stage4's Cancer Blog
January 30, 2009
I haven’t posted anything in a long time. I have been traveling still. I plan one trip and come home and plan another. I think it helps keep me going. For Christmas, my family went to my moms in Oklahoma and believe it or not, I rode a horse. I hadn’t been on one since I was 12, but it came right back to me.
I am amazed that I am still alive and all my doctors are even more amazed.
Obviously, the big man upstairs must have something else for me to do.
The doctors said I would be gone by now, I have prepared myself to be gone by now and yet I wake up everyday.
In case there are any new readers-I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in July ‘05 that had already spread to the liver. According to the doctors at the time, my life expectancy was only 3-6 months.
On original diagnosis I had 5 surgeons tell me nothing could be done. Then I found a surgeon that would try. I had chemo to shrink the liver tumors and a liver surgery(approx 18 inch incision to do an RFA) it basically cooks the tumors. I had a total of 16 months of chemo treatment and 3 surgeries. 2 on the liver and 1 colon resection. I was cancer free for all of 3 to 6 mos then the tumors kept coming back. I had another surgery, this time a liver resection.
I quit chemo about a year and a half ago and did a clinical trial for colon cancer. That had no effect.
The latest and last scan I will have done show tumors all over the liver, the largest being about 9CM, and several in the lungs but so far they are staying small.
There is nothing left the doctors can do for me so I started having Hospice come every 2 weeks. It helps because I don’t need to go to doctors anymore and they deliver my meds and they are free. That really helps financially.
I am in some pain but not a lot. I sleep a lot and I am only active about 4 or 5 hours a day.
Since quitting chemo I have travelled all over the place and wrote a book based on my blog and several other survivors. It is called Cancer, Chemo and Beyond and is available through Amazon and the publisher lulu.com
I hope everyone is doing well
Donna
Hi Everyone-Yes, I am still Kicking-Long Post, 
9 comments)
Thanks for your support - 
Hey Donna, I’m a new blogger.. You sound great! “NO ONE” & I mean no one, but “THE MAN” knows what is in store for us. I try to LIVE everyday. Do things “I” want. Eat fatty foods, drink a drink or 2.But most of all I try to LAUGH A LOT! Here is a big “HUG” from me to you. Sandy
Donna,I to have a book, but have read Lulu till I’m blind?? Can You e me & help with info about what to & not to do. I’m at: barefoot39@att.net Going crazy trying to figure it all out. Also need info about your bk?? thanks, Sandy
Thanks for your update Donna! Glad you are doing well and still traveling that is awesome. Such an inspiration to everyone including my mom whom I blog for. Hang in there and keep having fun.
Sarah
Hey, Donna! So happy to hear from you! Keep kickin!
XOXOLisa
Hi Donna
Thanks for the post and I’m happy to hear you are travelling and having fun. It’s always nice to hear from someone with such a similar diagnosis to my Mom. I just wish she would reach a level of acceptance like you have where it inspires her to just embrace the time she has. She still sweats the small stuff. I think that could be why you are such a miracle! Our thoughts are with you and I hope you keep doing well and the pain stays away!
Hope faith and love is what makes the world go round and it sounds like you have embraced all three. Love and prayers
Tami
Donna; I appreciate your post as I was wondering how you were doing. You really do beat all. Your very positive attitude is what has kept you going, there is no doubt, and your courage to go ahead with all those surgeries. I mean who would do that? You have deserved to have this time on earth, much more than the Dr.’s predicted. You showed them and us that it can be done. Thank you Donna for your courage, showing us that any reasonable person can fight this cancer with dignity. I hope that the pain only stays where it is and that the meds you are getting are helping with that. You are so brave, so wonderful a person. I will for sure read your book. Please stay warm, and know that there are a whole lot of us here who are praying for your care.
Weezie
Hi there just received your book, I will read it and pass it on to the Cancer Center that I was treated at. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us here on the blog and the world.
Hug to you and yours
Hi Donna it’s Donna (Langlois). I was thinking about you and found your blog. How are you doing? You sure have been traveling. That is GREAT! Robbie has been in South Carolina since April. Sean and I are going to fly down on Sat the 13th and we’ll spend some time down there then we’ll all fly back together.
Will you be coming up to MI again any time soon? Let us know if you are. We’d like to see you.
Take care,
Donna