All about Xeloda
Comments
-
Susan-that's great. My TM's have been spot on too so lowered TMs is wonderful news !!!! Do your happy dance and enjoy the northern Chinese food!!!!
Babs
0 -
Susan, congrats on having the tm go down. You must be so pleased. Keep it up.
Highhopes
0 -
susan!! Time to celebrate! I'm so glad this seems to be working for you!
0 -
Great news, Susan, glad to hear you and others are having success on Xeloda, may it continue for as long as possible.
Although i didn't have luck with Xeloda, I have had good luck lately also - great pain relief lately from palliative care (just getting my pain meds right, which took a week in the hospital with a great palliative team of nurses and docs - I am so lucky I had that), and I think relief also from radiation while in hospital to a rib that wrapped around spine and had a lot of cancer around it, and maybe relief from taxol ( will have scans after about 9 weeks, I think, to see if the low dose taxol (once a week, 2 wks on, 1 off) is working (had 2 doses so far, no side effects really yet, though I will be losing my hair soon). In any case, it is so nice to be out of pain!
Praying and hoping for success for all of you.
0 -
3Holly,
I am so pleased to hear that your pain is being controlled. Makes such a difference, doesn't it? I hope that the Taxol is your magic bullet. I will continue to look for updates from you.
*susan*
0 -
3 Holly-I'm so glad you 're experiencing relief- Great news!
Babs0 -
Agreeing with other, so glad you're feeling better, Holly! And here's to Taxol kicking your cancer to the curb!
0 -
Susan, great news for you. May those nasty TM's continue to drop.
Holly, those are the things I'm dreading and not looking forward to. I am glad you are doing better and at least have some management of the pain.
Why must we suffer through this? I am not suffering as of yet, except for the SE's from Madame X, but know it's coming.
0 -
Hope the pain is staying away, Holly!
My CEA jumped up on this week's blood test. I'm not going to panic yet, but I'm wary. My liver enzymes are back down to normal now, after two elevated months. Very strange. It's unnerving, this whole business.
This is the week of side effects for me, too, as it's my week off. Hands are worse than feet this month. Dropping things all the time. Anyone else doing that?
0 -
Raising my hand. I drop stuff all the time. It's like my finger tips are very smooth and no oils in them.
Sandi, I hope it's nothing as to why the CEA went up. I had my labs done on Friday. I think they are probably posted now in the portal, but I'm afraid to look!
0 -
Great news Susan! I have the opposite problem. My blood pressure gets too low. 87/59 the last time I went in. Just goes to show that we are all individuals and our bodies do not react the same way to the same medication. Love Northern Chinese food! When I lived in Providence back in the 80s, we used to drive to Somerville to eat Korean food. There weren't any good Korean restaurants in Rhode Island back then and that's probably still the case.
0 -
Let's talk HFS. So far, it has been the worst on day 12-15 and then again right at the end of my off week. Wearing those socks with tons of goop on my feet reduces the inflammation and helps with the pain. Tonight, I walked down the hill [I live at the top of a fairly substantial hill. Can't go anywhere without going down.] to eat dinner, and then back up. I was fine, but now my feet are tingling like crazy. Almost like I am pushing the HFS to appear on day 2 instead of getting a "good" week. What strategies do people employ to allow them to walk without doing damage?
I really hate the idea that I have to restrict walking!
*susan*
0 -
My HFS got significantly better when I went to a 7/7 schedule. Same daily dosage. Still have HFS but it's tolerable.
0 -
good shoes. Uggs were nice ands good supportive tennis shoe.
0 -
on another note- what do people do about feeling bloated. For some reason this week ive been blown up like a whale.
0 -
For bloating, I think it's better when I drink a ton of water, but it doesn't go away. Hoping someone has some better tips!
For hand-foot, I've mentioned the 20% urea cream really helps me a lot and I notice when I've been lazy about using it. I still develop callusy patches on my feet (and once a blister) towards the end of the cycle but they get better on the week off (like SusaninSF, I'm on the 7/7 schedule). I walk my 10,000 steps a day still, but I find I have to be more careful about socks and shoes that they don't rub. I find especially toward the end of the cycle my best bet are good fitting running shoes which are well padded and have a wider toebox. Again, I'm watching this conversation, hoping to get some good tips!
0 -
Thanks for the ideas. I was wearing Uggs last night [well, the Costco knockoff, but I wear real ones most of the time and they are the same.] The socks that don't slide and make ridges has been key and last night I wore old-fashioned tights, with tight socks, so no rubbing. I have not tried running shoes. With the snow on the ground out there, I find that they don't have enough traction, but maybe I should try them inside the house.
Roses, it is encouraging that you can walk that many steps per day. Maybe I am just being a woos about pain.
*susan*
0 -
Susan, I think we all get different side effects from the treatments, I definitely wouldn't call you a woos if you're having a lot of pain! Hope it gets better for you, though, and fast.
0 -
So sorry about your feet, susan. I had a lot of trouble around Christmas when I was on my feet a lot, but they seem to be much better now. I don't really know why, except that I'm careful not to overdo. I also hate restricting walking. My worst time is the second half of my off week, as well.
Tomorrow we are going to a formal party for an orchestra that we are involved with, and I bought some fancy shoes. Little heels. I may regret it. But it's my 65th birthday, and I'm going to look nice. In 2011, when they found my mets and I was hobbling around with hiking poles to keep my balance, I didn't think I'd see my 65th birthday. But here I am and I'm going to celebrate,even if I have to stay on the couch for the following week to heal my feet!
My back is starting to ache a bit, and I'm having a bit of pain near my ribs. It makes me nervous about whether this med is still working, but I'm ignoring that until I see my onc next month. I probably have another MRI in my near future.
0 -
Happy Birthday, Sandilee, go out and have fun and enjoy your heels and the music !
You might try the lidocaine patch if your ribs are bothering you, I have found and heard it to be effective for ribs (it works for bones close to surface of skin - didn't work for my spine mets since they are not close to surface of skin, but helps for my rib that wraps around to back which I at first thought was a spine met). You can wear the patch for all hours except for 4 hours a day it needs to be removed for 4 hours).
0 -
Sandilee, enjoy your birthday celebration. I hoping to see 60 and then some. But that's a few years away. Second half of my week off is when I feel the best. I am X for 2 weeks. The beginning of my first week on is ok too. Hands and feet heal a bit during this time.
0 -
Sandilee, have a wonderful birthday! Enjoy the heels and every single thing about having made it to this great milestone!
0 -
Happy birthday Sandilee!!!!! Hope those shoes are worth the discomfort and that you used them wisely. :-)
*susan*
0 -
Sandilee- enjoy your birthday and wearing your pretty heels!!!!!!
I walk about 2 miles home from work daily. I wear "soothing inserts" in my sneakers and put 20% urea creme on my feet before I go. Thus far, I'm okay. I'm on the 7 on 7 off cycle. My right heel sometimes bothers me but not too bad. My right hand, since I work on the computer most of the day, is the most bothersome since it rubs the desk. (I wear a glove with the fingers cut out to help with this)
I'm having my scans on 2/22 so if X is working I can deal with this.
Babs
0 -
Thanks for the birthday wishes! I had a great time. My feet were fine all night, but they are sore this morning. It was worth it, though.
We celebrated with four other couples- very good friends from way back. The guys in three of the couples were high school friends of my husband and mine. It was a very memorable night. We rented a limo to take all of us to the venue altogether. That made it crazy-fun. We all commented that we felt like we were going to senior prom.
0 -
Sandilee= sounds like at great night. So happy you enjoyed! Keep your feet up today!
Babs
0 -
Can I share my good news? On month 2 of Xeloda my tumor markers dropped again, even more than they did the first month! They're now a little less than half of what they were when I started Xeloda and my liver numbers are all back in the normal range (several were high and moving higher before this). So relieved to be getting a response to this drug!
0 -
Oh you not only could, but should, share good news! I really needed to see this this morning! That is just wonderful news.
I am on day 9 of cycle 3, and like clockwork, the second half of day 7 started the GI crap again. The one thing I can say about Xeloda, it has slowed down my life substantially. It has been a long, long time since two weeks felt so LONG! :-)
Thank you so much for sharing Roses. Such great news.
*susan*
0 -
Roses. That's wonderful news!!!! Sharing is caring. We all need to hear happy news it gives us hope!!!! Thank you!!!
Babs
0 -
Roses, I agree with Susan, that you SHOULD share good news. I hope it works for a long time for you.
Susan, I have been on X for a year now. I have taken a couple of 2 weeks off, instead of just one. Makes a huge difference. But going back on X, all of SE's appear as they have in the past.
My labs prior to my latest, my TM's had gone up a tad, so I was scared to look at my current ones. But low and behold, they have come down again. Not much, but I'll take that over them going up a tad. I too have the GI issues, eating some yogurt as we speak. I also noticed yesterday that I have 2 fingernails that are lifting. Like from a fungus. They have came unattached more than half way down. I also see it starting on 2 other nails. Anyone have this happen? Not sure if it's from X or not. I'll ask my onc tomorrow. I'm traveling to MI to see family the end of March. I think I'll treat my self to a 2 week break from Madame X!
0
