AFF Cancer Survivors Thread

[VPS]

You NEED an excuse after that 40 years ago? Sheesh!

Nope changed my attitude to life so always planning another trip

 

[Cossie]

As a melanoma survivor I think three months is too long to wait

^^^^^ I have to agree with that.

 

[Pushka]

Heard today a mother of one of my sons friends from Kindy (a few years ago) that he’s just been diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer and currently inoperable. At 31. Has had (I think) complete bowel removal yesterday and likely bladder and lymph involvement. They are not sure what they can do next. Maybe chemo/radio therapy and see if the can reduce the size to make it operable.

 

[love_the_life]

Heard today a mother of one of my sons friends from Kindy (a few years ago) that he’s just been diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer and currently inoperable. At 31. Has had (I think) complete bowel removal yesterday and likely bladder and lymph involvement. They are not sure what they can do next. Maybe chemo/radio therapy and see if the can reduce the size to make it operable.

Tragic and so young.
On a similar, depressive note, our friend with stage 4 bowel cancer (who was doing comparatively well we visited a few months back) has now decided to stop all treatment. The liver is totally shot and the whole biliary system is compromised and blocked with tumours. He has decided the pain and illness of treatment which would only give him a few weeks in effect, is just not worth it. It's been almost 18 months since he was diagnosed.

 

[Pushka]

Tragic and so young.
On a similar, depressive note, our friend with stage 4 bowel cancer (who was doing comparatively well we visited a few months back) has now decided to stop all treatment. The liver is totally shot and the whole biliary system is compromised and blocked with tumours. He has decided the pain and illness of treatment which would only give him a few weeks in effect, is just not worth it. It's been almost 18 months since he was diagnosed.

Ah. Sad indeed. I understand his decision.

My sons friend got engaged on the same day as my son. Jan 1 this year. So many things running through their heads right now.

 

[JohnM]

Today was one week since my prostatectomy and it was back to the hospital to have the catheter removed and then see my urologist.

The catheter removal was not at all painful - contrary to what some people have said. It was good to get it out, although it was just a bit of a nuisance more than anything.

My urologist had the results of the sectioning of the organ from the pathologists. All looks good - prostate confined focus of cancer exactly as mapped by the five biopsies and two MRIs over seven years and, most important, no indication of extension outside the prostate. Also the grade (>90% Gleason 3; <10% Gleason 4) was consistent with last November's fifth biopsy.

We reckon it's a textbook example of the management of low-grade, small-focus, confined prostate cancer .

He suggested I don't drive today, just to let the bladder settle. No problem, as today's sea breeze was early and strong - but tomorrow's looking the goods, so I'll be off in the morning! Woo hoo !

Still have to take it easy for six weeks before I can resume running and gym at about 50% of previous intensity. Regaining full bladder control is the top priority for exercises at present.

I am really impressed at how low-impact this whole operation process has been over the last week, although the medical people do indicate that I'm at the high-end tail of the distribution. I like to think that the effort put into my good physical preparation, as well as being intrinsically stoic, has helped ensure that.

So far, so good, and feeling awesome !

 

[love_the_life]

Our friend passed away overnight. It was 18 months since diagnosis and just a few weeks after he decided to stop treatment. He was only 61.

 

[rogerkambah]

Our friend passed away overnight. It was 18 months since diagnosis and just a few weeks after he decided to stop treatment. He was only 61.

Oh dear l_t_l. That's so sad. Did he die at home or in hospital/hospice?

 

[love_the_life]

Oh dear l_t_l. That's so sad. Did he die at home or in hospital/hospice?

He died as he wanted, at home in the arms of his wife and with music playing. The bowel cancer had already spread to many different sites when it was found and although he was optimistic at the start, they then accepted that it was terminal. Treatment would only have extended his life for a few weeks at the most.

 

[Pushka]

Our friend passed away overnight. It was 18 months since diagnosis and just a few weeks after he decided to stop treatment. He was only 61.

Oh I am sorry to hear that love_the_life. Best wishes for you and his family. Thinking of you too. Hope all going according to plan.

 

[rogerkambah]

He died as he wanted, at home in the arms of his wife and with music playing. The bowel cancer had already spread to many different sites when it was found and although he was optimistic at the start, they then accepted that it was terminal. Treatment would only have extended his life for a few weeks at the most.

Oh well at least he died in a good place with his wife there, but still so young. Our condolences to you too at this time.

 

[ellen10]

Our friend passed away overnight. It was 18 months since diagnosis and just a few weeks after he decided to stop treatment. He was only 61.

We too lost a very dear friend a couple of weeks ago, very similar circumstances to your friend, he also had bowel cancer which had spread to other organs, a previous very fit 56 y/o lasted 9 months from diagnosis. He too died at home with his wife and daughters.
My condolences to you at this time.

 

[Pushka]

We too lost a very dear friend a couple of weeks ago, very similar circumstances to your friend, he also had bowel cancer which had spread to other organs, a previous very fit 56 y/o lasted 9 months from diagnosis. He too died at home with his wife and daughters.
My condolences to you at this time.

The latest info on our 32 year old friend who is battling bowel cancer is that he is really struggling with the chemo. His issue is that the Prinary cancer is huge but hasn’t spread. He and his fiancée have sent out the wedding invites for an October wedding. Trying to get some positivity and future back into their lives.

 

[drross]

The latest info on our 32 year old friend who is battling bowel cancer is that he is really struggling with the chemo. His issue is that the Prinary cancer is huge but hasn’t spread. He and his fiancée have sent out the wedding invites for an October wedding. Trying to get some positivity and future back into their lives.

That is really tragic. Hopefully it’s one of those miracle stories....have seen it before in young people...huge primary with no secondaries...good luck to him

 

[Denali]

Im reminded that last year my GM forced us on a company walk/raise money and had a speaker/the husband of Jodie Lee from the below foundation.

https://jodileefoundation.org.au/bowel-cancer

We also all got testing kits, paid for by the company. At the time we made a lot of jokes but reading the last page or two, no longer funny.

 

[love_the_life]

We too lost a very dear friend a couple of weeks ago, very similar circumstances to your friend, he also had bowel cancer which had spread to other organs, a previous very fit 56 y/o lasted 9 months from diagnosis. He too died at home with his wife and daughters.
My condolences to you at this time.

Very sorry to hear that ellen10.

 

[Pushka]

Im reminded that last year my GM forced us on a company walk/raise money and had a speaker/the husband of Jodie Lee from the below foundation.

https://jodileefoundation.org.au/bowel-cancer

We also all got testing kits, paid for by the company. At the time we made a lot of jokes but reading the last page or two, no longer funny.

The only symptom our sons friend had was bouts of diarrhoea not fixed by antibiotics. He had been travelling = travel bug. That didn’t solve the issue so they went straight to colonoscopy. Which of course would have been brutal.

 

[QF WP]

All of this bowel cancer talk has made me dig out my screening kit I got 6 months ago, do the samples and send them off. Hopefully a positive outcome will be shared by my doctor in due course.

 

[love_the_life]

Probably not the best thread for this. Just back from farewelling our friend who died at the weekend. A private service, with no speeches, no prayers, no poems, just music. As the casket was lowered at the crematorium, we all stood round and sang 'True Blue'. Feeling a bit low now but apart from the unfairness of the disease, no one would have wished him to have gone on as he was. Was amused to see this sticker on his coffin - "coughk You Cancer"!

 

[Pushka]

Probably not the best thread for this. Just back from farewelling our friend who died at the weekend. A private service, with no speeches, no prayers, no poems, just music. As the casket was lowered at the crematorium, we all stood round and sang 'True Blue'. Feeling a bit low now but apart from the unfairness of the disease, no one would have wished him to have gone on as he was. Was amused to see this sticker on his coffin - "coughk You Cancer"!

Well, there’s no appropriate button for that. Although maybe I should click Agree for the sticker on the coffin. . A few rocky months love_the_life. Positive thoughts.