Cancer Support and Caregivers Who Are Trail Blazers!

[starryeyes]

My grandma has stage 4 colon cancer. She didn't know about it until the tumor "erupted" and she had emergency surgery and most of her colon was removed. The cancer has also spread to her abdomen and liver. They suspect brain also. She has a pet(?) scan this week. U saw her over Christmas and she looks good. Way better than before her surgery. She was not responding to Chemo, so she just started a new anti body treatment. It is extremely expensive, and she is on a very fixed income and Medicare. Not sure how many more treatments it will cover.

It's been a seriously hard journey with my grandma. She is an alcoholic, so we were dealing with that before this. She tried to commit suicide.... Now this. I want to be there for her and support her but I am so scared I tend to just look away. It feels horrible saying that. I am tying to be stronger and be there for her. I told myself I was going to call her once a week... I'm going to try to stick to that.

Grieving sucks :-(

[Novelafemme]

{{{{{Debby}}}}}} Big hugs for you. Isn't tagging normal protocol? They did that with all of my precancerous polyps as well. But, you sure have had a full year, so I understand the fear. My mom will keep your nana company in heaven. Hang in there, love!

[deb_U_taunt]

I don't know if it is. lol They only tagged the one and the Dr said it was so a surgeon could find it, if needed. I am just a bundle of nerves anymore. I do feel better about it now, then I did this morning.

Let your mom know, my nana will be the little old lady cracking the whip in the corner with everyone's to-do lists.

Originally Posted by Novelafemme

{{{{{Debby}}}}}} Big hugs for you. Isn't tagging normal protocol? They did that with all of my precancerous polyps as well. But, you sure have had a full year, so I understand the fear. My mom will keep your nana company in heaven. Hang in there, love!

[clay]

Originally Posted by Debby

I don't know if it is. lol They only tagged the one and the Dr said it was so a surgeon could find it, if needed. I am just a bundle of nerves anymore. I do feel better about it now, then I did this morning.

Let your mom know, my nana will be the little old lady cracking the whip in the corner with everyone's to-do lists.

((((((Debby)))))))))...it is all good, honey! Tagging is usually done as an identification marker....so when a CT is done, they have something to identify where to start looking. My gastro "tattooed" my tumor in front of and behind, and put a metal clip in it..so the CT would show it, help identify exact place it (tumor) was and to see the parameters of the tumor. When the surgeon went in, he was able to see the blue tattoo ink marks in front of and behind, so he knew where to cut and anastomose ends back...as a wise and sagely friend told me.."don't worry about what ain't spilled" yet...so....sexy...smile....be happy...YOU have climbed, conquered, and made a stone pile out of that last mountain.....you CAN do it again!! Big hugs my friend...Clay

[DapperButch]

Ok, so am I to assume that my tumor wasn't marked in any way b/c it was so big no one could miss it?

Seriously, though, it was. It was very visible to a layperson (me, partner, mother) when the surgeon pulled up the film on the computer.

[deb_U_taunt]

It was the initial shock of hearing the damn 'C' word. The dr removed all three, so the marker was to find where he removed it.

This made me crazier:

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012...ore/?mobile=nc

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Ok, so am I to assume that my tumor wasn't marked in any way b/c it was so big no one could miss it?

Seriously, though, it was. It was very visible to a layperson (me, partner, mother) when the surgeon pulled up the film on the computer.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Debby

It was the initial shock of hearing the damn 'C' word. The dr removed all three, so the marker was to find where he removed it.


Ahhh. I see, thanks for explaining.

This made me crazier:

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012...ore/?mobile=nc

Scary stuff.

------------

[deb_U_taunt]

Hugs to you starryeyes.

Please, call her and you don't need to talk about her cancer. I called my grandma everyday and most of the time we didn't talk about either of us having cancer.

Originally Posted by starryeyes

My grandma has stage 4 colon cancer. She didn't know about it until the tumor "erupted" and she had emergency surgery and most of her colon was removed. The cancer has also spread to her abdomen and liver. They suspect brain also. She has a pet(?) scan this week. U saw her over Christmas and she looks good. Way better than before her surgery. She was not responding to Chemo, so she just started a new anti body treatment. It is extremely expensive, and she is on a very fixed income and Medicare. Not sure how many more treatments it will cover.

It's been a seriously hard journey with my grandma. She is an alcoholic, so we were dealing with that before this. She tried to commit suicide.... Now this. I want to be there for her and support her but I am so scared I tend to just look away. It feels horrible saying that. I am tying to be stronger and be there for her. I told myself I was going to call her once a week... I'm going to try to stick to that.

Grieving sucks :-(