Death of Farrah Fawcett

I felt so depressed when I heard the death of Farrah Fawcett and also Michael Jackson. These were the people I grow up with and grow old with. These were the people in my time. They didn't know me but I know them well through TV, newspaper and concerts. Especially Farrah, We both have a battle of colon cancer. Her is anal cancer, stage IV, had spread to other organs. Mine spreads to lungs.  I try to follow up her story closely. I did  pick up inspiration from her that she won't give up her fight. She had fought as hard as she could. I heard about she had taken clinical trial. She went to Germany 6 times for special treatments. I had once heard she 's getting better and cancer free. But Last month what I knew was she was hospitalized and very weak. Then she passed yesterday. I wonder what kind of treatments she received? Which did work and which did not work.What make her turned worst in past several months?

Her cancer journey was up and down, just like me. I had been through 3 lines of chemo  treatments, from Folflox, Folfuri and Erbitux w/ 5fu,  20 months of chemo. I feel pretty good right now. My cea has come down to 0.5. But I know the cancer spots still there. I never get clean CT or PET

Sometimes I ask myself, how long can I last. Should I make my farewell video, pick my tomestone and update my will? Should I pull off the needle of I V, quit the yucky chemo and move to the mountain top to breath fresh air. Or use all my retired savings to have trips around the world.............

I am planning ,... planning to quit..... But don't tell my children. They won't let me quit.

Hi Mimi,

You might want to watch Farrah's Story which documents her travels to Germany where she received treatments to her liver which she could not get done here in the U.S.

I have the same cancer as you that has spread to my lungs and found out yesterday that I have ran through all the chemo drugs and by looking at my last CT scan done on Monday the 6th, there are new nodules growing in both my lungs even though the larger nodes are stable.  Since there are so many nodules in both lungs, surgery is not an option and radiation is out too.  So they are setting me up to go on hospice.  I still feel relatively good except for some loss of breathing issues when I try to do something physical.  I have to use oxygen at times if I really get out of breath.  Its like having extreme Asthma.  I just turned 40 and have been battling this for 3 1/2 years.  Im not ready to give up, but I have run out of options.  Trials are a joke, I tried out of 2 of them and didn't qualify for either.  It doesn't make sense because I am relatively healthy except for my lungs.

So I feel like you, do I just through in the towel and go traveling and give up or what?  I wish I new the answer.  Thanks for letting me vent.

Regards,

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

I understand your feeling. Don't give up. You are too early to go into Hospice. If you  can walk, breathe OK and feel no pain or pain under control,  then you still can enjoy life as normal person. Go , do something you want to do when still can move around.

I am doing what I love to do. I am traveling to Hong Kong now, eating exortic food. I went to the largest casino in Macau--- Venetian Resort center. Wow, besides three thousands hotel rooms, they have world first class shopping mall and even Grand Canal indoor. I ride gondulas with handsome Italian boys singing folksongs, ha ha.....in Macau,   Asia.

 I  am  taking a break from Chemo, stay away the needle, IV, erbitux for three weeks. I spent some of my retire saving for travelling. If I don't do something fun for myself, I have no will to go on treatment. That is.

 Mimi