A community for those affected by colorectal cancer.
Kathy's Blogspot
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Kathy's Page
Profile Information
- City:
- Bloomington, MN
- Relationship to disease: [select only one]
- Patient/Survivor
- Race and Ethnicity: [select only one]
- White (non-Hispanic)
- (Patients/Survivors Only) Type of Cancer: [select only one]
- Anal Cancer
- (Patients/Survivors Only) What stage were you diagnosed? [select only one]
- Stage 4
- (Patients/Survivors Only) Diagnosis Date:
- June 22, 2006
- (Patients/Survivors Only) Chemotherapy Received:
- Fluoroucil (5-FU), Camptosar (Irinotecan/CPT-11), Eloxatin (Oxaliplatin), Erbitux (Cetuximab)
- (Patients/Survivors Only) If you have metastates, please note where:
- Right lung, several tumors. Unfortunately in the pleaural lining, which is inoperable.
- About Me:
- When initially diagnosed with Stage IIb anal cancer, I was one month shy of my 47th birthday. Unknowingly, I had been fighting tumor growth for a minimum of seven years. Prior to my diagnosis, I had been to the emergency room several times with lower abdominal pain, only to be sent home without answers. I had also expressed concern to my gynecologist. The answer was a prescription for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. No tests...just a prescription to make it go away. Needless to say, the pain continued to get worse, as I was erroneously diagnosed.
Stage IIb is a very treatable cancer. July 2006 treatment began with initial 120 hour infusion of 5-FU chemotherapy regimen. At the same time, I underwent five weeks of pelvic radiation therapy, with a second infusion of 5-FU at the end of radiation to complete treatment.
Follow up testing and biopsy in November 2006 found no indication of cancer. I was officially in remission and life celebrations began.
Fast forward to May 2007. My colorectal surgeon recommended a PET scan during a follow up appointment. PET revealed tumor growth in right lung. Within days of new diagnosis, lung surgery revealed that the same squamous cell anal cancer had metastasized and required the lower lobe of my right lung to be removed. Unfortunately, there are also tumors in the lining of my lung, which is inoperable.
Upon healing from thoracic surgery, Folfox6 chemotherapy regimen began. At the same time, I traveled to Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York for a second opinion. The doctor at MSK agreed with the treatment prescribed. Unfortunately, the doctor also advised that I was incurable and gave me a prognosis of approximately 5 years, due to the tumors in the lining of my lung.
August 2007 chest x-ray revealed tumor growth. My cancer was resistant to Folfox6 regimen. Time for 3rd and 4th opinions. Traveled to Cancer Treatment Center of America in Illinois and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Made the decision to be treated with Dr. Axel Grothey at Mayo Clinic. The suggested regimen is Taxol/Carboplatin.
February 2008 regimen was changed to Irinotecan/Erbitux. Due to a rare reaction to the infusion, this specific regimen is no longer available for my treatment. This was my final option for chemotherapy treatments.
April 2008, after being considered for thoracic surgery, was advised once again my condition is inoperable.
Blogging
Writing is a true form of therapy for me. Rather than repeating my entries in this area, I have a direct RSS feed from my blogspot in the far left column of this page. If you would like, please visit my personal blog at http://kathybienapfl.blogspot.com/
Kathy's Videos
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Comment Wall (12 comments)
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Cinda
You're in my thoughts and prayers - I'm a stage IV survivor, and have had all the approved drugs except Vectibix, plus a vaccine trial. I have had a lung lesion that was removed surgically, and have one now that's being observed. Trying different drug options to see if it may control it, otherwise more surgery this summer. Keep up the hope, and like Ronnie said, the prayers have been tested and they do work!
Hang in there and take care,
Gordon
Let the tears flow when need be, enjoy the good days, get angry on the not so good days and believe in miracles. I will be keeping you in my thoughts
Michele
Although I wasn't necessarily a back to nature or whoo whoo type of person, I went to a naturopath and found what was best for me to eat and vitamins to take. I tried quantum touch (which was incredible)... and put my trust in my health care professionals and God and most of all - I listened to my body. Inside all of us is a physician and your body has the ability to cure many things if you get in touch with it. My body instinctively craved many of the foods that they said were good for fighting cancer.
To make a long story short - after my fourth aggressive intravenous chemo treatment after my first surgery I was given a CT scan to check on the cancer and there was nothing there. It was completely gone - within the span of 3 months. We continued on with more oral chemo and radiation and a final surgery where they opened me up to remove any remaining cancer - there was none - they reversed my illeostomy - sent away the pieces they cut from my colon to resect the colon and it came back completely clear of cancer. Although it was not as easy as all of this sounds and the final outcome was positive despite emergency room visits and hospitals in-between - the main point is that the outcome was positive which is where it all starts. Somedays I question why it was that I was put through all of that and I truly believe it was to give others hope and for that I am truly blessed. Miracles really do happen every day - some days we just have to look a little harder for them.
Please read
Many states have an F in making their insurance companies pay for colon cancer screening. The docs are forced to tell people like me that I am too young. Then we go on thinking we're ok for symptoms disappear for a while then we're diagnosed with stage III or IV cancer. Please help me
Could you please sign and forward my guestbook through bulletins and email for people to sign? In the message box, type I support colon cancer laws in America. Please don't wish me a happy birthday. :) Thanks. It is to support colon cancer laws. 13,000 people under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with colon cancer every year. Around 150,000 people total are being diagnosed every year. And 56,000 people are dying from it every year. It's the 2nd leading cause of death in the country yet only 25 states support colon cancer screening for the unisured and the insured. My wish if for 1,000 to sign by my 43rd birthday on June 29th.A beginning to stop the pain and sorrow. You do not have to post your picture or email address. See if your state measures up on colorectal cancer legislation providing colonoscopies to all including people under 50. http://www. eifoundation. org/national/nccra/report_card/
Remember 13,000 people under 50 are being diagnosed with colon cancer every year. With colonoscopies being insured, we can cut this in half by early detection of polyps. Please sign my guestbook.
CLICK VIEW ALL GUESTS TO GET FULL VIEW OF THE GUESTBOOK.
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