Quick Update

Phew!!! I am finally feeling better!

Yesterday morning was a bit nerve-wracking since I had more really strange neuropathy symptoms. Specifically, my fingers (which in the days prior just felt really tight and tense) began cramping up to the point that I couldn't move my thumbs or index fingers for a couple minutes; they would literally freeze in place. I told my mom that I felt like I was getting a taste of what arthritis must feel like. My hands literally would deform into these weird positions that looked like an old woman's hands!! It was so strange and obviously really alarming to me, so I called my doctor again. Before he was able to call me back, though, I spoke with a friend of mine, Elizabeth. A mutual friend introduced Elizabeth and I when she learned of my diagnosis since our stories are very similar. Elizabeth was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer a couple years ago and underwent chemo, radiation, even more complicated surgery than mine, and FOLFOX. She is now cancer-free and has been so for about a year. Needless to say, she has been such a wonderful resource and incredible inspiration to me through this whole process!! (Thank you, Elizabeth -- you are the BEST!!)

Ironically, Elizabeth has another friend (also a young mom in her 30's) who is being treated for stage 3 colorectal cancer. Her friend, Elika, is about a month ahead of me in treatment and so Elizabeth has been counseling both of us simultaneously. Anyway, Elizabeth confirmed for me that, while she was undergoing treatment, she also had the strange finger cramping and she said that Elika has had it as well. She told me not to worry that it would go away -- phew, again! But she also shared with me that Elika's doctor decided to switch her medicine. She is now on a different protocol called FOLFIRI (I have no idea what this is, but am guessing that this might be what my doctor has in mind.) Apparently, Elika was also having the same chest cramps as I had earlier this week and her doctor decided that the FOLFOX was just hitting her too hard. Yep, I can relate!!

Anyway, I think that it's safe for me to say that I am now safely on the "upswing." I expect that I'll keep feeling a bit better each day and that the neuropathy will slowly fade (it's already much better this morning.) I meet with my oncologist again this coming Thursday so see what he recommends next, but I am guessing that he'll switch things around a bit. In the meantime, we have lots of family in town this weekend (Pete's cousin is getting married and so everyone flew in for the event) and so I have lots of wonderful family around to distract me from thinking about any lingering symptoms. :)