anymore. I absolutely hate seeing him so miserable, because it does hurt him. The doctor can't predict how much time we have. We have a 9 & a 14 y/o daughters, hen just keeps saying he doesn't want to disappoint them! I honestly don't know what I am on here for, I guess I just want to he's that success story from someone like him! I have heard all sorts of success stories from people that were stage 2,3,4, ...please help give me something to look forward!! I love my husband and can't think of not having him...oh we've been. Married for 16 years oiur girls are 9&14 he is only 42!!! Thank you !!

Junebugjelly responded:

I am not sure what your insurance situation is but your husband should be a second opinion. Immediately. Especially when you get that kind of diagnosis. I am a Stage IV rectal cancer survivor, diagnosed November 2004, metastasized to one lobe of my liver and and middle lobe of my right lung. After many chemo sessions and several surgeries I am alive today cancer free.

Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancerI am not sure what your insurance situation is but your husband should be a second opinion. Immediately. Especially when you get that kind of diagnosis. I am a Stage IV rectal cancer survivor, diagnosed November 2004, metastasized to one lobe of my liver and and middle lobe of my right lung. After many chemo sessions and several surgeries I am alive today cancer free.

Junebugjelly replied to Junebugjelly's response:

I just wanted to add that I am from Wheeling, WV and was diagnosed here by the doctor who did my colonoscopy. He was going to go in and do my surgery and then put me on chemo. I chose to go to a doctor at West Penn in Pittsburgh, PA for a second opinion and he said chemo and radiation to try and shrink the tumors first so they wouldn't have to cut too much healthy tissue away and then surgery. And they gave me more hope for success. I was fortunate enough to be able to have liver ablation (where they stick a probe in and burn the tumors off) instead of resection. However they had to resect my lung. This was all over a six year period. My last chemo was in 2009.

Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancerI just wanted to add that I am from Wheeling, WV and was diagnosed here by the doctor who did my colonoscopy. He was going to go in and do my surgery and then put me on chemo. I chose to go to a doctor at West Penn in Pittsburgh, PA for a second opinion and he said chemo and radiation to try and shrink the tumors first so they wouldn't have to cut too much healthy tissue away and then surgery. And they gave me more hope for success. I was fortunate enough to be able to have liver ablation (where they stick a probe in and burn the tumors off) instead of resection. However they had to resect my lung. This was all over a six year period. My last chemo was in 2009.

brunosbud replied to Junebugjelly's response:

junebugjelly,

Was there a point in your treatment where it occurred to you that maybe the chemo and radiation was doing more harm than good? That the chemo was destroying your liver faster than the mets? Do your attribute your recovery to the treatments you received from your doctors (chemo & radiation) more than your own body's immune system kicking in and defeating the cancer, on its own? Just curious...

Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancerjunebugjelly, Was there a point in your treatment where it occurred to you that maybe the chemo and radiation was doing more harm than good? That the chemo was destroying your liver faster than the mets? Do your attribute your recovery to the treatments you received from your doctors (chemo & radiation) more than your own body's immune system kicking in and defeating the cancer, on its own? Just curious...

Junebugjelly replied to brunosbud's response:

@ brunosbud, There is no doubt that radiation and chemo do destroy a lot of good cells while it is killing the cancer, and there was a lot of nasty side effects that I had to deal with. I had a CT scan before I began radiation and chemo and then I had another CT scan after it was over and the tumor and lesions on my liver did shrink. So I knew that it was working. After that there was never a moment when I believed it was causing more harm than good because I believed the CANCER would kill me if I did nothing. I wanted it out of my body. I do believe in a lot of positive thinking and miracles and perhaps those two things do help your immune system kick in and help defeat cancer. But in the end, and I truly believe this, the key to my recovery came down basically to "faith." Faith in my doctors, faith in the treatments and medications, and definitely faith in my creator to guide my dcotors and myself to make the right decisions. Every situation is different. If the cancer does come back, I will be faced with new decisions.

Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancer@ brunosbud, There is no doubt that radiation and chemo do destroy a lot of good cells while it is killing the cancer, and there was a lot of nasty side effects that I had to deal with. I had a CT scan before I began radiation and chemo and then I had another CT scan after it was over and the tumor and lesions on my liver did shrink. So I knew that it was working. After that there was never a moment when I believed it was causing more harm than good because I believed the CANCER would kill me if I did nothing. I wanted it out of my body. I do believe in a lot of positive thinking and miracles and perhaps those two things do help your immune system kick in and help defeat cancer. But in the end, and I truly believe this, the key to my recovery came down basically to "faith." Faith in my doctors, faith in the treatments and medications, and definitely faith in my creator to guide my dcotors and myself to make the right decisions. Every situation is different. If the cancer does come back, I will be faced with new decisions.

brunosbud replied to Junebugjelly's response:

Great post! Thank you, junebugjelly!

If there is one certainty in your post I can agree, its the power of a positive, grateful, and loving mind. For anyone fighting cancer, its very hard to not doubt yourself, at times. To be unsure whether you're making the "right" choices. It's these times when faith comes to our aid...

"Whatever the outcome, it'll be OK as long as I believe..."

Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancerGreat post! Thank you, junebugjelly! If there is one certainty in your post I can agree, its the power of a positive, grateful, and loving mind. For anyone fighting cancer, its very hard to not doubt yourself, at times. To be unsure whether you're making the "right" choices. It's these times when faith comes to our aid... "Whatever the outcome, it'll be OK as long as I believe..."

pugsley7274 replied to Junebugjelly's response:

Junebugjelly:

Can you share who you worked with at West Penn in Pittsburgh? That's where my mother in law is right now and was just diagnosed with stage IV rectal with metastasis to the liver. We are so sad and sick right now I don't even know where to start.

Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancerJunebugjelly: Can you share who you worked with at West Penn in Pittsburgh? That's where my mother in law is right now and was just diagnosed with stage IV rectal with metastasis to the liver. We are so sad and sick right now I don't even know where to start.

Junebugjelly replied to pugsley7274's response:

@ pugsley7274. Unfortunately, my whole surgical team at West Penn has broken up and moved on to other areas of the country. My surgeon was Dr. Philip Caushaj who had a partnership with a Dr. Read. Dr. Caushaj left West Penn and moved his practice to another area. I think Dr. Read might have left the area also. I follow up now with Dr. James McCormick an associate of Dr. Caushaj in West Penn's Monroeville branch. John Lech was my oncologist. He was also at West Penn at that time. It is my understanding he is now with UPMC and only specializes in colon/rectal cancer. I have very much respect and trust in Dr. Lech.

Report This| Share this:Hubby diagnosed in April with stage 4 colorectal cancer@ pugsley7274. Unfortunately, my whole surgical team at West Penn has broken up and moved on to other areas of the country. My surgeon was Dr. Philip Caushaj who had a partnership with a Dr. Read. Dr. Caushaj left West Penn and moved his practice to another area. I think Dr. Read might have left the area also. I follow up now with Dr. James McCormick an associate of Dr. Caushaj in West Penn's Monroeville branch. John Lech was my oncologist. He was also at West Penn at that time. It is my understanding he is now with UPMC and only specializes in colon/rectal cancer. I have very much respect and trust in Dr. Lech.

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