can't believe it

Hi all

 Clarabelle from NZ writing an update about my daughter Debs, dx colon cancer with mets to liver and lungs. Has been undergoing chemo since July '09. Her CEA levels have dropped from 13.5 to 1.9 which is good. Today she went for her chemo as usual, saw her oncologist and I could scream with rage! He told her so nonchalantly that the cancer WILL come back(is he GOD?) and the chemo will be less effective each time. She was sailing along under her own steam thinking very positively about her future, changed her diet completely, daily affirmation etc, and now this weasel has just shattered her attitude into a million pieces!!! I rang him and gave him an earful, I have demanded a new Onc for her, one that will be encouraging and helpful, one that will build her up and not shoot her down in flames with no damn parachute! I am sooooooooooooo mad!!!

I so want everyone on the site to be well, I pray every single day for all here, patients and caregivers alike.

I need encouraging stories for my Debs to read...please can someone answer so I can show her some survivor stories? She is so down in the dumps today I don't know how to lift her up again.

Thank you and God Bless all here.

Clarabelle

Clarabelle,

I'm sorry you and your daughter had such a bad experience with her doctor.  When my husband was diagnosed with brain cancer, one doctor we met with said to him "You know you will die from this, right?"  That was in 1996, and he's alive and well 13 years later, with no sign of cancer after the initial surgery and radiation, followed by a short round of chemo which had to be stopped because of the side effects. 

I was researching colon cancer tonight because a friend of mine was just diagnosed with stage IV, and I came across these survivor stories on the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance website.  Click on the pictures on the right side of the page to read the stories. 

 https://www.seattlecca.org/diseases/colon-cancer-overview.cf

I hope her new doctor is more compassionate!

Take care,

Elaine

 

 

 

 

  Hi Clarabelle,

      Its Rob here, just read your post and you are so right to do what you did, I think your daughter is doing so good,, Sometimes as christians the devil wants to rob us of our victorys and joy, do not let him do it.

 Keep on doing what you are doing, and you know my story and if it was not for side effects would have still  being going strong, after 8 YEARS

 So keep going and taking one day at a time  your daughter can make it.

   God Bless You and Daughter.... Best Wishes  Rob

Hi Clarabelle,

Wow, that makes me mad too!!!  What a jerk.  Doesn't he know he is NOT GOD!  My husband started chemo in July too.  One thing I've learned from listening to so many stories, is that the doctors make predictions based on what they think but they can't know for sure who will do well and who will not.  I have a neighbor that had lung cancer that had spread - I don't know all the details except that the doctors originally told her she had a 2% chance of survival and 2 months. That was 2 years ago and she's doing great.  She's actually the one that told me about this website and it has been such a blessing. 

Please don't let that stupid doctor bring you down.  Tell your daughter to forget about him and believe she can overcome this.  That makes a big difference.

Take care,
Cathy

On July 22nd 2004 I was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer.  The great docs in my state gave me no hope.  I found doctors in another state who did.

I signed up for a Stage II clinical trial and it made all the difference in the world. 

I have had no evidence of disease since September 13th 2004.  I have been off of all chemo, etc, since June of 2005. 

I know if a 10+ year survivor of Stage IV colon cancer. 

Let us know how we can help.

Clarabelle,

 So sorry to hear about your completely insensitive ONC. You're doing the right thing in finding someone who will be more positive -- a team player -- rather than a detractor.

I was dx'ed with stage IV CRC in Sep, 05. Had 2 surgeries and 8 rounds of FOLFOX with Avastin, and have been cancer free for 3 1/2 yrs (last clean scan was just last month).

So, tell your wonderful daughter that this can be beaten...

You're in my thoughts and prayers,

Brian

Thank you for your post.  Survirvor stories always give me hope!  Some days it's hard to face all the uncertantity.  I know people mean well, but it seems like everyone has a cancer story to tell me now, even if the person didn't make it.  I'm so sorry for them that they didn't survive, I just need more stories like yours.  I know God is in control of it all, no matter what happens.