Chemotherapy for Stage IV
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Yay Michelle...a little good news better than none right? Praying all goes well with just the 50%!
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Everything is stable ... No progression! Yippee! I will stay on the taxol since it's doing it's job. I had a nice Benadryl nap during chemo. They made me stay a half hour and prove that I was wide awake before they would let me drive home. Guess I will take a driver next week.
Michelle, hope you have an easier time with the reduced dosage. I've heard that the transfusions are wonderful!
MemaSue, enjoy your vacation! Where did you say you were going? My brains just doesn't remember these things.
Any others with scan results to report? Seems like a couple of us were having them about the same time.0 -
I'll find out about my mri tomorrow and talk to radonc about radiation to tumor in breast seems like they might be growing again. am really nervous about this will update later love and blessings to all
chris
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Chris, of course you are nervous! I was awake til 5:30 this morning because I was so anxious about getting my CT report. I'm not sure if that part of it ever gets easier .... There's always that question in our minds .... Is this the time I'll get bad news? Being nervous about scans, PETs and MRI's goes with stage IV territory. Looking forward jto a good report from your oncologist! Hugs,
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Everbody seems to be having tests, good luck ladies...
my CT well since you asked, I am beyond pissed off.....I finally got the report at chemo today cause idiot family dr told me she was sending it to me and never got it....so they made a copy today......the report that she gave me said most were stable but 1, not true......also the inital recurrence was a mass on the chest wall (3 years ago) which is there, and you can feel it and see it....EVERY TIME I get a ct scan they never comment on it....I told idiot onc and he wrote on the script to pay attention to the right upper........well they did the friggin scan, never commented on it...I called him on thursday he said he would go to the radiologist and look at the scan with her.....so I go to chemo today and go to the office and get my chart and tell them to tell him to come and talk to me, well he went ON VACATION, are you kidding me, he never told me that, so I think I am going to have answers.....if they are not commenting on it how does he know wth it is doing and if the tax is working....venting thanks peeps....
am up cause they do give me benedryl as part of the regiment but I cant sleep in chemo, came home slept for 3 hours it is 606am and I have been up since 10pm, last night....steroids suck.....so I will be grumpy all day....lol
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I know all our treatments, oncs, ect are different, but I am curious how long after chemo/rads before you got your scans. I just started chemo in Jan, TAC every 3 weeks. My 4th infusion is next wed and my med onc is vague as to when I will have scans. He is so damn positive it almost makes me mad.... I want to know this is working. He just smiles,laughs and says it is too early...be patient. I trust him but i am still nervous. Hope everyone is well.
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Jena - my onc uses tumor markers (CA27.29 done at the end of each cycle) to track in between scans. I'll have a scan after completing 3 cycles. My tumor markers are very telling...I know for some people they don't provide good information.
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Thanks Luvrving...Unfortunately my tumor markers are low like I don't even have BC, much less bone mets. I will try to be patient..lol.
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It usually is every 3 months...tumor markers whenever....
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Glenna - WOO HOOO...that is great news!! Congrats!! I am jes thrilled for you. I can sooo relate to the mindmush. Can't believe how bad it has gotten lately. Guess it comes with the territory...I am in So California for a week and in AZ for a week. Then home for my scan on the 3rd.
Chris - been thinking and praying about/for you alllll day...Hope you got good news ((Chris))!
Blondie - I wud be doing a tap dance on someone's head for sure...WTF!!! How long is this idiot going to be gone? OOO I wanna scream for you!! I'll send my 'leg breakin' peeps up there to deal with your Docs if they don't get with the program and SOON dangit!! (((Blondie)))
Jena - I went and got my binder...I have copies of every test since starting this journey. I started TCH on May 23, '11 and 2nd full body nuclear scan was done on July 19 which showed the tx was working. That was after my 3rd treatment. Then another PET and CT on Sept 19 which was shortly after my last TCH (Sept 6). Then I went to testing every 3 mos....but blood work every 3 weeks, tumor markers don't mean much to my onco either. Lately blood work every 6 weeks as I have remained on herceptin every 3 wks and Xgeva (for my bone mets) every 6 weeks. Yes, onco's are diff...but it is OK to ask for specifics. You have a life outside of tx (I kno sometimes it doesn't seem so) but you do. We are living/planning the rest of our lives...I WANT to kno what tx/tests/etc are ahead so I can plan accordingly. I think your onco should be scheduling a scan. But that is jes my opinion. Gosh...I got so wordy...hope I didn't muddy the waters. (((Jena)))
Love, prayers, positive energy to all!
Sue
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thanks Mema....I see him next Wednesday and he either better have answers or give me a PET scan...
Happy Friday!!
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Some good news for me - gemzar is working and my tumor markers dropped by 250 points!!! This is the first chemo that shows promise for me. We are all ecstatic!
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Thank you ladies for the info. I go in for my 4th infusion this comming Wed. I will ask him for a more exact date then.
That is great news-luvrving-so happy for you.!0 -
great news luv
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WooHoo Michelle - FAN F'N TASTIC!!!
I will be on vacay starting Tues the 19th. Will try and keep in touch...but if I fall behind...just kno I am keeping positive thoughts and sending lots of prayers out to each of you!
Sue
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Fantastic news Michelle! So happy for you.
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I'm happy to read of the good news...good scans, tumor markers going down. I've never had a folder with all my test results, but sure sounds handy as it is hard to remember everything especially when you've had different treatments because of progression. I think Glenna mentioned the difficulty of remembering what treatment did what. I agree Glenna!
I got report last week that my tumor markers were down too. Still high, but declining on Abraxane. I am a migraine sufferer and had not had brain scan in a number of years, so onc ordered one last week which came out fine. I do not like brain MRIs, but got through that one. Had horrible migraine this week for two straight days the day after an Abraxane treatment. I had trouble with vomitting during the night cuz of headache pain, so that was no fun. Have Abraxane on Monday again, and then my week off. I look forward to my week off treatment.
Thinking of you all.
Jean
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Ladies I was planning on starting Chemo this week but I've had a terrible set-back. Had my Faslodex injection on Thursday and all went well as usual. Then on Friday my daughters and I were having a chick flick night, and we put on "My Best Friends Wedding", since they were little we act out the intro into the movie. So here I am my feeble self trying to dance along... When my daughter screams, mom, what is going on. I look down and my lymph-edema arm is starting to swell and fast then turns red in areas like fire. I thought on no MRSA or something. I take pictures and say, I'll call the doctors on Monday. My daughters say "No" you're going to emergency room. Well to make a long story short, I was kept there for seven days. They couldn't figure out what was happening and they did biopsies of my skin, muscles, tissue, lymph, of that arm and find that I have blown out Lupus. They said it could have been brought on by chemo treatments etc.. Why me. They they treat with Malaria drugs which I'm allergic to, so they don't know what to do with me. My body is just shutting down.
Met with Oncology Psychologist, and she said I had a good handle on things and offered to get me started with the Legacy Program than helps you create video's and or audio books for you children and family. It's all for free and I love that I can do this with others helping, it will help me keep to it no matter how bad I feel.
Blondie waiting to hear how that CT Scan went? Hopefully welll and nothing new showed up.
MemaSue let us know how your PET Scan went and the results.
I care and hope all of you are having a great weekend and wishing you a week ahead of pain free days and sunshine smiles all around.
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M360- I am so sorry your dealing with this now....thinking of you. Big hugs.
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Oh, m360, so sorry for what you are dealing with. Seems there should be some other treatment besides malaria drugs. Are they searching for answers?? Hugs!!
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M360 - OMG...this news just breaks my heart!! Same question as Glenna, is there no other tx??? I will say some extra prayers for you. Please keep in touch as often as you can. Are you in the registry? (((M360)))
Padiddle - good news on the declining tumor markers..woohoo...cept very sad to hear of the migraines. I kno how horrible they can be altho I don't get them very often. (((Padiddle)))
My DD suffers with rare kidney disease since early 90's. She learned to keep a binder. That way when she saw the doc she jes had to pull copies of her labs, meds, med history etc instead of trying to remember it all for those insane forms we fill out in the docs office. When I was dx'd, she went out and bought me one, loaded it with paper and separators, and helped me organize it. Was the best thing ever. So when I went to CTCA for my 2nd opinion...I had alll the info they asked for. Side note...my DD got a new kidney from her new husband in 2009. They are both thriving.
Love, prayers, positive energy to all ...and hope everyone has a Happy St. Pat's Day!
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Oh no M360! Hoping they can find an alternative treatment to help this. Gentle hugs and well wishes to you. Will keep you in thoughts and prayer. Let us know. Jean
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360 I am so sorry, and who cares about me, I am pissed and have a drs. appt on wednesday and he better have answers....did get a copy of the report, with schitt left out.....I wanta PET scan...$15,000 or not....sorry really annoyed...he comes back from vacation and better be prepared for an earful, don't tell me you are going to do something and then leave out the part that you are going on vacation for a week....OMG...now i am fired up......
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M360 I'm so sorry with the lupus diagnosis, bad enough we have IV this so to much!
Wonder if this shit happens to really really bad people!0 -
Jo: I think this junk happens to good and bad people.
Blondie: When is your next appointment? I hope you can get the answers you are looking for. It shouldn't be that difficult.
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Good or bad, fat or thin, young or old, pretty or ugly - makes absolutely no difference! Cancer is very nondiscriminatory. This is a disease, and as to all diseases, it is not a punishment for our actions! Strange comment to read here, and I am hoping that for some reason it isn't coming across on the Internet the way it was meant to be interpreted.
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Little nervous..... have 4th infusion tomorrow.Last one was hard. Hope this one is easier. Thinking of you all. Have a good evening.
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Ladies, Thank you as always for all your love and support during this crazy time. Had a long talk with Oncologist and she is fighting to put me back on Cytoxan which is what they use also for tumid lupus which is what they are calling the type I have, I have the anticardiolipid part for years but not full blown. The Lupus specialist say they hold back on the Cytoxan when all else fails. My wonderful Oncologist said "when all else fails..." the woman is stage for with cancer in her spine, hip, femur, liver, lungs, we took her off her Enbrel so that she can start Cytoxan with her Faslodex and now doctors are stopping because it's a last resort treatment. The last resort is now! I love my Oncologist and she really fights for me in so many ways. I've just been sick, and very tired with a lot of swelling in my arms and across my chest and painful rash. Taking prednisone and lyrica, lasix, antibiotics besides cancer meds. Hopefully things turn around soon!
Wishing all of you a early Happy Easter, hope that your weekend is filled with love of family and friends. Also Happy Spring, I love Spring and the flowers here are in bloom and the hummingbirds are back along with robins in my yard. Isn't the simple things in life so beautiful. The best to all of you hope you too have a beautiful first day of Spring!
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M360 - your onc sounds wonderful. Hope they get you back on the cytoxan and you start getting some good results! It is good to have someone who will fight for you!
Jean, congrats on the TM's! Love hearing good news! Enjoy your week off treatment! Hope you have something fun planned!
MemaSue - have a great vacation. We'll miss you but look forward to hearing all about it when you get home. My, that is quite a trip! Were you waiting for PET scan results?
LuvRVing - loved your good news, too! So glad gemzar is working for you!
I don't think Jo meant that those who get cancer are bad people ... I took it as she was wishing the very bad people got it (and not us good people). We all know cancer is indiscriminate. And hope those very good people working on cures for all these damn cancers have success soon!
Happy Spring to all!0 -
I think you are right Glenna now that I read it with that view! Another insomniac here.
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