What works for me

I've had very good luck with my treatment to date so wanted to lis some of the things I've done in case they might be of help. 1. The pre-surgery chemotherapy and radiation was really pretty easy. I'd heard most patients miss a treatment of two due to pain, mouth sores, etc., but I never had any of that. Some serious pain when having bowel movements the last two weeks, but that's just transitory pain. I think diet and attitude must have had a great deal to do with it (plus a little luck). 2. During that phase I made sure I ate something for breakfast (hadn't done that for 30 years). I found a banana and little cheese/pretzel packs were quick and easy. I ate more red meat than usual (had cut down some for heart health), and ate a lot of broccoli, drank orange juice, and in general tied to do thinks to keep by hemoglobin up. I also had an ice cream bar most days as well as an afternoon snack of some kind with protein. I never developed anemia, which I think is a major reason why I had such good pathology after. I gained two pounds over the six weeks. 3. I continued that diet after my surgeries and found the bananas tended to help with potassium levels as well slow down my stools, along with some Imodium, while I had the temporary illiostomy. 4. I've continued to eat well during folfox6, and I suspect that's why my blood work was so good yesterday. It's only the second treatment so we'll have to see how it goes later.

Treatment day ramblings

Had my second round of folfox6 today (my nurse told me she rarely sees hemoglobin readings above 15, so things are going well). The steroid shot continues to help on the nausea, but since I can get a little manic anyway - it tends to get me going. After my first treatment 2 weeks ago, I started this blog and two others. Today I've: 1. Sent a (probably too long) email to the Eagle in response to their invitation for local bloggers to tell them about their blog. 2. Sent my City Councilman an email in support of banning smoking in restaurants and bars. Set up a lunch date (fortunately he's a former coworker and friend of mine or he might have thought I was stalking him or something) 3. Sent a 3 page letter and resume to the local public television station in application for the vacant general manager position (not as bizarre as it seems since I was financial manager there in the early 80's). 4. Posted this and one other blog. Tomorrow I think I'll post things that have worked well for me during my treatments since last April. Maybe they can encourage some one else to research them, at reputable web sites, not blogs like this one, to see if they might help.

Reduce Chemo Chills

Here's a tip, particularly if your experiencing cold problems due to folfox6 treatment. (Although nearly everyone I see getting treatment seems chilled). I mentioned it to my oncology nurse, and she said she wasn't aware of it. 1. Get a heated mattress pad. The King size even has separate controls (both with timers) so your spouse can be cooler (or maybe warmer if menopause is involved!) 2. Turn that sucker on. You can find them at J.C. Penney, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Linens & Things. - look for sales. Penney's was recently $149 and Bed Bath & Beyond was $139, so I bought it. The next week Linens & Things had a sale for $98. Since I've always had some problems with extremely cold feet at times, this is the best I've slept since the heated waterbed days of my youth.

Blog from the late Joel Siegel

This is a link to a blog/letter from ABC News' Joel Siegel, who passed away earlier this year. Drives home the importance of getting scoped at 50. http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/full/10/7/558

Colonoscopies for newbies

First - it's no big deal. Many people say the preliminary "cleaning out" is terrible, but to me it was no worse than a slight case of intestinal flue, and certainly no worse than the IBS with diarrhea I'd had for years. Since the laxative isn't the most tasty drink in the world, I use the same method that enabled me to change my kid's diapers years ago without giving in to my extremely sensitive gag reflex, I stuffed tissue paper up my nose! When you can't smell, it deadens your sense of taste a great deal. During the colonoscopy itself you'll be in a "twilight sleep", which means you won't know a thing till you come to in the recovery room. All in all it's one of the easiest procedures I've had done.

Summary of rectal cancer

I found the following article from the World Journal of Gastroenerology a pretty good summary of current treatment for rectal cancer. It's titled Modern management of rectal cancer: a 2006 update and can be found at http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/abstract_en.asp?f=3186&v=12.

Recommended Colorectal Cancer Links

While I work on my editorial I thought I'd post some links. Most of them are also recommeded by Entertainment Industry Foundation (Katie Couric is very involved). Entertainment Industry Foundation - www.eifoundation.org - This site has a map you can click on to see if your state requires insurance companies to cover colonoscomies for 50 year olds and how to lobby your legislators if needed. American College of Gastroenterology - www.acg.gi.org American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - www.asge.org American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons - www.fascrs.org American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org Center for Disease Control - www.cdc.gov/screenforlife Cancer Research & Prevention Foundation - www.preventcancer.org Colon Cancer Alliance - www.ccalliance.org C3: Colon Cancer Coalition - www.c-three.org Colon Club - www.colonclub.com STOP Colon Rectal Cancer - www.coloncancerprevention.org Colon Cancer Network - www.colorectal-cancer.net National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship - www.cansearch.org Cancer Care - www.cancercare.org

Colonoscopies Save Lives

As a t3 rectal cancer patient starting 4 months of chemotherapy today, I want to see foundations and individuals do for colorectal cancer visability, funding, and research what the well publicized Susan Komen Race for a Cure has done for breast cancer. I don't begrudge them a thing, and admire their success, I just want to see a more effective effort on colorectal cancer.

Since their is no "pink ribbon, or other logo for colon cancer, I created the "scope at 50" logo myself. The round scope represents the shape of the colon, the scope lines are to represent the fact it is a scope (as in "I'm getting scoped Friday), and the target in the middle represents the fact the colorectal cancer could be targeting you if you're 50 or over.

I chose the tag line "Beat Colon Cancer" rather than the more typical "Fight Colon Cancer" because early detection in the polyp stage means one has beaten cancer before it even starts.

In addition to suggesting a more universal logo for colorectal cancer, I want to focus on two other areas:

1. Getting the word out to individuals to get scoped, it's painless and could save your life.

2. Getting individuals and others to lobby their state government to require insurance companies to approve a doctor's request for a colonoscopy for patients 50 or older - no ifs, ands, or butts (oops, buts).

My first steps are to figure out how to make it possible for anyone to downloand the new logo and add it to their email signature line, web site, letterhead, blog, facebook page, and any other location where it might influence people(I need a better image result than just having readers right-click and save a jpg). NEW - since this blog doesn't allow me to use a pdf image, I've added a link to my eccomerce site where the logo can be downloaded - www.numbersandletters.com

My second step is to try to get an editorial published in USA Today that outlines the above and what individuals can do to change things.

More on that later.