Recovery Time

Hi to all

It has been intersting for me to read the comments posted. I'm not sure why I didn't find this section when I first posed my question about chemo or not and only heard from Wendy and another person but I found it now. My husband is 74 and 8 weeks post op after receiving a neobladder. He starts chemo on Wednesday after some deliberation but sensing strong encouragement from our adult children, one of whom is a physician. He is allergic to Cipro and Levaquin so we are hoping for no infections. He had one uti a few weeks back that landed him in the hospital. Thanks for everyone's info.

Sam

Dear Wendy : Thank you so much for your encouraging note. The more I hear and the more I have read I believe I made the right decision. As you say there are always new drugs coming on the market that may be less toxic as the present regimen. I know people who have gone thru the chemo and have permanant nerve damage and kidney problems. However; I do feel that each person has to make there own decision. As a nutritionist I have always felt that the holistic approach should not be overlooked. Proper diet and a healthy life style is what I preach and what I practice. We appreciate all the help you have given to us and others. We recognize that over a thousand have viewed these postings. I hope it in some ways answers questions that concern them. We wish you a joyfull Christmas and a very healthy and happy New Year.
nanaca

Dear Nancy,

I support your decision as well. I was given similar stats after my mastectomy showed extensive lymph nodes involved. Like with you, the lymph nodes were removed.

My doctor told me chemo would add 10% to my 10 yr survival. It was recommended to me but I declined. I felt the odds weren't worth it, it's a very personal decision. I was 43 ...I did have other treatments instead, and they must have helped, they were hormonal blockades that causes early menopause. Breast cancer is often driven by estrogen. In fact I just read that one drug I used, Tamoxifen, is being tried for bladder cancer and showing a lot of promise in advanced disease.

I did not expect to be cancer free 7 years later, but that's the case. I wish you much quality time. Don't second guess yourself either.

I don't know how you feel, but I do feel as if I might consider chemo if the cancer recurred. I'd be past the 'curable' stage, but sometimes chemo shrinks tumors that cause distressive symptoms and sometimes it extends life in breast cancer pts. I will cross that bridge if and when I ever come to it. There's also the possibility I'd refuse it again.

There are new and interesting options coming down the pike, drugs other than chemos being tried for bladder cancer. In case of recurrence you could either choose for chemo (being chemo 'naive' helps, first-timers get better response) or get creative with some of the less toxic treatments being tried these days.

You may never need them. Surgery can be curative, even in advanced bladder cancer. It happens all the time, so why not with you?

Wishing you all the best,
Wendy

Nancy, Good to hear you are free of cancer and healing well. I agree with your decision to avoid chemo with it only being a 15% of keeping the cancer from returning. It is good your doctor was honest with you about those stats. Many people go through such a terrible quality of life for long periods of time with some of the chemo/radiation treatments and the threat of other physical problems as result of some treatments doubles the mental/emotional stress. Choose to believe and see yourself free of cancer from this point on.

In reading my post I saw I transposed the A & O in Shoba's name and did not spell quantity correctly. I used to be able to type as fast as I think but since my operation I find it more difficult and I also find myself transposing numbers. I wonder if so many hours under anesthesia does that. I think we have to learn to make adjustments in our lives and if you get monitered quarterly you can make your health care decisions in a timely manner. Quality of life is very important.
Jean

We seem to be the "elders" of this board so we have to stick around and keep these youngsters on the straight and narrow and watch them recover and live happy, healthy lives. So...I hope we have a lot of quanity with great quality. We can only live well, eat well, take good care and hope for the best. Then, like Shabo we can start painting our toenails. I will send you your first bottle of nail polish....just name your color.
With blessings and prayers...Jean