Started chemotherapy today.

Good luck man, hope everything goes well for you!
 
Ring Shark98 said:
Starting in April, I started having cramps on my right side, underneath the ribs. It felt like a runners cramp so I thought nothing of it. This came and went for about 2 weeks. The following two weeks the pain got worse and worst in my side and I was ferociously fatigued. The pain got so bad one day that I went to the ER. Myself, wife, and doctor were all pretty sure it was a gallbladder issue.

I'm still haunted thinking about the 3 hour wait between the ultrasound and the results from the doctor. Feeling pretty good pain wise and certain it was just my gallbladder, you could imagine the shock when she pulled the curtain back, looked at the folder, and said in the most eerily casual voice; almost cheery: "So, we think you have cancer, in your liver."

I shook my head in surprise and just said "What??" I actually almost passed out at that moment. I got light headed and dizzy, had to lay down. Then she asked "Do you have a family history of colon cancer?" I instantly knew two things for sure.

A: Yes, I have cancer. This is certain.
B: It's in my liver. That means it's already reached metastasis. This is very bad, the worst case scenario. I've taken enough veterinary level physiology and medicine classes to know that metastatic cancer is very bad.

She loaded me up with dilaudid (or hydromorphone) and a bunch of percocet to take home. I was told to come in to the hospital the next day (a Saturday) for a CT scan.

I came in the next day and started preparing for the CT. The radiology tech was a young girl, very cheery and happy. Smiled a lot. We laughed. When I completed the scan, she came out, strangely sad. She walked up to me, looking at the floor and NOT smiling. She paused, looked at me with sad eyes, forced a very forceful smile and said "You have a nice day!" Then she walked away.

Another 3 hour wait for the radiologist to examine the images. The doctor calls me in, looks at the file, and says: "So we have the results from the CT scan and..." He then set down the file and said "... And, they're bad. I'm sorry." He left it at that for a few seconds, and my wife stated crying. I just sighed. He told me they found tumors in my colon, liver, and lung. I then met with the GI surgeon to discuss coming in the following day, stay the night, and get a colonoscopy. He had excellent, excellent bedside manner and actually cheered us up. It just felt great to have a doctor say "Well you know what, you are a young, fit, strong, otherwise healthy man. You are a non smoker, non diabetic, no drugs or alcohol. You have everything going for you."

This made us feel good, but that feeling was broken when I had to explain to my sister, mom, and dad what was going on. I ended up getting too choked up, and my wife had to finish explaining the scenario. My mom and sister started crying, and my dad just stars off angrily, almost in a state of shock.

I went in that next day and purged my asshole all day and night. Got the colonoscopy and the biopsy. Routine, nothing exciting there except when I was hopped up on fentanyl and benzodiasapene (Sp?), looked my doctor in the eye and asked "Do you draw the short straw to have to do this task??"

So... The following 2 weeks between the biopsy and the first meeting with the oncologist for the results were THE WORST TWO WEEKS OF MY LIFE. HANDS DOWN. Due to the stress I couldn't eat, I lost about thirty pounds, couldn't sleep, my mind was going crazy with the unknown, the pain got worse and worse and worse. Hell, gentlemen. Hell.

After I met with the oncologist, I started treatment, and here I am today thus far.

TL, DR: Got teh cancerz. Fuck.
Click to expand...

Scary story..

you will beat it buddy.
 
The only word i saw in OP was "metastatic".
that sucks :/ where did it metastasize too? Goodluck. Enjoy life because when that happens you never know how long you got.

Edit to my post: liver, lung, and colon? :( not to be a dick but you know thats REALLY bad right? Expect and plan for the worst, hope for the best. Thats my advice to you. Goodluck
 
SolidIce said:
The only word i saw in OP was "metastatic".
that sucks :/ where did it metastasize too? Goodluck. Enjoy life because when that happens you never know how long you got.

Edit to my post: liver, lung, and colon? :( not to be a dick but you know thats REALLY bad right? Expect and plan for the worst, hope for the best. Thats my advice to you. Goodluck
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Doctors aren't even talking surgery to remove the primary tumor or anything. It's pretty bleak.
 
Ring Shark98 said:
Thanks man. I've almost come to terms with what the worst case scenario entails.

I remind myself that I got 30 years, which is much more than a lot of people get!
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's people that live 80 years and don't enjoy it or do anything positive with it.

Don't miss out on enjoying what you've had and making the most of what you have left, however long it may turn out to be.
 
Good luck man. Glad to see you seem to have more or less made your peace with the worst case scenario.
 
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Ring Shark98 said:
Absolutely. Doctors aren't even talking surgery to remove the primary tumor or anything. It's pretty bleak.
Click to expand...

Not being funny with this, but is there anything we can do to help?
 
My father went through chemo injections. He's been through a lot in his life and he told me the treatment was some of the worst stuff he'd endured. He's past it now and he's healthy.

Stay strong, get through it, and enjoy your new perspective on life my friend.
 
Goodluck man, enjoy life if you can.
 
Last edited:
Good luck man. Hope you beat it
 
Did they told you how much longer you had to live?
what you want to do before it's time? i mean you can't take money to the grave so go crazy.

Anyway we all die, eventually. I just hope it's not messing with your head much, at least your not alone
 
Stay strong Ring Shark.
 
Ring Shark98 said:
Thanks man. I've almost come to terms with what the worst case scenario entails.

I remind myself that I got 30 years, which is much more than a lot of people get!
Click to expand...


I can't begin to grasp what you're going through, but perhaps I can relate what happened to me when the concept of death -- my death -- became real to me. There was a night when I was in the throes of delirium tremens so much more intense than the episodes previously experienced, that for the first time I genuinely believed I wouldn't make it to morning. Almost instantly a thought/feeling/realization hit me and I became willing to accept my fate. I tried capturing the awakening in words which I wrote down in block letters on my bedroom wall as a kind of farewell reassurance to my loved ones in hopes that they could understand what I knew at that moment... that it's okay.

THE ONE THING I'VE BEEN SURE ABOUT MY ENTIRE LIFE
IS THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR WHEN IT'S OVER
I THINK I HEAR THE WOLF AT THE DOOR


You're in my thoughts TS
 
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