I lost my Mother & Sister to cancer. My Brother recently died and he had both emphysema and lung cancer. I have stage IV cancer. I had surgery for rectal cancer in 2012. 6 weeks of daily chemo and 6 weeks of daily radiation prior to surgery leaving me with only 1 1/4" of my rectum left. I was hospitalized for 23 days...5 days after surgery and 18 days a week later for complications from the surgery. Then 4 more months of chemo after surgery. Liver cancer was also discovered as well as spots on my lungs. 14 months later surgery for 2 fractured vertebrae in my back. Meanwhile the growth of present cancer seemed to be under control. Then approx 9 months ago, it appeared the cancer was no longer under control. Blood tests every 2-3 months showed it getting stronger. 7 weeks ago, they put me back on chemo again... pills this time. Then 3+ weeks ago, surgery for another fractured vertebrae, so now out of bowling until Oct 27 an then limited to 12# balls. Dr says I have 2 more vertebrae that will probably need fixed but can't fix them until they get worse.Thanks for that info. Cancer runs strong in my family... Colorectal got my grandpa and his son (mom's brother), lung got my mom and one of my aunts on dad's side. Pancreatic cancer got both my dad and his dad.
Basically, I get to look forward to my guts rotting out... somewhere around age of 63-67.
Every one of them went through basically the same routine... chemo, radiation, surgery in 3 cases, then gone in 12-18 months. I hate that fucking disease.