Chemotherapy for Stage IV
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Thank you! I will do that.
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Great news lily!
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LilyLady, Yipeee! The SEs we have don't seem nearly as bad when we get the wonderful news that the chemo worked. Congratulations!
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I am so happy to hear about the good news sister... Wonderful that the chemo is working.....
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Any advice? I hate to whine.... This Doxil is kicking my butt. So easy on maintenance Abraxane, I forgot what chemotherapy malaise felt like. Didn't most of you say Doxil was easy? Need some encouragement/ advice please. Had only my second Tx 5 days ago, surprised I feel so yucky. My family is used to me smiling. Not so much now.
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Doxil..... anyone care to share?
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Sorry Kathy, can't help you but to tell you hope it gets better for you.
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Marie, thx for the bio. Are you still in shock. Btw I used to live in palmyra, nj. That's quite a bundle you've been handed, my dear. ~~~~~. Kathy
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klo, Sorry I know nothing about doxil. I find it amazing that you were on abraxane and thought it easy!! That was the one that about did me in and my nails almost 2 yrs later are still not back to normal. Chemo really is different for each of us. I hope the doxil gets better.....tomorrow I am going for my 4th halaven and I will see if any of my friends in the treatment room know about it. The dreaded neulasta shot will be on Thurs, but this time I am going to take my claritin in advance so am hoping that will make things easier.
I am editing this a few mins later to say that I put doxil in seach and quite a few posts came up from women on the boards who are doing or have been on doxil....try doing that and maybe you can get some tips from them on how to deal with the SEs.
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Oh Marybe, you have The Shot. why is there still the shot.... Surely that will evolve into something less like torture. bless your perseverance. Good role model. @}----- (that's a flower.... = )
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Kathy,
I thought that I answered this in my PM because I thought I read it in yours (chemo brain). But I think that I'm not really in shock anymore - the reality is just starting to set in (and it's scary). YW for the bio, but as you can see from my PM and other posts I suffer from the inability to be brief in my written communications
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Hi ladies, how are you all doing?
I have been out for a while......starting to love the weather here in calgary, pretty much getting busy with the yard and buying stuff.....
Some updates.....yesterday was my 4rth cycle of FEC.....2 more cycle and I am done....I am just not happy with the result of my bone scan.....seems like FEC is only working on my liver.....we'll see....my ONCO said he will get a second opinion on my bone scan result...she seems not convinced that the BONE SCAN result is right, because the blood work on my bones seems to go down from the previous one. I am keeping my fingers crossed hoping she is right....or else these tumor is going to eat up all of me :-(.....it flares up like every part of my bones.....skull, neck, shoulder, hips, and every part of spine.....but makes me wonder I still have no pain from all of these....not even taking pain meds....I really hate this cancer :-(..
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Hi everyone - can I ask for you feedback on leg atrophy after a lot of chemo? I'm about to start my 5th chemo regime, and my legs just seem to be getting weaker and weaker. Is anyone else having this problem? I'm seeing my onc. in five days time and will bring it up with him but any feedback in the meantime would be welcome
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I've been researching my issue with "crazy cramps", and have discovered that there are a couple of neurological syndromes that can be caused by cancer.... "Isaacs Syndrome" and and "Stiff Man Syndrome", which are fairly rare and can cause muscle weakness. I found that when I was very inactive (due to my back reconstructive surgery), my legs got very weak due to a combination of the steroids, which caused some muscle atrophy, and the inactivity itself, which also caused atrophy. Exercise and physical therapy cured that problem. I would definitely tell your onc.
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I am wondering if anyone on the board has a PassPort( in their arm) vs a Port (in their chest).
I am researching getting a PassPort ( not a PICC line that hangs out) in my arm and would like any feedback,pros.cons.
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well well well -- My PET CT Scans came back clear -- I do not think it has sunk in my head yet!!
I have been fighting this battle since late 2007/early 2008 and I never had a clear PET CT Scan!! There was a lot of celebration ( eating and wine drinking) this weekend .
The PARP trial wants me to continue for 2 month for good measure -- so I will. I am scheduled to get the PORT a week from today. I will go ahead and get it in my upper chest wall and then will make the next 2 months easier for me and the nurses. I will then have a follow-up PET CT Scan for good measure again!
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Congratulations Dellmonica!!!! Now they are the kinds of scans we like to hear of!!!! Hope it continues in the same way for a long, long time.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Dellmonica, That is absolutely Fabulous news. Congratulations!
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So happy for you, dellmonica!!!
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Yo yo yo! Went to get Doxil today with a strong suspicion that I had cussing shingles - on my chest, in my mouth, and in the panty area, if you know what I'm saying. My brilliant MO came to see me and pronounced it "skin toxicity". Prednisone. Getting better already. Am I a little manic from the steroid premedication already? Maybe. House gets cleaned. The little things, right? ~~~
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Yay Kathy!!! So glad it wasn't shingles and you are getting relief! Always in this journey, the little things.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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K-Lo,
I can sing the Doxil blues with you. I was due for my fourth round today, (every 4 week schedule). I have had the most hideous skin reaction under my arms, between my legs plus hideous hand/foot. What a misery. My doc also gave my a dose of steroids late last week which did help a lot. My scan last week showed progression so I am off of it now. I don't know how I could have continued anyway. How do some people breeze through these drugs and for others it is hell. The only word I can use to explain how I felt on Doxil was "toxic" . I am happy to see it go, but upset that another chemo has failed. Hope you get continued relief. Mine is like a bad sunburn now and icky peeling skin. Isn't cancer lovely?
Best wishes
Suzanne
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Forgot to say, my husband loves it when I am on steroids. The house gets cleaned and decluttered. Plus I get to blame all my weight gain on them even though I only take them for a few days.
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Suzanne, The Doxil blues, finally company in specific misery! I felt like a mosquito bugging them: "um I have this huge raw ulcer inside my lip?". Yes, yes, use magic mouthwash. My MO is great but I have to break the firewall of nurses between us. Anyway, she thought herpes but yesterday took a good look and I sheepily told her about the lovely OTHER labial region...... Between her and Supportive care I should be getting better responses
Please tell me you're not working outside da home with all of this. I mean it sounds like a full time job to fight the fight and organize your medical saviors! Looking for good news from y'all! Hopes and hugs, kathy0 -
Sheesh, we get Doxil every 2 weeks down here, y'all. Lower dose prolly.
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Stage IV diagnosis Sept. 2010. I am on my 4th cocktail (1 was trail meds Dasatinib and Falsodex; 2 was Taxotere; 3rd was Xeloda and now am on new drug Eribulin). Unfortunately my body does not handle chemo very well and I am bombarded with side effects that my onco doesn't think are acceptable for quality of life. So I am on to the new Eribulin. Two weeks on one week off. The last chemo I was on, Xeloda, was showing shrinkage in alot of the tumors, but the side effects were so severe I had to stop. I am hopeful the the Eribulin will pick up where the Xeloda was - shrinking the tumors. Most often I feel well. I a few days here and there where I feel crappy but overall, so far, no real complaints with the new chemo. But then, I am only on my 2nd round.
Anyone out there on Eribulin? How are you doing with it?
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Welela sorry I can't help you but there's a bunch of ladies with experience with it. There's a thread on here in the stage IV forum titled Halaven - day 1 with a lot of info if you do a search. Hope you can get your answers.
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I just had a 2nd opinion consult with Dr. Joyce O'Shaunessey at Baylor/Dallas on Friday. Her number one recommended thing for me to try next is Avastin/Abraxane. Now, we all know that next week is the hearings on Avastin. I'm going to hit my insurance HARD on monday to find out if they are still paying for it; if I can get started before the final decision is made (3-4 months) I may be ok. Please wish me luck... she really thought it was the best choice for me now, and she is trestifying before the hearings this week.
I have been on Xeloda, Gemcetebine, and Navelbine; X and G didn't work at all, and Nav only worked for about 2 months. I really need something that is going to knock this stuff back and give me some time. I hope and pray that the Avastin hearings have enough public support from patients who have been on it to allow the FDA to let it 'ride' for a little longer before making a final decision.
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Good luck, Karen. It is hard for me to keep up with the studies and denials. In September, my MO said we would go with Avastin/Abraxane and within a week it was off the table. Maybe abraxane at least? It was good for me for a while and a "low side effect profile" Best wishes Kathy
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Aetna, my insuror, has approved the Avastin/Abraxane and I start Thursday!! I am so grateful!! I pray that the hearings allow the FDA to back off on it's hard stand and let us at least have access to this.
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