51. Chemo Husband: FIT as a fiddle

We've had a tense week in our house.  Correction: we've had a tense month.  After a 2 year interval, my husband sent his FIT stool sample in to the Screening Program for Colorectal Cancer  (read FIT Part 2 What went wrong) and the result came back as "abnormal".  Naturally we panicked.   He followed the usual enema protocol and went in for the subsequent colonoscopy yesterday.  We were bracing for the worst...  Imagine the consequences of him having colon cancer and needing chemo treatments also!  That meant... I would have to revert back to doing housework again:  cooking,  cleaning, laundry, vacuuming and so on instead of working on my blog!  Rats! 😖

Three small polyps were discovered, promptly removed and sent for pathology.  He has a follow-up appointment in 4 to 6 weeks, so we assume all is well.  It is recommended that he has a repeat colonoscopy in 3 to 5 years depending on the pathology report.

So I say: three cheers for the Screening Program!  Hip Hip Hurrah!  This greatly restores my faith that things can be caught at an early stage!  We are grateful!!!

If you know of anyone between the ages of 50 to 74 who is not participating, please tell them about the Screening Program for Colorectal Cancer and/or share my blog site.  I thank you!  And they may thank you in kind!

In the mean time I am doing some more digging/research.  That takes time.

No posts till Saturday, the "light" one that I promised.  And no posts on Friday.  What do you take me for?  A fool? Ha! Ha!😁😁😁 Take care!

50. Chemo and Jada Pinkett Smith

We were going to watch the Oscars on Sunday night, but switched to the women's curling instead.  So we did not hear about the "kerfuffle" between Will Smith and Chris Rock following Chris' remark till later on.  Now I like Will Smith, especially in the movies Hitch and The Pursuit of Happyness,  but Will is an actor after all, and some of his responses were, well ... .  No doubt some nervous tension played a role in the situation.  

For being so open about having alopecia, his wife Jada on the other hand deserves a standing ovation.  My father had alopecia.  He sported the Jean-Luc Picard-look and was not a least bit embarrassed about it.  My oldest brother also has alopecia and is very embarrassed and troubled by it.  And as for myself, I am heading in that direction due to the chemo.  I don't cover up my head at home or for close friends, but when I go into the public I do.  It is understandably harder on women than on men for all sorts of reasons.  So I admire Jada's courage and openness about this condition.  She is beautiful and seems to handle it with poise and grace!  She is a contemporary version of Nefertiti, queen of the ancient Egyptians!  Will did not rock.  Chris did not rock.  But Jada, she rocks!!!

49. Chemo A FIT Discovery

An interesting discovery on FIT...

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 northern territories.  12/13 have implemented the FIT screening test for their citizens;  Manitoba employs a slightly different test called FTg (fecal test guaiac).  With the exception of Manitoba and British Columbia, the FIT tests in Canada are supplied by 2 major manufacturers: Alfresa Pharma and Polymedco. (2016-2017)

Most types of cancer, including colorectal, have 4 stages, numbered 1 through 4, with stages 1 and 2 generally having the best survival rates.  The following data are taken from: www.canadianpartnershipagainstcancer.ca but dates unfortunately from 2016-2017.  Will try and find more recent, if available!

Province:    Stages 1 & 2      Stages 3 & 4

Alberta             57%                    43%

Saskatch           61%                   39%

Manitoba           65%                   35%

Ontario              56%                   44%

New Brunsw     60%                    40%

Nova Scotia       66%                   34%

Prince E I           63%                   38%

Newfdl + Lab     71%                   29%

Remember:  Stages 1 and 2 are generally better than 3 and 4:  so the higher the percentage in Stages 1 and 2, the "better"!  Data from BC,  Quebec and from the 3 Territories were not included.  So it got me wondering about what is happening in BC and about the Beckman Coulter Test used in Manitoba?  (worth digging into)  Notice that in the maritime provinces the cancer tends to get "caught" more at the earlier stages.  Notice the 10% difference between our province SK and NFL.  Population wise this could be a significant difference!  Why the difference, you ask?  Maybe because: Most provinces and territories require ONE sample collection for the FIT, with the exception of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador which require TWO!!  This may not be the only reason for the difference of course but I think it deserves mentioning!   Or perhaps we can attribute it to Newfoundland's famous screech? 😉 What do You think?

Back in a day or 2 and on a "lighter note"!😊

 

48. Chemo Boh-Ring...!

The other morning a psychological survey was mentioned on the radio about the 5 most boring occupations: cleaning was one of them (understandably! been there, doing it😒), another one accounting (I have half an Admin degree, but then switched into Education, also understandably), 2 others, I forget what they were, and data analysis.   Now you may beg to differ, but I happen to like data analysis.  From what I am told by my mother it began at a very young age.  When I was an infant lying in my crib, she would hand me some objects to keep me entertained.  And entertain they did!  For hours on end.  I would hold them, examine them, twist and turn them to the point of nausea!  Not so with my brothers!  They would barely glance at them, briefly chew on them and then quickly chuck them away as far as their little arms could throw.  So it won't be too much of a surprise to you then, that I have been delving and digging up some more information on the FIT testing.  Yes it involves some data (yawn) but it is interesting and deserves some further scrutiny!

 

47. Chemo Flandria

Dag Nederlandstaligen!   Chemo number 9 achter de rug.  Nog 3 te verwachten.  Alles gaat goed.  Hopelijk er nu rap "vanaf".  Lieve groeten!

46. Chemo Toxic Me!

But then I am not the only one in this household who has not been able to sleep lately.  I haven't seen hide nor hair of my husband in the last couple of days.  He disappeared into the basement with his pyjamas, tooth brush and a bowl of soup, after we learned that Omicron has been making the rounds among our friends.  He did not want to jeopardize my treatment! 😘 Another reason that he made himself scarce is that during each treatment and for two days afterwards, all my body fluids are considered toxic!  Never knew this before my treatment started.  So we are advised to not share a bathroom for the duration.  I keep all my clothes, facecloths, towels, etc.  in a big plastic bag and wash and triple rinse it separately.  Also the nurses in the clinic (plus Lani) wear a double layer of disposable gloves for some procedures.  If a chemo nurse is pregnant, she gets exempted from performing certain duties, much like if she were to work in a radiation department.  This whole business has got me a little worried because if the infusor bottle line around my neck should break, I could have something like a hazardous drug situation on my hands.  And the line has been snagging on door handles and cupboard knobs due to my not paying enough attention when I move around.  I wonder if it is a good idea to invest in a hazmat suit just in case? 😕

I have lost of other posts lined up but will take a break here.  Back say tomorrow?  Take care!

45. Chemo Brain on Steroids

I finished chemo number 9 and it went quite well!  In the clinic I casually mentioned to my nurse that I have trouble sleeping while on the drugs (Tuesday through Thursday) and she replied that it is because they mix steroids in with it (anti-nausea etc).   Oh, that would explain a thing or two, like the fact that I can not tolerate loud noises anymore or fast moving images on the TV for instance.  Even watching the Antiques Roadshow gives me a headache and zooms by at dizzying speed! What I found interesting on the outsmartcancer.ca website  was that with non-targeted cancer drugs, "less than 1% reaches the tumor, whereas 99% of the medication travels throughout the rest of the body thereby provoking undesirable side effects."  What, I wonder, would it then do to one's brain?  So, as a result, I have decided to not look nor work on my blog in the evening anymore, say after supper in order to give my noggin' more of a rest.  The blog has become more or less a full-time job!  Who knew?

44. Chemo Rectal Screening during the Middle Ages

Yes, a bit crude, I know!

Rectal screening during the Middle Ages 

"Dammit Gregorius!  What's the matter? Can't you read?  It says to use the Other End!"

"Potverdorie Gregorius!  Kunt ge niet lezen misschien?  Er staat geschreven dat ge het Andere Eind moet gebruiken!"

"Sacrebleu Gregorius!   N'es-tu pas capable de lire les renseignements qui indiquent d'utiliser l'autre bout?"

43. Chemo Number 9

I went for lab work this morning, kicking off chemo week number 9.  I am waiting for the results available on-line but know it is pretty much a "go".   A little "pick-me-up"-per as a boost is needed.  Your readership for one definitely is an invaluable help, considering that my son advised me against starting a blog because "It is highly unlikely that people will be interested in what you have to say, Mom".  Really? Hmmm.  I also have for a while been pondering to shamelessly exploit our sweet, trusting dog Gemmie.  But since Valentine's Day, when I tried to get her to pose for a photo with some chocolate and plastic roses between her teeth, she has been indicating to leave her in peace and prefers to snooze on her pet bed instead.  Smart dog!  So I had another brainwave involving no human nor animal.  Feel free to indulge me and send the next post to as many people as you like!  I thank you in advance!

Back towards the end of the week when treatment number 9 will be all but a memory.  Take care!

When will the carnage in Ukraine stop? DJeeez Almighty!

42. Chemo Quintessential KnAdian Eh?

 Spring is just around the corner!  Huurah!  The sap is starting to run!  It's sugar maple time!

Our son was working in St. Catharine's, Ontario, at the time.  So my husband and I flew out there during spring break for a visit.  While exploring the surrounding area, we came across a maple syrup farm.  This we could simply not pass up: perfect timing!  My husband who was raised on a dairy farm was very impressed.  As it turned out, the owners had converted their dairy operation into a maple syrup business.  Instead of milking cows, they were milking trees!  Who could blame them: less work and definitely less chance of getting kicked in the head!  The old dairy barn was changed into partly a holding and processing facility for the maple sap, and partly a sugar shack for visitors.  Out in the bush, light blue plastic collection lines were replacing the good old maple buckets.  The lines ran from tree to tree on a gradual slope (gravity-fed) towards a collection tank on the bottom of the hill.  Every half hour or so, the sap was transferred into a tank on the back of a truck and hauled back to the farm.  The only problem with the collection lines was that some clever squirrels would chew through the lines from time to time in order to get to the juice inside!  These days the sap gets boiled down for the amusement of visitors mostly, whereas in actual fact a method called reverse osmosis is more commonly used.  This requires more equipment, but also a lot less time.

After the tour we got treated to some scrumptious pancakes smothered in of course... maple syrup!   Mmmm!  Delish!

Back tomorrow!

41. Chemo Dogsledding

Have you ever picked up a brochure glorifying some sunny destination, only to find out that when you get there, it also rains?...(un)foreseen circumstances...

Years back I had a teaching position at Prince Albert, SK, a city on the edge of the boreal forest, with an abundance of picturesque lakes in the surrounding area.  One weekend, about this time of year, my husband drove up and we decided to roam the countryside.  Stopping for coffee at a roadside cafe, we noticed a brochure for dogsledding and called the number.  We were in luck!  Yes, they could accommodate us for a short trip.  Upon arrival we found a pandemonium of extremely excited dogs all over the yard.  8 of them were quickly hitched up to our sled, in 2 by 2 fashion.  Then my husband and I sat down in the sled,  me in front leaning against his chest and knees.  The guide was standing on the runners in the back.  And off we were!!!   On the trail the dogs immediately went quiet and peacefully pulled the sled.  It was as if we were gliding on a cloud, a most heavenly feeling hard to put to words!  On the return trip, the first pair of dogs set a much higher pace because they knew that they were going to get a tasty treat at home.  But all of a sudden the dog closest to me started to lift one hind leg and I realized to my horror that he was about to do his "business".  With no screen and no body in front of me I squeezed my eyes and mouth tightly shut as the little brown ping-pong balls came shooting out in all directions.  Since none of the other dogs nor the guide for that matter took a moment's notice, this poor dog was dragged along on his 3 other legs.  No easy feat!

So here is my advice to you:  Yes, by all means try mushing.  I do not think that you will regret this experience.  However, don't throw out your covid masks and facial screens just yet! You may come across:  (un)foreseen circumstances!

Tomorrow another post on spring.  Till then!

40. Chemo Courage

I'll be honest.  After I got my diagnosis, I lost it and caved in like a house of cards.  I wish I had known then about the response to their cancer diagnoses of the following two awesome ladies: Karen D. and Peggy O.  It might have made all the difference to me!

I have known Karen for a number of years and had heard that she had been treated for cancer some time back.  This winter I ran into her and we renewed contact.  She was in my shoes a number of years ago and has been doing well for about 3 years now.  She is a great resource and inspiration to me.  Here is how she reacted to her cancer diagnosis:  "I don't have time for this!"   Her doctor sat there stunned and did not know how to respond!  A great, no a terrific reply!!!

I met Peggy at the cancer clinic.  Going by all outward appearances you'd be easily fooled:  she is petite, quiet and seems frail.  But make no mistake about it, she is a powerhouse!  She was diagnosed as having "3 months to live".  That was 6 to 7 years ago!  Her reaction to her diagnosis:  "That is NOT going to work for me!"  Oncologist: "What do you mean?"  Peggy: "I have grandchildren that I am going to see grow up!"  Peggy has 5 grandchildren that were quite young at the time.   WOW!!!  What a lady!

Now that is Courage with a capital C!  Not that these ladies were in denial.  They were just not going to let the disease define nor slow them down.  Kudos to them! 

I think this song is tailor-made for them: Let 'em talk  by Rosie and the Riveters:    exactly that!

Back in a couple of days with some musings on spring, finally! 😉  Take care!

 

39. Chemo Getting a Colonoscopy

So I received the abnormal FIT test result letter on June 10th, 2021 and was promptly scheduled for a colonoscopy one month later which, being in the midst of a pandemic, turned out to be a very short wait time indeed!  I was very lucky that way!!

Colonoscopies are considered the "gold standard" for colorectal screening.  They may not only detect cancer but other colonic anomalies as well.  If small polyps are discovered, they simply will be removed; larger ones  get sent to a lab for a biopsy.

For the patient, the worst part is that you have to completely empty your bowels in preparation for the procedure.  Your endoscopist will send you a letter outlining how to follow a special diet.  Follow his or her instructions to a T.  There are small variations on this, so I won't elaborate here.  The worst part of the diet is that 24 hours before the procedure you have to drink a laxative solution, consume mostly liquids only and go to the bathroom often.  Most people find this the hardest part to endure.

When you go into the operating room you will meet the team, a very kind, knowledgeable and experienced group of people and you may receive a sedative or a very light form of anesthesia.  

In my case I was anesthetised and came to, after what seemed to be a very refreshing short nap.  If there is any discomfort afterwards, it may be from a wee bit of gas to open up the pipes a bit, so that the endoscopist can have an extremely good look around.  As a result you may feel a bit gassy for a day or two, but no doubt, you will come out "squeeky clean".   (More than 95% of people referred for colonoscopy do not have cancer, according to the Screening Program.)

 What happened in my case was that I went into the procedure with one endoscopist, but when I came to, a different young man appeared by my side.  He was friendly and introduced himself as being a surgeon and we chitchatted a bit.  He said he was going to take over my case and then came the three dreaded words that no one wants to hear: "You have cancer".

38. Chemo and Fluffy the Cat

 This winter I had to go for after-care to a clinic in a small town.  While I was waiting in the foyer I noticed an empty community billboard on the wall.  A perfect place to attach a poster for my blog I thought!  So I asked the admin office if I could put up information on a blog about having colorectal cancer.  I was told that I was allowed to put up a poster on knitting, crocheting or Fluffy the missing cat, anything, as long as it had nothing to do with health. That's too funny!!!  😂😂😂

So I have to rely on you, good people, to spread the word!  A round of bisous for all!

37. Chemo The Murky Period

I wish I could be more specific about the time between my positive FIT test letter and the subsequent colonoscopy.  But it all is muddled and murky to me.  You see, I had been losing more and more (invisible) blood and was suffering from Iron Deficiency Anemia without knowing it.  IDA is a condition caused by low levels of iron in the blood due to blood loss.  As a result I was constantly tired, lightheaded, dizzy, short of breath and close to passing out.  I also was still walking with the local women's club.  And it was during several of these early morning walks that I had the most peculiar sensation: I just wanted to lie face down on the ground and rest.  Later on I discovered that in some cultures people crave and eat clay or dirt when they experience a lack of iron in their diet!  That is not an unusual occurrence! 

36. Chemo Broccoli Anyone?

When you are a chemo patient and your immunity is low, you are advised NOT to eat any raw veggies or fruit that you can't peel.  So here is a recipe I thought I'd share with you.  Made it yesterday.  A healthy snack.  Enjoy!

33    Broccoli Bites – A Savory Treat

Ingredients:                                                                                                 

4 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped                                                                                    

1 small or medium onion, finely chopped                                                                        

2 garlic cloves, chopped                                                                                                         

1 TBsp of olive oil                                                                                                                     

3 eggs

¾ c flour                                                                       

1 cup shredded cheese, any kind  you like

Pepper and salt to taste

Equipment: mixing bowls, skillet or frying pan, baking sheet

Rinse and chop up the broccoli, the onion and garlic.  Heat the oil in the skillet or frying pan.  Add the chopped onion and garlic first.   Fry till golden brown.  Add the broccoli and a bit more oil if needed.  Fry until the broccoli is fairly soft.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.  Add the flour and the shredded cheese.  Add the cold broccoli mixture.  Mix well.  Form patties with your hands or use a spoon.  The patties don’t have to be perfect in shape, but the mass does have to stick together.  Make roughly a dozen patties.  Arrange them on the baking sheet so that they do not touch each other.  If the baking sheet does not have a non-stick coating you can line it with parchment paper.  Alternatively, you could spoon the mixture into aluminum muffin tins.

Preheat your oven to 400F.  Bake on the middle rack for about 15 minutes.  Then flip the patties and bake for another 10 minutes.  Take out of the oven and let cool.  They will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, or in the freezer for a week to 10 days.

Makes roughly 12 patties      Serve with a dipping sauce if you find them too dry.

Adapted from Ceri Marsh’s recipe in The Costco Connection, July/August 2017

Tomorrow a post on the "murky" time between the FIT letter and my colonoscopy.

35. Chemo "Knife"

I felt so good yesterday and my hands were working so well that I did some cooking.  I cut myself slightly with a knife without realizing it.  The cut was not bad but I do have to be diligent about not getting an infection.  It reminded me of the popular Australian movie from the 80's called "Crocodile Dundee" where the main character produces a machete and says to his would-be robber who is wielding a pocket-knife: "That's not a knife.  This is a knife."  Which in turn reminded me of, when my dear friend Myriam S. and I were touring a medieval castle and came across this "knife".

I wonder if any of the medieval knights ever ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome?

34. Chemo Neuropathy/Nerve Damage

I have been asked about the side effects with chemo.  No, thankfully, I do not suffer from nausea, vomiting or heartburn!  I take medication for that.  The worst side effects are caused by neuropathy in my hands and face.  Not much in my feet thus far.  This is what neuropathy in my hands and fingers looks like:

This is what it feels like: notice that my fingertips are red and "prunish".  Imagine soaking your hands and fingers in a bath of lye for a long time.  Then try  to hold objects, especially cold objects or even worse, cold metal objects like utensils, etc.  Definitely Not Pleasant!  My palms feel like I have been holding on to a sisal rope for the better part of the day, chafed like. I constantly wear mittens and gloves in the house.  The neuropathy in my face: a really, really cold tip of the nose, some difficulty chewing (it hurts initially, then slowly diminishes) and swallowing and it is painful to cry, so I don't.  There is medication for neuropathy.  But for the time being I am holding off till I find out if it helps or not.

In the meantime, I am doing better as far as nerve damage is concerned because my oncologist finally agreed to reduce the oxaliplatin dose in an attempt to prevent long-term side effects.  Youhou!!! And it seems to make a bit of a difference already!! 

In all, I have had a good week!  Take it away Justin Timberlake with:  Can't stop the feeling    very uplifting, gives a real boost

 Back in a day or two!  Take care!

33. Update on FIT Part 4 - March 2nd

Updated post on hysterectomy!  It was missing some information.  Thanks to Mary who pointed it out!!

32. Chemo Dag Allemaal!

Het gaat terug goed met me.  Heb 2/3 van de chemo achter de rug.  Dus er komt schot in de zaak.  Joepie!  Ik ben er heel blij mee!  Bedankt om aan mij te denken!  Moest je de Engelstalige "posts" lezen, dan leer je nog wat Engels erbij! 😉  Tot later!

31. Chemo Books

I very much like to read humorous books when I go for treatment.  For me there is no better book companion than the American author Bill Bryson.  I just can't get enough of the guy's travel literature and read them often.  Although I enjoy all his travel books, "A walk in the woods" is my favorite.   I will sit in my chemo chair in the clinic and just start laughing out loud.  When the clinic staff hears me laugh, they get in a better mood too and start laughing also, I have noticed.  A great mood enhancer for everyone!  😆😆😆

30. Treatment number 8

 So far, so Good!

Monday morning my treatment week number 8 began.  Like usual, I went to my home-care nurse Lani at the local small hospital for bloodwork, which she did before starting her regular shift.  She is a Gem!  Monday evenings I take a laxative, which I will take every evening this week.  No one phoned this time about a Covid screening.  They are short staffed.

Tuesday morning we awoke to another snow storm, but Dave drove slowly and managed to get us into the city without hitting the ditch.  We were hoping that because of the weather, there would have been patient cancellations, but all the chairs were filled already.  It was very busy.  They found a spot for me in a cubicle, all by myself.  The only company was my attending nurse who popped in off and on when needed.  Luckily I had a good book stashed away in my chemo bag and my husband had made me lunch and a snack.  So I was set.  I had to wait for the chemo drugs to be made up however.  The pharmacy does not prepare them till you get there, in case there is a cancellation.  It is just too expensive I am told; thousands of dollars per treatment.  My particular treatment is called FOLFOX and is given as first-line treatment for colorectal cancer.  It consists of oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil.  The first 2 drugs I receive intravenously at the clinic and I get sent home with the infusor-bottle of fluorouracil dripping into me for 2 more days, replacing a further 2 day hospital-stay.  During treatments 1 through 7, I have been receiving the maximum dose for my body weight and mass.  Luckily I was finally able to have a personal visit with my oncologist last week (haven't seen her since chemo begun) and we mutually decided to reduce the oxaliplatin dose one notch, so that I would have fewer side effects in the long run.  What a relief!  I have been nagging about this to the chemo nurse since after Christmas!  We also decided to keep the same original dose of fluorouracil as long as my heart will tolerate it.  So, so far, so good!  I have had a good treatment nr 8.  2/3 done!!! I am happy, happy, happy.  Thank You for all your good wishes, prayers and good vibes!!!    I'll get by with a little help from my friends by the Beatles; says it all!  Oh, and Lani got rid of my infusor bottle this morning.  Double, triple YEAH!!!

29. Chemo FIT Part 7 Hemoglobin detection

As you recall, FIT detects blood in your stool, except that you may not be bleeding at the time you are collecting the sample.  Here is a recount of what happened to me with the FIT test last year, which was positive.

I received the kit in the mail around February 2021, (don't recall exactly because I did not keep a log at the time.)   It sat around for a while, till I finally decided to send it in to the lab in late May.  That, I remember vividly because my husband went on a fishing trip then and I was suffering from a BAD case of sciatica when he was gone. This case of sciatica was really bad.  So I did what I normally do when this strikes;  I take Robaxacet.  Except that supplies were still pretty low last year.   I could not find the usual Robaxacet, but found and bought Robaxisal instead (active ingredients in each caplet: (ASA) 500mg (NSAID) and methocarbamol 400 mg).  I took that medication for at least one week, but no more than the maximum recommended dose.  That was when I sent my stool sample in.  Now you may think I have gone off my rocker and I do not claim this to be gospel, but somehow I can not help but wonder if this medication helped the bleeding of the tumor? And resulted in a positive FIT test. Could there be something to it?  Possible.  Because on the package it says: do not use if you have or had an ulcer, are prone to bleeding; may cause severe bleeding, etc.  Could it just be a co-incidence? Also possible.  Maybe the tumor was close to bleeding anyway.  But so late in the game?  I shudder to think of it that I might have sent it in right away in February when I had no sciatica and possibly no blood might have been detected then.  Yikes!  I have some well meaning people point out to me that it probably was an aggressive tumor, but that is not what the biopsy report stated.  It states a Grade 2 tumor, Grade 1 being least aggressive, Grade 4 the most.  So it may have been hanging around for a (long) while without being detected.  Just unluck of the draw i.o.w. just bad timing?  Who knows?  What I also do remember is that after the sciatica episode, I became progressively more and more anemic as a result of blood loss, without me being aware of it.  But more about that another time.  Enough food for thought here. 

I may be back tomorrow.  I had a great treatment yesterday, which I need to write about.  And hardly any neuropathy!!  I can use my hands!!!  YEAH!!!!!!

28. Chemo FIT Part 6 More on Gender

If you read the last part of Fit (Part 4) you might recall that I touched briefly on gender differences.  Turns out something might be up with that.  I am relying on https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5415207 for the following information.  The title is Fecal Immunochemical test-based colorectal cancer screening: The gender dilemma.  (2017)   I quote: "Differences in FIT screening between men and women can be explained by a combination of factors.  It has been suggested that because men have a higher hemoglobin concentration in general, blood from bleeding polyps will contain more hemoglobin.  As FIT specifically detects globin in feces, blood from these polyps could be detected more frequently in men.  This is supported by the fact that differences in fecal Hb concentration have been found in men and women. 

 A second explanation could be that women have more right-sided lesions, as it is known that fecal occult blood testing may not be as sensitive for proximal lesions as it is for distal lesions.  Yet our data did not show differences in location of advanced neoplasia (AN) between men and women.

Another reason for gender differences in FIT test characteristics could be the differences in colonic transit time between men and women, with women having slower transit times.  A slower transit time could lead to more degradation of hemoglobin and could decrease the likelihood of blood being detected by FIT.  ...

In absolute numbers, more advanced neoplasia are detected and missed in men for all cut-offs (of detection).  Adjusting cut-offs based on gender can contribute to the efficacy of FIT-based CRC screening programs and optimize the use of available endoscopy resources.  At present, men and women are informed in the same manner about FIT-based Colorectal Screening. ...  Individuals invited to attend a FIT-based CRC screening should be informed accordingly about these gender differences." End of quote.  (I could not find a copyright so presume it is all right to quote.)

Biomedical research has demonstrated biological differences between females and males in virtually every organ and system of the body. Research has also revealed the genetic and molecular basis of a number of gender-based differences in health and disease, some of which are related to genotype — XX in the female and XY in the male.

These findings suggest that there are multiple differences in the basic cellular biochemistry of males and females that can affect an individual's health. Many of these differences do not arise from differences in the hormonal regime to which males and females are exposed, but are a direct result of the genetic differences between the two sexes.

Further studies on the relative roles of the sex chromosome genes is likely to illuminate the reasons for expression of some diseases within and between the sexes. Understanding the bases of these gender-based differences is also important for the development of new approaches to disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

source: ncbi-nlm-nih.gov

27. Chemo British

Attending high school in Belgium, we had an English teacher who spoke with a decidedly British accent, had us study British authors, vocabulary and idioms.   So watching a British movie on Netflix the other night, one of the characters in the movie uttered a typical British expression which triggered this memory...

Many years ago, I, like many newcomers to Canada, upgraded my skills during the day, and worked in a hotel during the evening.  One of the perks of working in the hotel was being provided with supper during a break.  So one evening I met up with a co-worker who was having boyfriend troubles:  she thought he might be cheating on her, he was constantly borrowing money and never paid it back, etc.  But she still loved him.  She was torn.  When my break was over and before exiting the cafeteria full of co-workers, it occurred to me that I should say something to cheer her up.  So I shouted across the room: "Hey, Laura-Mae, keep your pecker up!!!"  The room went dead quiet.  You could have heard a toothpick drop.  Then, to my consternation, everyone started laughing.  I was quite taken aback till a kind older woman mumbled: "A pecker is a penis dear"...  I was more than just a bit embarrassed!

Going into treatment number 8 next week, I need something to psych me up.  So I have decided to say to myself: "Irm, keep your pecker up!"  No matter the meaning, for me, this expression, hands down, carries more weight than the lame "Keep your spirits up!"  😉😊

26. Chemo International

A big, no a HUGE, thank you to you, all the readers, mostly in Canada, but also in Belgium, the U.S., Mexico, Germany,  France, the U.K., Ireland, Sweden, the Phillipines, India and other countries not specified.  Rest assured, I do not know where you live.  I just know that these are countries where you, the readers originate!  I do not know how you found my blogsite, but you did, somehow.  So I am going to do my darndest to keep you interested by informing and entertaining you!  Colorectal cancer is prevalent all over the world.  There needs to be more emphasis on prevention.  Please spread the word!  Thank you!

Also, bisous to Diana D., John D., and Gloria for following me!  En voor Hilde en Karel!  Dat was een fijne verrassing!  Dank u!

Maybe later today the last post on FIT (finally).  And on Sunday an amusing post to psych myself up for next week.  I saw my oncologist yesterday who gave the go-ahead to resume chemo treatment next week.

 

25. Chemo FIT Part 5 Visible or Not

 To See or Not To See

That's the question.  I had vaguely been wondering if it was possible that, after the FIT test in 2019 came back negative,  and presumably I had a tumor already growing in me, it might have started bleeding after I had the FIT test done.  Turns out that it is very possible that at the time  you are dilligently collecting your stool sample it is not bleeding at all.   It could have been before and after and not during.  It even states that in the brochure "Understanding your FIT results" from SaskCancer.  "Polyps can develop over time and Bleed Intermittently, which is why you should complete the FIT every two years."  Intermittenly means "of" and "on".  Isn't that comforting to know?  Small wonder it wasn't caught earlier!

There's a bit more yet.  But I am very busy tomorrow.  Back on Friday.  Take care!

24. Chemo FIT Part 4 Gender differences and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Sorry folks, the colonoscopy part will have to wait a while because I am not done with FIT .  I do not have the answers I am looking for yet, but I think I am getting close(r).

So the screening program tests women and men aged 50 to 74.  It goes on the premise that "one size fits all".  Remember a while back when it suddenly came to light that women's bodies were not like men's and that women had very different symptoms than men concerning heart attacks?

Biomedical research has demonstrated biological differences between females and males in virtually every organ and system of the body. Research has also revealed the genetic and molecular basis of a number of gender-based differences in health and disease, some of which are related to genotype — XX in the female and XY in the male.

These findings suggest that there are multiple differences in the basic cellular biochemistry of males and females that can affect an individual's health. Many of these differences do not arise from differences in the hormonal regime to which males and females are exposed, but are a direct result of the genetic differences between the two sexes.

Further studies on the relative roles of the sex chromosome genes is likely to illuminate the reasons for expression of some diseases within and between the sexes. Understanding the bases of these gender-based differences is also important for the development of new approaches to disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.  Taken from: ncbi-nlm-nih.gov

Well, lately I have been wondering about a typical woman's problem.  Both Karen D. and myself had hysterectomies quite a while back (she at age 48, I at age 38) and were put on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) at some point in time.  We also went off the treatment about 5 years ago because there was some controversy over whether or not it was contributing to breast cancer.  I went on the ncbi.nlm.nih.gov website from the U.S. and found at least 2 scientific papers that state that estrogen and HRT give protection against colorectal cancer.  Isn't that interesting?  So you are trying to prevent one cancer and unknowingly end up with another one.  Please check out the website if it interests you.  I am not a scientist.  If you can make any sense of all the information on estrogen and how it relates to all the different cancers I would like to hear about it because it is confusing at best!  In short: a continued estrogen supply might have given both Karen and I some better protection.  

I added this today, April 21, 2022:

"Epidemiological data and finding of a significant reduction in colon cancer risk related to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and in particular the length of HRT, indicate that progesterone/progestins have a preventative effect.  This has NOT been shown with postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) alone. (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.gov/17943538)

"Clinical studies indicate that the incidence of colon cancer is lower in women than in men and data from the Women's Health Intitiave (WHI) indicate a significantly reduced incidence of colon cancer in postmenopausal women receiving combined HRT: estrogen PLUS progestin.  (source: ncbi.nlm.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2373424)

I should add that I had been on PREMARIN, which contained only estrogen to my knowledge and no progestins, as was recommended for women who had had a hysterectomy at that time.  If you were put on HRT without having had a hysterectomy you may have had the combined HRT: estrogen and progesterone.  Worth checking into I think.

Also, Margaret, a walking buddy from the Women's Walking Club, had some form of natural HRT prescribed by her doctor and seems fine.  She is also in her 60's.  Coincidence?