For Anyone Who Believes In Prayer

I DEFINITELY believe in prayer & I will be praying for you!I am 41 and was diagnosed w/ stage 4 rectal cancer in August- mets to the lungs & liver (12 tumors in my liver), as well as the rectal tumor being close to 4 cm.

I have now undergone 10 rounds of chemo & had a CT/PET scan this past Friday.  Yesterday (Mon, 1/21), I got my results- it's ALL GONE!!  My oncologist was dumbfounded- he told me he's never had a patient respond this well.  He consulted w/ the rectal surgeon & radiologist team & it was decided that since I've done so well, they want to continue to be aggressive to make sure it doesn't come back. So, I will soon start radiation to the rectal tumor site & then have surgery to remove residual tissue (even though the tumor's almost gone and was downgraded from cancerous to precancerous).  So, I still have that to face, but I can face anything now that I know what God has done for me!!!  He is MIGHTY and can do the same for you!!!

God bless- I'd be interested in your progress & treatment status.  If you'd like my personal email address (not sure if the site will print it or not), but it's: 

Take care!

Lisa

Hi,

 I haven't had the surgery yet.  I'm just starting radiation this coming week.  I'll have 5-6 weeks of radiation plus chemo one day a week.  They tell me I need to wait 4 weeks after before the surgery.  So, that puts surgery about mid April.  I'm praying and hoping that the radiation/chemo combo on something that's just considered precancerous at this point will do the trick, although they tell me I will need the surgery.  It seems a bit of a bummer, after I've done so well- to go from a stage 4 to precancerous in just 4-1/2 months- to still have more treatments to go through.  But, I know they want to be proactively aggressive in getting everything and doing what they can so it doesn't come back.  More waiting... more prayer... but I know I can get through it based on what God's already done for me.

Lisa 

On 2/2/2008 lisaann wrote:

Hi,

 I haven't had the surgery yet.  I'm just starting radiation this coming week.  I'll have 5-6 weeks of radiation plus chemo one day a week.  They tell me I need to wait 4 weeks after before the surgery.  So, that puts surgery about mid April.  I'm praying and hoping that the radiation/chemo combo on something that's just considered precancerous at this point will do the trick, although they tell me I will need the surgery.  It seems a bit of a bummer, after I've done so well- to go from a stage 4 to precancerous in just 4-1/2 months- to still have more treatments to go through.  But, I know they want to be proactively aggressive in getting everything and doing what they can so it doesn't come back.  More waiting... more prayer... but I know I can get through it based on what God's already done for me.

Lisa 

 

Hi Lisa,

My prayers are with you and yes it does seem like a bummer. Some doctors see cancer and go crazy to get rid of it. I have been told by the oncologist & the board that I should remove my rectum because the risk of it being in a node is too high 25%. But it may also have been removed by the local surgery. I am still undecided not sure I may take a big gamble since it was only .9cm T2 even though the clinical assessment is to remove everything. Even my surgeon thinks the risk is closer to 10%.

God Bless you and good luck,

Nick

Hi,

Thank you for your prayers.  They should be able to find out through bloodwork and examination if you have some kind of infection. This past week has been full of changes in what the treatment was to be.   I think it's figured out now!  I started radiation today & a weekly low dose chemo to go with it.  I'll have 28 doses of radiation.  This is to prepare for rectal surgery.

Take care & God bless-

Lisa