I'm 38 and have stage 4 colon cancer AMA

I just want to say good luck. Stay strong and don't quit fighting. I hope you have lots of support.

Thanks!

Try to get a reevaluation from multiple places? My father was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer ~3 years ago. Today he is cancer free. Never give up the good fight, and I'm sure you'll come out of this fine.

I definitely will if I don't respond to the current treatment

My MIL was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and she has recovered quite well. Took her over a year but that isn't too long in the scheme of things. She still has a little bit of chemo to get through but she is a trooper! You can do it! Get a second opinion if you can!

I will thanks!

I just wanted to say that I'm sending you my best wishes for your recovery. You seem to have an awesome attitude, I admire you.

A friend of mine was diagnosed with leukemia last year. He was given a 1-3 % chance of survival because he has something called the Philadelphia chromosome. Today he is cancer-free. This taught me that there is always hope. Always.

Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear about you're friend. My attitude is many people have beat cancer, there's no reason I can't be one of them.

That's exactly what my friend said. I remember early on, it was bleak...my God, my entire body just got goose-bumps...We were talking and big, bad me started to cry (like I am right now)...he said, "Don't fucking count me out. I'm not done. I'm going to beat this thing and I need you here for me." He damn sure did. I need to call him right now.

I feel the same way, I'm not done yet! Thanks man!

Have you considered selling meth?

I'm an engineer, not a chemist, so I can't make the blue

You could sell math instead.

I could totally sell math!

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Terrified actually

-Internet Hugz-. Stay strong!

Thanks! :-)

I don't know how much a digital hug from a stranger means to you, but I'm sending you a huge bear hug. You seem like a cool guy - I'd keep you company at chemo.

Thanks for the hug! If you're ever in Phoenix you're welcome to stop by!

What is your prognosis? Good luck to you.

If the chemo and radiation work well, pretty good because they'll remove the evil part of my liver. If I don't respond to treatment, maybe 2 years.

Have you asked your doc about ablation treatments? Microwave ablations can be effective in treating liver tumors.

I have, but we ned to see how the radioactive spheres went first. The response rates are really good and I was in a trial to get it as a first line treatment, so my oncologist is prwtty aggressive in my treatment. Whixh is awesome

I am an RN who works in Pharmaceutical Research, Oncology, and there are a lot of drugs coming down the pipeline. Have you and your Oncologist talked about Clinical Trials? If you Google Clinical Trials and NCI, this will get you a website where all must be listed. I will pray for you, Hasta.

I'm currently in the sirflox trial. I'm kras mutant though, so things like erbitux won't work for me. I have the best oncologist in Phoenix. Thanks!

I was diagnosed when I was 45 with the same thing. Given only two years to live. I'm now going on year 7. With you being younger, you will outlive most others. The only odds that the doctor gives you are compiled from everybody including mostly old old people. I've read about people living past 17 years and still going strong. - There are always new treatments coming out that not only help with longevity but there also seems to be a treatment that promises full eradication of the tumor cells. It's barely entered phase one studies but it gives me hope that we can make it to the treatment. Me? I'm still working while on my 5th course of chemo. I've had several surgeries to remove a few items. But I'm still going strong and quite active. Work (and it's insurance) has been quite a blessing. One thing that makes my life easier is to remember that I'm the one with cancer and not anybody else. They are only there to help. Thank and Compliment them often! I've been known to clean up and make my own bed in the hospital as soon as I can get up! Best of luck and don't be a strrange!

Thank you so much. I love hearing stories like that. I wish you the best! And thanks for the advice!

What were your symptoms? How long did it take to diagnose?

I literally had no symptoms. I was backed up the week before and ended up in the ER with a complete obstuction of my colon.

Is there any treatment available to you?

I'm doing chemo and got a one time radiation treatment where they injected radioactive spheres into my liver.

That's metal as fuck. Stay strong.

Thanks, I feel metal as fuck!

that's awesome (as awesome as stage 4 cancer can be, I mean), and I've got all of my good thoughts heading your way. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. I mean that.

Thanks! I mean it!

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Alcohol maybe, but I'm pretty healthy otherwise. I was a total outlier. The Drs called me a zebra

I have no question, but wanted to share with you that my uncle was also diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. No symptoms other than constipation. They found it when he went to doctor and additional testing was done. He was 45 at time of diagnosis. He was also a part of a clinical trial and received chemo along with surgeries. It is five years later and he is cancer free. Of course he still has to go for checks, so far so good! My point here is not to lose hope.

Thanks, stories like that give me hope and keep me positive. I'm glad to hear about your uncle! Thanks!

Good luck to you - I have some AMAs out there as I have the same thing (not mets to the liver, though - mine are to the lungs). About 10 years older than you.

I wish you nothing but the best. We're both way to young for this!

You can contact me privately if you have any quesions. I won't hijack your AMA by pointing to mine, but basically it's been surgery followed by chemo on FOLFOX, then FOLFIRI regimens, now on a modified chemo regimen, punctuated by problems with platelets et al. It requires a readjustment to life, but oddly enough I felt energized by the sense of focus (although that wears off sometimes). I hope you do well with it. The technology and techniques have come a long way.

Thanks! I'll definitely message you. I'm on folfox with avastin, and I had Y90 spheres too. It'll be nice to talk to someone who understands what its like. I wish the best and I'll be in touch.

My dad had Stage 4 colon cancer with mets to the liver too. He was a lot older than you though and didn't do aggressive treatment. It got to the point where the Doctors told him it could be treated with meds like HIV because he wasn't a candidate for surgery either. For the sixish years you could barley tell he was sick, and to be honest I believe he passed away because his doctor wouldn't explore any other option because he was older and probably wouldn't recover well.

You're young and strong! If my dad made it that long doing the bare minimum then I hope you can make a full recovery. Chemo can do amazing things, and I wish you luck with everything!

Thanks! I'm sorry to hear about your father, its good ti know he had 6 good years, I would love 6 or more too.

I have a 34 year old brother Stage 4 colon cancer. He had 75% of his liver removed, currently has a colostomy bag, and is doing Chemo. I stopped researching it very early on cause everything I read about it was extremely depressing.

Just wanted to tell you good luck.

Thanks and best of luck to your brother! I had a foot of my colon removed and the liver is the only place I have tumors now. I was lucky I didn't have to get a "bag". I had an excellent surgeon even though it was an emergency surgery.

Wow, that's great news! Get well man.

Thanks!

How has this news affected your family? I hope the best for you.

Its been tough, I've always been the "healthy" one since I eat right and exercise a lot. I was supposed to do a 7k obstacle course race the day I was diagnosed. Parents worst fear is having one of your kids die before them.

How are you doing emotionally? Still in shock? Are you optimistic? Are you living your life the same or differently (aside from the medical part) since you were diagnosed? Good luck.

I cry sometimes in the shower, but for the most part I stay pretty positive. I try keep things as normal as possible. Its tough sometimes, when I went out for new years, I had to carry my chemo pump with me, talk about a conversation starter. It was a little rougher on my gf, she got depressed and ended up leaving her job to go with me to all my appointments.

Sounds like you have a good, supporting girlfriend. Keep your head up!

She's pretty awesome, I love her with all my heart

put a ring on it.

Working on it!

It's awesome that she didn't bail on you in your time of hardship. Good on her, and lucky you!

I'm pretty lucky

She sounds like a good person, you're fortunate in that regard.

She is, I even gave her an out if she wanted it. She about killed me even saying something like that. I'm very lucky to have her. She's been at every appointment witj me.

My father was diagnosed with stage 4 advanced head and neck cancer three years ago. I'm currently watching the NFL playoffs with him.

Never give up. Never, ever give up.

Thanks! Glad he's doing well!

Hey OP. I am a two year stage 1 survivor. I was 26 when diagnosed with colon cancer. We have a online support group on facebook if you'd like to be a part of it. It's called Colontown. There are a lot of resources for you out there and we are here to help! I moderate the subgroup of colontown for survivors/patients under 40. Best of luck to you and feel free to PM me if you want any more information. I hope the chemo and SIR spheres are successful!

Thanks I will check it out now! Glad to hear you're doing well!

Praying for your recovery brother

Thanks!

What do they do for daily treatment? Geez, that must be hard. Praying for ya.

I exercise, keep going to work. I get chemo every 2 weeks and its a 48 hour infusion, so I get to wear a pump around.

Did you eat/drink a lot of fast food, junk food, etc throughout your life? If you did, do you think it could be linked?

No, I'm a runner, I eat really clean. Organic when I can and lots of veggies. Don't smoke, drink in moderation, no family history. ..

No, I'm a runner, I eat really clean. Organic when I can and lots of veggies. Don't smoke, drink in moderation, no family history. ..

That is extremely depressing. I wish you all the best.

It's definitely a bummer

I am a medical student on my Internal Medicine rotation, and I can honestly say there are very few people I have met as strong as people in your position. Good luck and god bless.

Thanks! Good luck, you are going into a noble profession

Proof? Not that this seems like something anybody would want to lie about but thems are the rules.

Also, love the song that your username comes from. Bosstones was the last show I went to a few years ago before I had kids.

Me on new years eve...

http://i.imgur.com/JJRVa.jpg

See, now I kind of feel like a dick.....but only kind of.

I'm sure people do lie, no worries...

I love the bosstones!

Do you have kids? How are you handling it mentally?

No kids, my biggest regret. Actually my girlfriend and I tried really hard to conceive between the diagnosis and the start of chemo. We're crossing our fingers.

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That's what those are for?!?!

You should consider freezing some sperm. Chemo can fuck up your testes and make you infertile. Might be good to save some sperm for a rainy day. Good luck! All the best to you! Cancer's a bitch.

I froze a batch right before the chemo!

Did you have any preventive care before you were diagnosed? I'm 28 and I went in for a physical because I'm always scared that something will go wrong someday. I'm a dude and I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to tell my doc anything. I just got my first prostate exam. Colon cancer runs in my family so I'm checking it out early. Good luck to you man and thanks for sharing.

I had no real symptoms and no family history. If you do, definitely get a colonoscopy, the prep is worse that the procedure. They can also do a blood test called CEA, it checks the proteins related to the cancer. I'd opt out of the CT scan unless they find something in the colonoscopy, its a metric assload of radiation.

"Assload of radiation"

Not sure if on purpose.

The dosage from a CT scan is very high, so unless they suspect something, you should avoid tjem, as it does increase you risk of cancer in an otherwise healthy person. For me, I already have cancer, so scan away...

I was going to post a Fry meme, but didn't get a chance too...

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I actually was constipated for a week, went to urgent care in the afternoon, they gave me a bottle of Mg Citrate. Its like a drano, it pushed everything in me into the tumor i didn't know was there, so I was in tons of pain and went to the ER. I was totally obstructed and ended up being in the hospital for 12 days having a foot of my colon removed.

Had you been colonoscopies prior to the diagnosis? Had polyps been discovered previously?

Coloscopies are the biggest preventative measure for this if you have a history or symptoms (you know this, but I'm telling everyone). I've been having them regularly since age 32...I should probably say now I was lucky to be symptomatic (blood) because that's what got me into the doctor where polyps were discovered. No colon cancer history in my family but polyps are commn on my father's side later in life. The doctors keeps asking if my family has a history of colon cancer because I was so young when the polyps started. Yes, they are the kind that can turn cancerous...the good news is they tend to have a very slow growth, so I just have to keep up with the check ups/colonoscopies. The bad news is no health insurance currently, but I'm due for one so hoping they will work wth me.

You sound like you have a very positive attitude and I truly believe this is 95% of the battle. I know you are scared, but I have faith (I know not a popular word around reddit). You can do it. Don't be afraid to lean on your loved ones when needed. That's what they are there for and it will help them to feel useful at a time when they may be feeling helpless to do something for you. Lots of love to you!

Edit: I'm also currently 38 (female)

I never had a colonoscopy, I had no family history or symptoms. My sister just had hers and thank god she's good. Thanks for the love!

Stay positive my friend just beat it this past nov. I bet you can too buddy! Also try the sacred herb.

I've never smoked befor, but I'm getting my card to legally buy it soon! Thanks!

Ever considered smoking medicinal marijuana?

Applied for my card this week!

Dude... 38 is too fucking young for this. I wish you the best of luck and have no doubt that you will get through this and live to see very old age! :)

This kind of scared me though, I am only 18 and have been having a ton of symptoms for the past year and am going to the doctors on the 28th. If you wouldn't mind, would you check out my post in /r/cancer and let me know if it sounds like colon cancer to you? I am beyond scared...

http://www.reddit.com/r/cancer/comments/16gpl2/kind_of_worried_could_this_be_anything_other_than/

I'll look now

Why aren't you a candidate for surgery?

I have tumors on both lobes of my liver. There's just one on the left lobe, so if the treatment works, I'll have a resection and they'll take the whole right lobe.

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Thanks, I plan on making a lot of brownies

First: I wish you all the best, and thanks for doing this.. I read in another reply you keep going to work. can you keep focused on your job and perform like other employees? I think I would be so depressed I wouldn't be able to do anything. Are you preparing or do you have a bucket list?

Working is good because it takes my mind off the cancer. The problem there is I work as an engineer and my job is pretty stressful, so people are afraid to give me projects. So I usually finish what I have to do early and goof off the rest of the day.

As far as a bucket list, I'd like to have a kid with my gf, get married, nothing too fancy. I'm going to do the spartan race in Phoenix next month, so that's a big step. I used to run a lot of races before I got diagnosed, so that will be pretty emotional when I finish.

I'm sorry to hear this. I wish both you and your girlfriend--in fact your entire family--luck. I can't even imagine how scared you must be.

Thanks so much! I'm better now, at first I was a trainwreck. The statistics aren't in my favor, 8-11% survival rate for 5 years, but those numbersare skewed since the avg age of a colon cancer patient is 72. I have an aggressive treatment regime, as long as I respond, I have no doubt I'll beat this.

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I was pretty regular, nothing out of the ordinary.

First I want give you my best wishes. Im sure you'll recover. However as someone who has had to face their own mortality I want to ask you, at this point in your life, what do you feel really matters to you? what has been worth your time?

Things that matter are family and friends. I plan to marry my gf and have kids. My regret is I put work ahead of having kids, now I may never have any.

I really wish you the best of luck. My mother had cancer when I was young and she was in and out of the hospital for several years. Luckily though, she got through it and she's still alive and well today.

My mother has explained to me the horrendous pain she had suffered, both physical and emotional.. but I think that no matter how much I can empathize, I'll never really understand exactly what it's like for cancer patients. All I can do is just tell you to stay strong, and fight it through.

Thank you. It must have been tough as a kid to see your mom go through that. I don't have any physical pain, but emotionally its draining.

It was tough, but we're all stronger because of it.

I'm sure I'll come out stronger too. Thanks!

What is your outlook on life? Have you ever tried magic mushrooms or considered trying them?

Outlook is good, as good ad it can be. I have not tried anything outside of what my oncologist gives me.

Do you have siblings? Have they been checked also? I had a doctor tell me that if you have a sibling under 40 with cancer, your risk goes up considerably.

My sis-in-law got this diagnosis about six years ago, she is doing very well. She did have one lobe of her liver removed.

I have sister, she got checked and was good.

I'm glad to hear your sister in law is doing well, I'm hoping I'll be eligible for surgery this spring.

What's the most consoling thing that someone has said/done for you? What is the one thing that a person could say/do to make you more at peace with your situation? Good luck with everything.

The best thing honestly is to treat me the same. I don't wamt people to feel sorry for me or try to do things for me.

How are you taking to the chemo? Stay strong, a positive attitude is so important. My grandmother just recently became cancer free and she was stage 3.

I haven't had many side effects other than some tingling in my hands and some slight nausea. I actually fot radioactive spheres injected into my liver 2 days after my first chemo treatment and was completely fine. Its definitely tough when I go for chemo and I see how it does effect people. I thank god I'm younger and in good shape, I'm sure that helps.

That's awesome to hear that you're taking so well to it. And thanks! I'll be praying for you.

Thanks!

And that's great news about your grandmother!

Does it hurt?

That's the weird part, it doesn't hurt at all. I still go to the gym and work daily. I feel a little wonky on the days I get chemo, but it goes away in a day. I don't look sick either, except I lost 15 pounds in the hospital, slowly putting it back on.

Not sure you're still answering questions, but has this impacted you financially? Does insurance cover everything, or are you on the hook? Does being in a clinical trial help with the treatment cost, or do you or your insurer have to pay? Avastin is expensive.

I work for a pretty awesome company and have Cigna insurance, they've approved everything so far, including avastin. The sir spheres, radiation treatment, was covered by the trial.

No question, I just want to wish you lots of strength and speedy return to full health.

Thanks so much!

What has your diet been like the last ten years? My dad went though the same thing and responded really well to chemo. Then they changed the chemo and his limbs went numb so he started refusing it.

I eat well, I trained a lot and ran a lot of races, 10k and halfs, so I atw pretty clean. Organic when I could, not much junk food and lots of veggies. Its tough because I'm totally outside of what you'd expect for a colon cancer patient. It just shows it could happen to anyone.

I'm sure it was oxalipalatin, it makes my hands tingle for a day or so after I get it. I wish him the best and hope he's ok.

Thanks, he's recovering. And was much older when all that started.

His dad also had it and passed away when it spread. But according to tests it isn't genetic but due to exposure, my dad is a chemist.

I'm an engineer and work aroung chemicals all day. So that always crosses my mind too

Don't despair! I have a friend who was in the same situation as you just a year ago and he is in remission. Hang in there!

Thanks!

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 15, I'm 24 now. Not anywhere close to what you are going through but I wish you the best in your recovery! Have your doctors been able to tell you what may have caused it? Stay strong!

No, I'm totally an outlier. No family history or behaviors that increase the risk. Its really crazy.

does this affect your..bowel movements? if so, how unpleasant are they?

I've never pooped better

Can you poop?

Better than ever

Good Luck. Hope you all the best.

Thanks so much!

What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

Thats a tough one. The beat thing recently was geting into the clinical trial, that was the happiest day is a long time.

How did you get diagnosed? What were your symptoms?

What advice for medical attention would you give others?

I would just say see you Dr. Don't look at webmd, you'll make yourself crazy

If you died in less than two months time from now, what would the consequences be?

Anarchy, fiscal cliff, zombies

First Good luck to you, and i hope that you can go into recession soon. My grandfather was stage 4 cancer and after treatment was found to be completely cancer free. For him, it was always keeping focused on after cancer and what he could do after cancer. Is there anything you really want to do once you are cancer free?

Thanks and I'm glad to hear about your grandfather. I really want to have kids, I waited too long focusing on work. Seems silly now that I prioritized work over family.

I wish you all the luck in the world. Do you believe in an afterlife?

Thanks! As far as an afterlife, I have no idea. I wish I could believe, but its hard to have faith when something so bad is thrown at you.

Did people start treating you differently after you were diagnosed? Aside from not having children, your biggest regret? Anything you are more determined to accomplish? Best of luck to you.

I get treated a lot different. At work they're afraid to ggive me projects, my friends and family get weird when yjey talk abour things in the future like weddings and holidays. Basically they handle me like I'm fragile. It sucks, the worst thing is to here "I'm so sorry" likes its there fault. I don't blame them, mean it tough when someone hears such bad news.

Besides kids, biggest regret is taking work so seriously. Its just a job. Altjough they're pretty cool to me since I've been sick.

As for plans, run the Spartan race next month and find a new short term goal and keep going.

My dads really good friend was diagnosed with colon cancer. He is well now. Best of luck!

Thanks, wish him the best

Just wanted to say you're awesome.

also will you be my friend? :D

Thanks and of course!

What were the symptoms? Any warning signs that your asshole body wanted to quit on you?

Also, stay strong homie.

Also also, grape or strawberry jam?

No symptoms other than I was constipated. It was a total surprise.

Grape for sure!

Fuck that's early. Did you ever get digital rectal exam or colonoscopy? I know they aren't indicated in your age group.

No, they don't start that until 50 unless you have family history. And I had no symptoms

I sincerely hope your treatments work out for you, but I've always been curious, and am sorry to be so macabre, but I've never really spoken with anyone who was in a similar situation. I've heard it described in interviews and such, but shat's it truly like coming to terms with your death? How is your family taking it?

I haven't come to terms yet, call it optimism or denial if you want, but I think I'm gonna get better.

My gf took it really hard at first, but is positive now. My family thinks I'm going to die any minute, kind of crazy

What sort of liver cancer is it? There's a lot of different types of hepatic cancers.

Its actually colon cancer that metastasized in the liver.

Are you a fan of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones?

My favorite band, I missed the hometown throwdown this year because of this stupid cancer

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm a fan of theirs, too. Reddit, we should try and get in touch with the bosstones and see if they'd be willing to do something special for this person.

A show anywhere on the weat xoast would be awesome

Just wanted to say stay strong and keep fighting. My Mom had colon cancer which then spread to her ovaries and liver so I know how hard it can be to keep your head up and keep going at times. It sounds like you have amazing support though which is one of the best things you can have. I wish the very best for you and stay positive!

Thanks!

How were you first diagnosed? What made you go to the doctor?

I was constipated, nothing exciting. It turned out I was fully blocked by the tumor. No other symptoms

Are you Russian, because this sounds exactly like a family friend...

Polish

Have you considered alternative treatments?

Yes and no. I mean if there's data to support something I'll try it. I wouldn't shy away from conventional treatment, but I'm open to trying things in parallel

I'm confused as to how somebody with severe cancer is not eligible for surgery; why? And, more importantly, who the fuck gets to play God?

The problem is where the tumors are located on the liver. If they can't get it our with clear margins and leave enough for you to survive, they can't operate. Thats the super short answer.

Any thoughts on cryopreservation?

http://www.alcor.org/

And be like Philip J Fry?

[deleted]

Tough to say, I got into a clinical trial, so I got radioactive spheres injected in my liver as well as chemo. I should know in a few months if I bexome a candidate for surgery again.

best of luck to you - hey, m or f?

I'm a guy. Thanks, I'll need the luck!

Hey man wishing you the best of luck, sounds pretty horrifying to discover something like that at such a young age. colon cancer runs in my family so i get to look forward to stressing the same thing, with colonoscopies once i hit 30 i believe.

On another note, if you don't believe your doctor is getting the results you want, there are alternatives you can do yourself. look into http://phoenixtears.ca/ ... marijuana may not be your thing but in matter like this it may be worth a try.. why not exhaust every outlet you have to try and overcome it, ya know? on top of this, try juicing daily. lots of fresh berries and dark leafy greens, get some spirulina, all that good super food stuff. hit it as hard as you can right now with everything you have, the sooner the better.

I've never smoked it before, but I already applied for my medical marijuana card here in AZ.