Colon Cancer With Mets to The Liver

Hello,my name is Pat. I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer with mets to the liver on June 23 of this year. Two Oncologists told me I had six months to live w/o Chemo 5FU;or 11-15 mos to live with Chemo. I fired those two doctors immediately upon their telling my children and my whole family that I would die from this disease. I then found out that Colon Cancer ran in my family with three family members having precancerous polyps removed from their colons within the last five years. I was told this by by half brother a few days after my diagnosis. My half brother, half sister, and Mother withheld this information from me and refused to communicate with me for 15 years;finally breaking their silence when I was diagnosed in June 05. They further told me that their advice was "go ahead and take my six months of "quality of life" and not undergo Chemotherapy. In essence, I heard them say, go ahead and die, Pat. I formed a battle plan immediately. I took the first 60 days and prepared my body through nutrition and exercise to receive the Chemotherapy treatments. On August 11 I was prepare to take my first Chemotherapy treatment when the Oncologist that I had finally chosen discovered I was going into heart failure and would not withstand the first Chemo treatment. I was admitted that afternoon on an emergency basis to the hospital and a Pacemaker was installed; bringing my pulse rate from 36 to 60 overnight. I then received my first treatment on August 17. I am now in my fifth treatment. I take a drug in the vein and a drug by mouth for ten days; take blood tests every Wednesday to check my immune system. I will begin my sixth treatment on Nov. 30 followed by another CAT Scan. If the tumors are still present, I will go to the University of Arkansas Medical Center and seek the advice of a Surgeon who will decide if I am a candidate for RAF Blasty on the small tumors that are left, if any at all. I have high hopes that the Scan will reveal the tumors to be gone from my liver and I will begin my remission. I believe that the sixty days I took prior to the Pacemaker and Chemotherapy have been instrumental in saving my life to this point. I am still taking the supplements and exercising every chance I get, having just lost my personal trainer and the gym that I had been working out in. I am choosing another gym at this time. I rise at 4:30 a.m. each day, get to the gym or go walking in the neighborhood. East a specially prepared breakfast; take my cancer medication, and get on with my day. I work out in a gym using my lower body only and recently have experienced the return of my appetite in a big way. I want to hear from those of you who have Colon Cancer with Mets to the Liver and how you are handling this disease. Look forward to hearing from you.

please read previous posting on message board about liver abaltion

My father was given a bleak outlook also. Good for you and thank God we didn't buy the doctors who told us what couldn't be done. My father had surgery this summer after 6 months of chemo - they were able to resect the liver - a much higher success rate than ablation. Dr. David Geller at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was amazing!!!! He is wonderful and did what not many other in the country would do...He also teamed up with a colon surgeon at the time to resect that as well....Dr. Schraut. These men gave me back my father and the results are just tremendous.....I'd encourage you to check out UPMC's web site - esp their liver center info - it is amazing and may provide you an option to RFA. Peace be with you.

Hello Pat, I am so impressed with your attitude and with how things are going with you. My mother passed away from Colon cancer that had mets to her liver. She was diagnosed July 29th and passed on October 29th of this year. She has never been ill and was still working. It has been devastating. I am going for my first colonoscopy on Jan 18th. I would like to know exactly what diet you followed to prepare you for chemo, just in case anyone else in my family gets this horrible disease. Good luck to you and God Bless.

Hello, I am glad to hear you father is well. I have been treated for two years at The James, chemotherapy. Apparently all doctors believe my tumor to be un-resectable because of location near portal vein. Why were Dad's tumors difficult? Was it the size of location. Did your father have laproscopic or invasive? I am only 37 with a 3 year old daughter and definitely I am not ready to lay down. I really need help and information. Anyone reading feel free to respond. I have a liver met that has doubled in size since August of this year. I need something fast. Thank you and God be with us.

OK...you are ready to fight...and with a precious 3-year-old, you will fight the good fight and WIN Dr. Ahmed Ghany at James East did not promise miracles, however, he produced one. He started treating dad last January...5FU and leucavorin and avastin....the best concoction for resection I've heard. He then got us a consult at UPMC with Dr. Geller and against all odds that we knew of a year ago, Dad's dozens of lesions had been reduced through 6 months of chemo to a few on one lobe and one on the other. One was 5 cm and near the hepatic artery. I'd be glad to discuss this with you in depth...If you are in Columbus, I'm in the book...I know you can't give phone numbers here. Best of luck and call and we'll talk more...there will be a way to beat this! michelle w.

I am born a fighter, I know nothing else in my than to Fight. Certainly with my daughter and wife, my resolve is only greater. I would like to call you, but do not have your last name?

michelle --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, personal information removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html --- please call i'm in hilliard, ohio

if you get this before they block my number it is cell of --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, phone number removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ---

 

On 11/19/2005 Pattyp wrote:

Hello,my name is Pat. I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer with mets to the liver on June 23 of this year. Two Oncologists told me I had six months to live w/o Chemo 5FU;or 11-15 mos to live with Chemo. I fired those two doctors immediately upon their telling my children and my whole family that I would die from this disease. I then found out that Colon Cancer ran in my family with three family members having precancerous polyps removed from their colons within the last five years. I was told this by by half brother a few days after my diagnosis. My half brother, half sister, and Mother withheld this information from me and refused to communicate with me for 15 years;finally breaking their silence when I was diagnosed in June 05. They further told me that their advice was "go ahead and take my six months of "quality of life" and not undergo Chemotherapy. In essence, I heard them say, go ahead and die, Pat. I formed a battle plan immediately. I took the first 60 days and prepared my body through nutrition and exercise to receive the Chemotherapy treatments. On August 11 I was prepare to take my first Chemotherapy treatment when the Oncologist that I had finally chosen discovered I was going into heart failure and would not withstand the first Chemo treatment. I was admitted that afternoon on an emergency basis to the hospital and a Pacemaker was installed; bringing my pulse rate from 36 to 60 overnight. I then received my first treatment on August 17. I am now in my fifth treatment. I take a drug in the vein and a drug by mouth for ten days; take blood tests every Wednesday to check my immune system. I will begin my sixth treatment on Nov. 30 followed by another CAT Scan. If the tumors are still present, I will go to the University of Arkansas Medical Center and seek the advice of a Surgeon who will decide if I am a candidate for RAF Blasty on the small tumors that are left, if any at all. I have high hopes that the Scan will reveal the tumors to be gone from my liver and I will begin my remission. I believe that the sixty days I took prior to the Pacemaker and Chemotherapy have been instrumental in saving my life to this point. I am still taking the supplements and exercising every chance I get, having just lost my personal trainer and the gym that I had been working out in. I am choosing another gym at this time. I rise at 4:30 a.m. each day, get to the gym or go walking in the neighborhood. East a specially prepared breakfast; take my cancer medication, and get on with my day. I work out in a gym using my lower body only and recently have experienced the return of my appetite in a big way. I want to hear from those of you who have Colon Cancer with Mets to the Liver and how you are handling this disease. Look forward to hearing from you.

Pat,

 God Bless you and your amazing attitude!   My mother was just diagnosed last week with colon cancer with liver mets and I would like to know more about the supplements you are taking and your diet/nutritional intake.  Please let me know ASAP.