mets to lung
Comments
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Today I have a little bit of good news: NOT ENOUGH TO DRAIN! It's been 5 days and I have less than half a liter in my pleural cavity. Something is working. I am cautiously optimistic.
Hugs to all,
Brenda0 -
Wonderful news Brenda!!!
I am still in limbo, my onc was out of the office so I have not started my Xeloda. Then the doc I was to see about my catheter got called into surgery, so that was rescheduled till next week. I had my MRI yesterday, and gee cant wait to see what it says (not). My onc is expected back today, so hopeful that the Xeloda problem will work out.
The proceedure to drain is not so bad, but when they hit that 900ml mark, to where I start coughing, I have severe pain when I cough. I could not see getting it drained every 5 days considering the reaction I have, you are so very brave. It is what I needed to do though, I just couldn't.
Here is to the lessening with the fluid and I hope it doesn't ever come back!!!
Hugs, Euro0 -
Euro,
You are the braver one! I won't be able to stand having 2 liters in my pleural cavity! They must be around both of your lungs, not just one of them! When I was hospitalized I only had about 1 liter around my left lung (pleural effusion occurs outside your lung, not inside, I believe). I would walk ten steps and then pant. If I were carrying my purse I would be more fatigued. That was how bad it was! The CT scan showed cancer in the lining of my left lung.
The people who drain me are very careful not to hurt me. One little cough and they would stop.
Maybe you could take a pain pill before you go to have it drained? Ask your doctor first, of course.
Hugs,
Brenda0 -
Aww, thanks Brenda! I think when I am at the worst there is over 3 liters (more like 4) in there.
I cannot see how it can all be in there! I am not a big girl. But anyhow, I finally recieved my Xeloda in the mail this afternoon, so I will be starting in the morning. Yay I think LOL. I spoke to my onc and he says that if I cannot wait to see the doc about the catheter he will send me for another thorentesis. We will see how I feel. I know I am quite full so to speak. Ugh.
How is the new treatment treating you? Sounds like good news as far as the effusions go, you lucky girl. I hope it is gentle and you are not having any terrible side effects.
Hello to everyone else! Havent heard from anyone else lately.
Hugs to all, Euro.0 -
I hope that I'm healthy enough for chemo on Friday. I don't want to miss it again. Couldn't do it last Friday because of low blood counts.
Euro, maybe you just need a radiologist who is more gentle. I almost look forward to the thoracenteses! The rule is they can't take any more than 1 liter at a time. Your body can't take that. That would be too painful. If you have less than half a liter in the pleural cavity, that is not enough to drain. So, if you have 3 to 4 liters, they'd have to schedule 3 to 4 of those procedures.
Could it be another condition like pneumonia? Maybe it isn't cancer! There are other possibilities.
Hugs,
Brenda0 -
Hello Brenda, Oh I wish it was, but my onc had the fluid sent out for testing and they found the cancer cells that look exactly like the ones in my breast. I cant wait till Monday to see the cath doc. although my onc says that if my breathing is bothering me, he will send me right away to get it drained. What I really worry about is my pleura. It has been streched with all this fluid in it. Will it go back to normal? How dangerous is it that this fluid has been in there for over a year now. Etc. Argh, I just want a clean lung. I am also trying to start my Xeloda. Here it is 11:30 and I am not hungry!!! Oh well, it will all work out in the long run.
Hope you can have chemo tomorrow and that your counts are back up there. It sounds like it is doing wonders. How does your lung feel without the fluid? I bet it is wonderful.
Good to hear from you my friend....Hugs.
Euro0 -
Euro,
It won't hurt to ask your doctor if you take a pain killer before your draining. I still can't believe you have all that fluid in your chest cavity! Remember it is not in your lungs. It is around your lungs and it makes the lungs swim in liquid. They showed my esophagus in the CT scan when I had 1 liter. My esophagus, instead of standing upright was pointing to the left. Maybe that was why I had no appetite.
Today I saw my oncologist. I had a million questions, and they were all answered. I did not like all the answers, but he is very honest and I appreciate that. He is encouraged that I have less fluid accumulating. We talked about different scenarios concerning my response to the chemo regimen. He is actually really nice.
Good luck with the cath. onc! I hope you find relief and have great days ahead!
Hugs,
Brenda0 -
I've been following this thread. Trying to get familiar with all your names seems difficult for me. (Maybe chemo brain related). I've been getting chemo for 18 months now. A recent CT scan of chest showed "less prominent," tumors in lungs so I am pleased that Abraxane is helping. I had progression with Taxol and then again with Gemzar. Tumor markers have been rising for four months now, so not sure what that all means. They have been reliable thus far. With improvement showing up on CT, I believe onc will keep me on the Abraxane. I meet with him Monday morning.
I thought it would be better to hop on this thread and introduce myself hoping it would help me get more familiar with you all battling lung mets too.
Jean0 -
Adnerb, Thinking of you today - fingers crossed you are able to get your chemo today.0 -
Welcome Padiddle! Its wonderful that your scans showed improvement. I have read on here that tumor markers can pick up on dying cells which would cause your markers to rise. It sounds as if that is what is happening to you, rise in markers but great scan. I dont have TMs done, my onc doesn't really put a lot of faith in them, so I really dont know much about them. How is Abraxane for a treatment? I just started Xeloda yesterday.
Good to see you chanah!
Goodluck today Brenda! Let us know what happened. Hope you were able to have treatment today.
Hugs to all, Euro0 -
Welcome Jean! Thanks, Chanah. I got my chemo today. Whew! They gave me Zofran, so I'm a little sleepy. Time for a nap. Thanks, all.
I wish you all better days ahead!
Love,
Brenda0 -
Europa, Abraxane made me lose all of my hair (all over my body) and made my nails turn black. 8 toenails and 3 fingernails fell off. I felt bloated all the time and ad fatigue. But, that said, I worked 4 day weeks nd enjoyed a reasonable QOL. I took chemo day off - more for logistics than se's.
Adnerb, glad you had your chemo!
Today was a reasonable good braeting day and, with my son home for a four day weekend, I was able to keep tne demon thoughts away most of the day. I hope all my sister lung metsters are faring well.
Shabbat shalom.0 -
Thank you, Chanah! I wish the same for you!
Hugs,
Brenda S. (Adnerb)0 -
Thanks for the warm welcome. Europa: I get the Abraxane 3 weeks on, 1 week off. Been on it for awhile now, so I really don't feel any different on my week off than my weeks on. Mondays are my chemo days. I have the usual side effects: neuropathy, fatigue, mild nausea and very little hair. I was already bald when I started Abraxane from other chemos. I've never had Xeloda. I hope it's your ticket to stable. Adnerb: I'm glad your onc could answer all your questions. Chanah: Ditto, hope we all are fairing well too.
I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Jean0 -
Jean:
I'm curious about the hair. So if you are continuously doing chemo whose side effect is hair loss (like the taxanes), does your hair ever grow again?
Brenda0 -
Brenda: I've been doing chemo for 18 months with no breaks. I really haven't had much hair since April 2012 when I started the taxol. I had a little bit of hair growth while on Gemzar, but not much. The Abraxane caused the little bit I had to fall out. I have some fine hairs (like a baby's head), but that doesn't grow......just remains the same. It's not enough hair to even look like a very short cut. Now I'm curious, do you think my hair could grow while still doing chemo? That would be awesome! Jean0 -
Jean, my guess would be that as long as you are not on anything that causes hair loss your hair will grow.
Hugs,
Brenda0 -
I'm still getting the Abraxane three weeks on and one week off. My little fuzz will have to do. I would like eyebrows and eyelashes too. I had to get my license renewed recently. I had drawn my eyebrows on before I left but one smeared off. My renewed license pic looks funny with only one eyebrow! Oh the little things in life......
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Barb - I've had lung mets since I began my Stage IV journey. Femara kept me stable for about a year and a half. I had progression on Tamoxifen and then switched to Xeloda. It kept me stable - bone and lung mets - for 3 years!
I hope Navelbine works wonders for you.0 -
That is great Jill!! I love hearing that as I have lung and bone mets and I am also I am on Xeloda, on my 5th day of my first cycle.
Hello Brenda, Hope everything finds you well. I am scheduled to have the Pleurex catheter placed on Friday. I definately need to relieve some of this fluid. Doc says while Im in twilight sleep, he will drain as much as he can without causing me any distress, Yay for Friday.
Jean, Hope you are well also, I have read a couple of stories that some people experienced hair growth while on chemo long term. Bodies are amazing on how they cope.
Hugs to everyone, Euro.0 -
Euro,
I am happy to hear you will finally get relief from all that fluid around your lungs!!! Plus you won't have to feel yourself cough and gasp because you will be in a relaxed state! Good for you. Please tell us right away how you feel. I wish you strength and great days ahead!
I have more good news about my fluid levels. I visited the imaging place once again just for them to look. They found very little fluid, not enough to drain, and even less than the last time they checked. So this little joy is turning to be really promising. Something is working. I am cautiously optimistic (?!).
Hugs,
Brenda0 -
Thank you so much for the words of encouragement Brenda!!! I will check in and let you all know how it goes. The surgeon seems really nice and knowledgable, I feel I am in good hands.
It is wonderful news about your fluid levels!!! It sounds as if the treatment plan is working very well! I think you should be very optimistic! When are your next scans?
Now that your fluid levels are near normal or very little. How is your breathing? Can you tell a difference? This doc has said that I may have problems because I have had the fluid pressing on my lung for a long time. I am just second guessing now, guess I will find out Friday and the following weeks.
Keep me up to date on your treatment....I will be following you if and when the Xeloda fails. Loving your terrific news!
Hugs, Euro.0 -
Euro,
I have been breathing very well since the 4th of October. My scans are scheduled for mid-November. I wish they would do it sooner, though. How often should one have scans? How many courses of chemo before a scan is appropriate? I am not complaining. Just hoping for a chemo break.
I know what your doctor means about the fluid pressing on your lung for a long time! I felt, after the first few drainings, that my lung "missed" the liquid and was frantically trying to swim on shallow water. You will get used to it, though, and it will eventually be a great, big relief. I wish you well, my friend!
Brenda0 -
euro, will be thinking of you tomorrow. I'm sure you will get relief! My breathing improved pretty quickly after I had the fluid drained. It's been over 5 years and I haven't had to have it done again! I had it done before I ever started treatment for the recurrence so I guess the treatments have kept the fluid from building up too much. It still shows on scans, but not a huge amount. I actual took a short bike ride the other day. It wasn't easy and I did have to walk up the hill! LOL!0 -
Over 5 years since last draining! And here I am celebrating after 12 days! Glenna, if you don't mind my asking, do you still have mets in your lungs?
Hugs,
Brenda0 -
Brenda, the answer to your question is yes, still have mets and still have fluid in my lung. The last scan showed no progression but I had to change chemos a month ago due to SE's from taxol. Am on cmf now and hope it keeps me stable. Have been doing chemos for about 3 years after trying AI's for about 2 years. My fear is that I will run out of options but my onc assures me there is plenty in the arsenal. I did cmf along with adriamycin and something else back in 1987 when I was first diagnosed and I went 20 years before recurrence, so I'm feeling good about the possibility of NED. I feel sick on this one and definitely know I'm on chemo. Taxol was pretty easy for me and I really didn't want to stop it. I hate the cytoxan pills ....but my quality of life has been good. I'm trying to cram in as much fun as I can, after retiring on disability 2 years ago.0 -
Glenna,
Thank you for answering my questions. Have you tried navelbine? I heard it is good for the lungs! Since I am pretty new to this mets business I am now only trying the carboplatin/gemzar combination. I am supposed to have my 4th infusion of gemzar, and 2nd infusion of carbo today. If my body would let them, that is. I have a feeling all my blood counts are low again. The gemzar has a way of doing that.
Today is also my 59th birthday. It is a privilege to get old!!! Here's to getting old!!!
Love,
Brenda0 -
Happy (belated) birthday Brenda - My computer went belly up - took a few days to get a new one and another few to get it working.0 -
Brenda, happy birthday, don't we just love to celebrate birthdays? I've never tried navelbine. Maybe that's one he is keeping in the arsenal. I keep worrying I will run out of options and my onc promises me I won't. Right now I'm exhausted from 4 glorious days with my grandchildren. Had the two boys for 3 days and the girls for just one day. I never thought I'd meet any of my grandchildren, much less 4. I am truly blessed. My biggest problem with gemzar was the counts. Hope you get your treatments! Chanah, I hate having to get used to new electronics. Hope my computer and ipad last forever! Take care, everyone,0 -
Happy Belated Birthday Brenda!!!
Good to see you chanah and Glenna!
Well I went with a snafu on the weekend. I was supposed to get my catheter on Friday but the doc got held up in surgery, so I had it done yesterday. They did not get to drain much out during the procedure, I began to cough real bad even though I was sedated. The home health nurse will be here tomorrow to drain more and then again on Friday. After that we will go from there. I will be doing my own draining after that. I cant wait to atleast have that much drained. I will keep you posted.
I am also going for a followup with the onc on friday. Not much to tell with that. It seems I am cruising on the Xeloda and have little to no side effects from it so far, but this is just the first cycle. I hear the second cycle is the one where things start ramping up. I hope not.
Hugs to everyone!!!
Brenda I hope that your counts are OK and you can have treatment. Again Happy Birthday, I hope it was a good one!0
