Chemotherapy for Stage IV
Comments
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Thanks Glenna. I got IV zofran, Benedryl, and steroids as a premed, plus tablet zofran for home afterwards. Usually zofran is the best thing for me for nausea. Not sure why it didn't work this time. Will discuss with onc before next tx in three weeks time.
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I get 2 of them also Glenna and they don't work....usually having to take zofran when I get home...
am loving The Big "C" watched it for 3 hours
also got the Oscar the cat at the nursing home book....loving that also...
have a good night!!
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Bummer the Premeds don't work. I'm feeling blessed they work for me!!
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Latte - I did TCH...got all those pre-meds. Went from Big C to Big D in no time. The nausea....I agree with sitting up in bed a bit b4 hitting the floor. I always had 'ginger' stuff...cookies, tea, gingerale on my nightstand. Wud do 1 or all 3 b4 I got outta bed....really really helped. I think I threw up twice, mayb 3 times my whole treatment. Oh, about the
Big D....ONLY thing that worked for me was LIQUID immodium (generic even). For some reason my stomach did NOT absorb all the pill form immodium...once I did the liq...ain't never been back to pills. Found this out by accident...but so glad I did. I STILL take the liq form if/when I need it. WORKS GR8!!Hi Glenna!!
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Went for chemo Tuesday and the port was acting up again. Was sent for dye study (2nd time) @ radiology. Radiologist recommended they not use port for chemo, so got chemo through IV in arm. Thursday awoke with swollen neck and arm on port side. Went to doc who sent me to surgeon office. He immediately removed port. Getting shot in stomach everyday (Lovenox) to prevent blood clot. My poor husband is doing this for me. It's Saturday now and my neck and arm are still swollen. Better color in the arm though.
I'm so tired of all this.
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Padiddle - am soo sorry to hear this....how aweful!! Are you on any coumadin or other blood thinners?? I may have asked already...? (((Padiddle)))
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Hi everyone. I'm feeling down and overwhelmed. I will start chemo again in 2 weeks. They r hoping this slows my cancer down. It seems like with every scan, there is more bad news..I'm trying to figure out how just a year ago when I was initially diagnosed at age 38 that I had a 90% cure rate....one year later....tons of chemo, rads, mastectomy, I had one clean scan then it was everywhere....liver, lungs, hips, shoulder, how does this happen. I'm so scared of chemo again cause I know what it will be like...sorry, just really scared and sad
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Tweetyb422 - I am so sorry you are going through this, just try and hang in there, one step at a time. I know it is scary, sad and overwhelming. There are lots of chemos out there and I am sure they will find just the right one for you. I hope the one you take has few SE for you. It is a scary thing to be facing it again, espcially when we know what to expect from chemo, but like I said maybe the one they put you on will not be so bad. No one ever knows how this stuff can go from not being there to being everywhere and I think that is something that is always in the back of our minds, wondering if and when it might happen. This site is a big help to me, even if I don't post I still see how people are doing and ask questions when I need to so please let us help you through this scary time. Do you know what chemo you will be starting with? Sending you hugs and support.
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@Padiddle - I am so sorry you've had such a bad time with your port. I can sure how understand how you're feeling tired of all this. Hang in there .... One day at a time. Glad they've got that port out and you are feeling some better. Will they be putting another port in? Do they know what caused the problems with this one? Hugs!!
@tweetyb - believe me when I say we know where you're coming from! You are facing a lot right now and I can understand your shock and fear at cancer returning so soon. You turned to a good place for support. I hope your onc treats you with Premeds to lessen the side effects when you start your new chemo. Of course there are some SE's that we can't seem to avoid,no matter what, but many can be lessened. I looked at your list of chemos taken so far and you've had a pretty potent cocktail. Hopefully they will find something that is a little more gentle for your system!! Come back and let us know how it's going. Hugs your way!! I'm a Florida girl transplanted to Maryland. Where are you? I grew up in jacksonville beach.
Blondie - sorry the Premeds aren't working well for you. Thankful for zofran! I do have to take Immodium but am thankful for no nausea In three years of chemo .... Knock on wood!
Latte and sue - good morning to you!!
I had my weekly break so it's back to chemo this week. Weird, I had a harder time in my week off than I did right after the chemo this time. Could be that I traveled the day after to a reunion with dear friends and was too busy to notice I felt bad! LOL!0 -
PAD so sorry my veins are shot, don't know what they would use if it didn't work, which it doesn't sometimes...have had to get cath flow twice to open the port back up....they tell them the end of it is like the size of a pin...
Mema...always have to get my bearings before I get up, even if I am sitting up....of course threw up, but zofran and compezine (sp) are my best friends....and then the illegal stuff if they don't work...
Tweety am so sorry....I know you are scared, I think we all are when we start chemo...we never know how the SE's will work on us...keep coming here, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}
This is my back to chemo week, think it is my 23rd infusion chemo, not counting the fermere, falsodex or the xeloda....m body itself must be tough to with stand all that poison
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Tweety - don't be scared of chemo. I just finished about a year of weekly Taxol, and it pushed my mets waaaaaaay back, and I had a really good year. I got a lot done, and was really present for my kid. My bone mets had exploded, going from 2 spots to "Wow - her rib cage lights up like a Christmas tree." After a year of Taxol, I have three spots remaining with a low SUV, and the rib mets have completely resolved.
You can do this! Stage 4 treatment is a lot easier on the body than early stage chemo, because the Oncs know that we are in this for the long haul, so they don't use the huge doses that you are familiar with from your previous treatment.
Let us know what your Onc has planned, and we'll talk you through it.
You are an intelligent person, so - of course - you are sad and scared. This is a big deal. But, you are more than the cancer. I'm not saying to be strong and positive, and all that "own your illness" codswallop, but just to remember that you are more than this disease. And there are hundreds of us here, pulling for you, ready to listen and learn from you.
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Off for second round of taxol and carbo tomorrow. Hoping it'll be a bit easier than the first round. My counts went really low and I needed a blood transfusion.
Jennifer you are my inspiration. I hope to get a good year from this tx too!0 -
Latte good luck!!!
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Bondiex - LOL....bout the illegal stuff....am going to be seriously cking dat out at end of month when I visit a friend and we do the SanFrancisco stuff. GF says that I am nutz not getting the medical maryjane for my pain...now after 2 years...I am SITTING up and listening...and I will try it as I do not like pills...they don't do much anyway. So...who knos....at 58 yoa I jes might put a headband on and paint clovers on my face...mayb even buy a VW van...LOL!!
Latte....prayers are with you...always!!
Blaine - lemme kno what your peeps decide on tx for you... I'm xmas tree spine and ribs at 1st dx. Xgeva helping, but they are pushing rads. IDK?!?! Interested in your perspective.
Glenna - HI LADY! You are an inspiration to me...and to others I am sure. Hope this next round for you is more tolerable. I too am traveling....off to Texas in 2 days...woohoo!
Love, Prayers, Positive Healing Energy to all!!!
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Mema: Does IDK mean "I don't know."? My TMs were creeping up on weekly Taxol, even though the scans said stable, so darling MO thought it would be a good time to try Faslodex. When I was originally diagnosed, my TMs were 800 and went to 2,600 on Tamoxifen, then down to 40 on Taxol. They are now in the 150s, and I am starting my 2nd month of Faslodex, so it's early days yet.
Rads are like whack-a-mole, but I know at least three people that they have been truly effective for. I keep pushing for rads to the three lesions that are still causing trouble, but insurance won't pay for it as their SUV is too low. Pout. If your lesions are responding to treatment, and not causing you undue pain, I'd wait on rads. Once they radiate a site, they can't/won't do it again due to concerns about maintaining bone marrow vitality. Plus, as Stage 4s, we're going to need our bone marrow to keep us from becoming neutropenic (low red cells) during various treatments. It is a careful balancing act.
Latte: I hope Taxol+ rocks for you. I've heard that the tranfusions make you feel like going from black and white to glorious technicolor. For me, the trick was to prepare for crash day. I'd make sure all the shopping was done, laundry done, and just enough cleaning to keep entropy at bay, then I'd kick back and watch TV and read bodice-rippers the entire day. I had the menfolk trained that crash day meant Mom was UNAVAILABLE. The couch retains its Jennifer-shaped depression in the cushions.
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What a good bunch we are (I mean that seriously). With all that we go through and still desire to encourage and help each other get through it.
Well, my arm and neck swelling have greatly improved. I got chemo on Monday (IV in arm). The explanation about the port failing was that it was a foreign body and some people's body respond by clotting. When I asked the surgeon about getting another port, he said my body would most likely react the same way. I have two more days of Lovenox shots to my belly. It is a blood thinning drug. My husband has been injecting me. It stings like heck and he feels real bad, but it gots to get done. I've been getting chemo for 14 months now and the whole port thing got me down. Port was only in place for 5 months or so because my veins were shot.
Latte: I'm hoping with you that your counts don't drop down as low. Are you getting weekly treatments?
Tweety: Hugs to you. I've felt like that myself. Hang in there. It's not an easy walk, but doable. Keep posting. Take care of yourself too.
Jennifer: Hope your TMs come down.
Thanks for the good words Glenna and Blondie.
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Ladies, I am so sorry so many of you are having such difficulties right now. I feel lucky in that I'm doing pretty well on TC and using PCC to keep my hair (it's working) After my 4th infusion next week I have a PET scan which will tell how my bc is responding to chemo...obviously prayers and fingers crossed no progression and in fact the reverse.
Anyway I just want to let you know that although I have just joined this sorierity, I say nightly prayers for you all and hope that we can live to see the day that all forms of bc can be cured. Heck...all cancer!
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Hi padiddle
Sorry about your port. I think i know what you are going through. When I was first dx I got a port that I managed to use for only a couple of tx, it kept having problems and I had four surgeries to try to fix it but in the end they couldn't fix it and I had it removed.
This time round (3 years later) I got a new port on the other side and so far it is good. So maybe there is hope for you. And if not a port than maybe a picc line?
I am getting my tx every three weeks as part of a trial and that is much harder on blood counts than weekly, but I can't change it because it is a trial.0 -
Hi ladies, I have been on the boards with some of you, hope things start improving for you guys
I just got off of taxol. Was on it for 7 months 3 on 1 off. Nodes are swelling again . So I am on to my 6 course of treatment which is gemzar, and gemzar alone. 3 on and 1 off again. Never heard labour this drug, but I did like taxol the best off all so far, so I hope gemzar isn't any worse. Got me daughters wedding in 4 1/2 weeks!! Got to,be peppy!!
We will go back to something in the taxol family when this one stops, but doc wants to give neuropathy a chance to go away and nerves heal up. That's my story..be well all
Susan0 -
Susan good luck....neuropathy sucks
What about a pic line, I know people that have that where I go, if the port doesn't work?
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My tumor markers, which were at 2000 not that long ago, are down to 188.5. The last test before this one was 275. Never thought I'd see the day. Gotta love Gemzar!!!
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glad it is working for you!!!
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LuvRVing - awesome news! Congratulations!!
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Padidle i know that feels my port got infected i was sicker from that then any of the chemo.now the rads i'm getting are really tough cant wear a shirt for more then a few hour without it really hurting.they found another brain met so i get to go play wack a mole again when i get done with the breast rads love you all so
much thanks for sharing this road with me chris
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braids sorry abougt the brain met....thanks for coming and letting us know..
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[HUGS]]]]]]]]]]
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Dear braids, sorry about the damn brain met....but I fell of my chair with the "whack a mole"!!! I'd rather laugh than cry....thanks,
Thinking of you padiddle, Jo0 -
Sorry sorry about the brain mets. Braids. I will keep you in my prayers. And if someone walks me through how to post pics I would be happy to!
Does anyone have good info on constipation? I always have purging intestines. Now the give me zofran with gemstar and I believe it is the zofran. Just in the IB. Haven't had any piles and it has been bad for 6 days. That's crazy. I wonder if compezine will be strong enough, never had trouble with that one. Well I have tried prunes and different mixes. Anyone have a special cure. Thanks guys
Susan0 -
Susan, Having a brain freeze but I think it's called miralax ... You mix it in any liquid and drink .... Works for me. Senokot is also a good laxative. My onc said the store brand (equate at sam's club) is just as good as the name brand so that's what I buy.
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Miralax works for me also. Will take in am and pm if really blocked. Also, when desperate, I got some tea bags that apple recommended. They are called skinny girl and I get them at a Chinese grocery. The ingredient is senacot. I usually only need to drink half a cup and that will blast the logjam. Good luck. Constipation can be rally miserable.
Pat0
