marco ------------ polo

First off, I would like to apologize. I wanted to contact each of you individually with this news. It seems so impersonal to hear it from a blog. I tried to get as many as you as I could but it got exhausting. On top of that, the radiation simply wipes me out. It's the worst side effect. I'm sure you all understand.

The news is this; the cancer has spread. They found signs in my liver and in my lungs. All involved believe it is the original colon cancer just going for a road trip, not new cancer springing up. To be honest, even though my oncologist explained that to me a million times, I'm still not sure if that is good or bad. Marie, please don't try and explain it to me, just let me wallow for a while.

As we were discovering the existence of this other cancer, my pain management doctor was tying to determine the cause of an excruciating pain I've been having for the last couple of months now. He and my oncologist felt that a small node on my hip may be the culprit. They both believed that by shrinking the tumor they could eradicate the pain. I agreed to go along with it, the pain I was experiencing was excruciating. It was mostly in my belly but it would also spread to my lower back. It would keep me up at night, wake me from a sound sleep, prevent me from standing straight. We had tried so many other remedies and it seemed to me we were getting to the end of the rope.

Next week, Tuesday the 16th, I will start chemo. Chemo will be once a week, radiation will be once a week.

and oh.....apparently I quit smoking. keep your fingers crossed for that one.

Love you all!

Billy

Sing a song of six pence

Just a quick update. I have good days and bad days. I think right now they even each other out. My biggest problems at the moment are nausea and pain. Next Thursday I will meet with my pain management doctor and discuss some options. I will also be meeting with my oncologist. Chances are I will start chemo. yipppeeeee! ok, more later.

lemme esplain. no. will take too long. lemme sum up..

I will post my blog at billyscolon.blogspot.com. It will automatically be coppied to my "Notes" section on Facebook. On Facebook it will be abreviated though. To read the entire thing you will have to click the link which says "View Original Post", and it will bring you to the entire post.

So much has happened since the last time I've posted on this blog. There is a lot to cover. For now I'm just going to give a clear summary so that we can all get caught up.

At the begining of March I came into Hackensack Hospital with severe abdominal pain and vommitting. The pain and vommitting had been going on for a while. I had been in and out of the hospital 3 times in the months previous. Each time I was just givin fluid, monitored for a while and then sent home. This time the doctors wanted to spend more effort figuring out what was goiong on. After a few scans and x-rays there was nothing obvious. But then my surgeon revisited a previous cat scan and noticed some groth near my hip. He suspected it might either be an infection or may be more cancer. Plus there were some enlarged lymph nodes which were most likely cancer. He ordered a bone biopsy and it came back as positive for cancer. It's not bone cancer, simply colon cancer left over, in tissue formed around the hip bone. We decicded to go with some surgery. The best case scenario would be that the cancer was not involved with any organ or intestine and the surgeon would be able to remove it. Also he would be able to reverse the ostomy I had done last September. The worst case scenario would be that the tumors are too involoved with tissue and removal would be extremely risky to remove.

And which case would it be? hmmmmm? let's see??? Billy............cancer.....hmmmmmm??? Yup, it was the latter. The tumors are too close to the intestines and the blood supply for them. He decided to just clean up some scar tissue an close me back up.

So now I'm in the hospital recovering. Just resting up and hoping I'll be able to hold down food. Once that goal is met I'll be heading home and will begin a new chemo treatment very soon.

Physically, that is where I'm at. Emotionally and phychologically are something completely different. Stand by for that roller coaster...