mets to lung
Comments
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Carolben, time with your son sounds like just what the doctor ordered! Enjoy!!
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Thanks, Glenna, but things are not going according to plan and I landed up in the local hospital's ER yesterday - inflamed nerve in my lower back AND Shingles. The stupid part is that I did something to my back during yoga before I left but just ignored it (was so scared it was mets to the bones). Anyway they did an X-ray and said no mets visible. Whew! Am having a bone scan in November anyway.
Bad, bad timing, doc told me to have bed rest till I go home. Am so disappointed, but my son says he's quite happy to just hang out with me while I'm flat on my back. It was so painful, no sleep for 3 nights & agony, just cried & cried. And, like all of you, I'm pretty tough!!
So, once again, our paragliding plans must be put off, dammit!
It's horrible to be so far away from my medical team, just wanted to go home, at first.
Ben (my son) is so amazing, cooking for me, waiting on me hand & foot, not letting me do anything. Gosh I love him so much, am so blessed!
At least we did get to the Dead Sea and swam in it at one of the hotels there. There were fresh water pools, an indoor, heated salty pool, wet and dry saunas and pressure showers. We had the morning there before my back started up again.
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Carolben, I am glad about the "no visible mets" part.
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Aw, carolben, what a bummer. Sounds like you have a dream son! Most important is your time with him!
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Chemo #2 was not so bad. I only had the gemzar this time. I also got drained dry before the chemo. It made me cough a little, but mentally, it felt good that the liquid around my lung was gone. Am I imagining it or am I accumulating less fluid?
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Carolben! How unfortunate for you during your visit! You are so blessed to have your wonderful son! If Ben would like to wait on anyone else hand and foot, I'll volunteer. He sounds so great! I'm glad you were able to go. Sorry your plans had to change while you were there, though! I hope you're feeling better!
Adnerb - I'm glad your treatments are treating you kindly! Let's hope it's doing it's job and you are accumulating less fluid! It needs to get in their and kick those mets butts!
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How are you doing, surfdreams? It's nice to hear from you. Thank you for your kind thoughts. I am feeling so grateful today I almost felt like the lucky one. Lucky me, I thought.
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I'm not complaining at the moment - ask me again later, and I'm sure I can complain about something. I also feel fortunate at times, Adnerb. Even with this awful diagnosis, one doesn't have to look far to find others worse off. It's a good weekend. Chemo free this weekend. My son & his girlfriend came down for a visit. Spent the evening with them and DD playing board games. Currently, finishing off the night by downing a strawberry chocolate chip milkshake. At these moments.... life is good!
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Carolben - so special to have such a wonderful son. I am blessed wit 5 amazing kids.
Adnerb & surfdreams - so glad you two are in good mental places. It gets easier to enjoy the good times once the dx is not so new.
I am two months into this. Two short months ago when it was all new, I never thought there would be a moment I was not thinking about the cancer, but it is not my only focus anymore - usually. Today for some reason it was on my mind a lot - I think because I was so invoved in planning for my daughter's wedding which is in May - so I am not sure if I will be relatively healthy or even there. Happy to plan for such a wonderful event, but the bad thoughts creep in...
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I hear you Channah. Congratulations on your daughter's wedding. My DD will graduate from high school in May. That's my bucket list. I hope to see her graduate in May. I worry so much about not being around to help her out as she finishes school and goes on to college. So much to prepare her for in life. Trying to cram it in - worry that I'm putting too much pressure on her as I'm trying to get it all in. And I don't want to come off as naggy and pushy, but I feel that I need to be. This is hard. But again - others have it so much worse than me.
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Yes, I found myelf perhaps overencourging a quick engagement and a sort period before te wedding. She rightly didn't rush either (but also didn't mind my pusing - perhaps she understood). She is nturally understding and is in rabbinical school with lots of experienced rabbis teaching and guiding her.
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Chanah,
Keep hoping! You never know what good things might happen between now and May! My dx is fairly new, 9-11-13. I can't give up hope. I have 2 sons, one who just started college and one who is finishing law in May!! Lots of things happening in May. May it be a lucky month for all of us!!!
Love,
Brenda
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Lucky May - I like that thought Adnerb.
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Stayed up late last night & got to sleep around midnight. We were watching a movie, a feel good movie. Then I woke up at 3am in a lot of pain, took some pain meds & couldn't get back to sleep, and I was just getting into a cosy, private pity party! Then I read your posts Adnerb, Chanah, Surfdreams & Glenna and you guys rock! I have so much to be grateful for & here I am, whining! Thank you for putting things back into perspective for me!!
My son is 37, not married, but owns his own house & has a good job that he enjoys. I can rest easy, knowing he's okay. Now I don't need to mess up this visit with him by being miserable anymore!
Took a look outside & everything was a bit misty, with the sun coming up, so beautiful.
I only have 3 more days here before flying back. The plan is to spend another 5 days with my big sister before flying home. My onc wants me to call him as soon as I get back& talk about these symptoms (am worried). And a big part of me wants to just be back home with my dogs, in my haven. What a wuss!
You sure are an amazing group of women & I'm so grateful to have found you!
I do hope the fluid is accumulating slower Adnerb. Surfdreams thank you for reminding me how lucky I am to be so looked after by my favorite person in the world!
One day at a time, it's better when I can stay in the present.
A strawberry chocolate chip milkshake, Surfdreams, that's got to be good!0 -
Carolben, Wishing for pain to disappear for the next 3 days. (Shouldn't the inflammation subside over time? I hope so.) My son is 15, and he wrote me recently "You have taken care of me my whole life. Now I want to take care of you a little." Sounds like your son is doing that and much more for you during your visit. You deserve to be proud.
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Hello everyone! Havent been on much in the past couple of weeks. But I just got my results of my scans and I have progression to my bones now! It wasn't the results that I was looking for at all. My lung still has fluid in it and has not stabilized. It looks like I am on to Xeloda and saying farewell to Faslodex. My doc still want to hold off on the chemo, I am not sure how I feel about this, I just want to put a stop to the progression.
Carolben I was sorry to read about the problems you have has on your vacation. It sounds as if your son is a dear! Enjoy your last few visiting days!
I am off to find the bone mets thread and the Xeloda thread. I will check in here often though!
Thinking of all of you Glenna, Brenda, Surfdreams, chanah, THMichelle and everyone I might have missed.
Love and hugs, Euro.
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{{{Hugs}}} Europa. I hope Xeloda is The One for you!
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Sorry to hear of your progression, Europa! I also had progression in bones this year. Took awhile to get my head around that. Hoping that your new treatment knocks them right back into oblivion!
TarheelMichelle - your son sounds heavenly! You've raised him right. What a thoughtful boy!
Carolben - you'll have to try a strawberry choc. chip milkshake. Strawberries, chocolate topping (the kind that gets hard when it hits the ice cream), all mixed together in vanilla or strawberry ice cream into a milkshake. Yummy! You get to feeling better and then go experiment with one. ;-)
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Good morning all,
I haven't been on in a few days but so good to catch up. Have a terrible cold so have been languishing in bed trying to get well before I fly to Florida on Friday. Will be seeing my brother, sister and mom as well as attending my 45th h.s. Reunion. Glad to report I still have my hair! Have completed one round of CMF and like that I have more time off between treatments. Next one is oct. 16th.
Europa, so sorry to hear of your progression. Drats! Hope xeloda is your magic bullet.
May sounds like it is going to be a good month for all of us. Weddings, graduations, travel! I love having plans and something to look forward to. My DH and I are planning to attend a week long sailing class with my brother and his wife in Florida. How is that for positive thinking! I will be celebrating 6 years at that time!!
Ronda, your son sounds just as precious as carolben's! You are both very fortunate! My oldest son (37 also) is flying to Florida with me on Friday. He will be meeting his birth mother for the first time. I am praying it is a good experience for him. My other two children are glad they met with their birth mother but never wanted to see her again. She is now deceased, a consequence of her self destructive lifestyle. Sorry, TMI, I am rambling.
Good to be finally feeling a bit better and surfdreams, I can't even imagine mixing chocolate and chocolate chips in a milkshake though I do like strawberries dipped in chocolate! LOL!0 -
Euro,
You have been very good at fighting this disease. I have a feeling you will also fight the most recent progression! I send you gentle hugs and thoughts of strength.
Brenda
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Hello Glenna! You lucky lucky girl = going to Florida? Sailing lessons soon? Best of luck with your son's trip to Florida. Hope he has some positive closure and it leaves everyone satisfied. Good to hear from you ;-)
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Hey surfdreams, the sailing lessons aren't til May .... I always have something in the future to look forward to!! I'll report back on my son's visit with his birth mom! He is pretty nervous about the meeting. He has an out if it doesn't go well ... I'll play the cancer card and tell him I need him! LOL!
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Thank you for those beautiful words, Ronda - brought tears to my eyes - although that does not take much these days, am ridiculously prone to crying at the drop of a hat!
Good luck for your son, Glenna! That's a big one. I have no trouble playing the cancer card, if necessary.
Surfdreams, promise to try the milkshake once I feel better. Getting so nauseous on these pain meds, and am only taking half the dose, eating is a nightmare at the moment. And that pisses me off; I love Israeli food - hummus, olives, falafel, baba ganoush (eggplant with tahini sauce). Not fair!
Oh well, not saying goodbye to my boy, just 'see you later' as he's coming to me for Christmas. Still dread parting...0 -
Europa, am really sorry to hear about your bone mets, good luck and you kick their butts!!
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Carolben,
I can so relate to your closeness to your boy. I have 2 of them!!!
Bad news today: Low wbc and rbc. I could not have the gemzar today. Will wait till next week.
Good news: For the first time they only took out 500 mls. and left me dry! I was used to draining anywhere from 850 to 1000 mls. Does this mean my pleural effusion is getting better?0 -
Adnerb, sorry about no gemzar, but glad to her you only ad 500ml!0 -
Hello all. Thank you all for your caring words. I am still trying to deal with my progression. I am having trouble getting my Xeloda, I was so hoping to start today.
Brenda, do you have drains in so they can relieve the fluid? I am going for a consultation on Monday to see if I can have drains put in to be able to drain the effusion myself. I would like to do this before I consider a pleuradesis.
Right now the bone met to T1 is giving me some pain, I am scheduled for an MRI on Monday for my entire spine to find out how bad my mets are.
Thinking of all of you! Euro1 -
Euro,
No I don't have the catheter yet. Even if you have one one, a health care professional, I think, will be required to drain you.
The ladies who drain me are a PA and an RN. They are only a mile away. I'm in a big city, San Diego, so everything is easily accessible.
You know, I heard that pleuradesis sometimes gets rid of the cancer, especially if the mets are on the lining?! And then sometimes it doesn't work. Did your lung mets progress or are they stable?
Sorry for the progression, but the good news is, if it's in the bones, you can live a long time with that kind of progression.
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Brenda0 -
Thankyou, Brenda. Because of all the fluid in my lungs, they are not really sure of the size of my lung mets. It is supposed that they are at the very bottom of my lung or just in the pleura at the bottom. As of the last scan, they were stable. I am just worried about the pleuradesis in that I would be one where it does not work. The fluid has to go somewhere. I have had my lung drained...thorentesis???(sp) where they go through my back between the ribs, five times already. I absolutely hate the proceedure!!! I cannot stand for them to take more than just under a liter of fluid, at about 900ml the pressure and pain becames too great. I did it one time back to back about 3 days apart they took around 900ml each but there was still at least a liter and a half still in there. My breathing was easier so I did not go back. I am sitting at around 2 liters still in my lung at this time. I would like to just get rid of all the fluid without having to go through that procedure again. So I am looking into the drains. I hear then they can be drained a little at a time, very often, without the pain and pressure. If not then I guess I will have the pleuradesis.
Thank you for the information. How is the new treatment going for you? Hope it is a gentle one with little side effects.
I will be starting Xeloda next week.
(((hugs))) Euro0 -
Euro,
I don't know how these ladies do it, but the way they do the thoracentesis causes me very little pain. The very first one was done by an intervention radiologist and it really, really hurt.
The 2 ladies that I am talking about, a PA and an RN, first use an ultrasound to look at the fluid. Then the PA numbs my skin. Then she injects something for deeper numbing. While the draining is going on Thelma and Louise take turns talking to me about a variety of topics to distract me. Then it's all over! Usually they stop when I start to cough, then continue after I have stopped coughing. They always drain me dry. My last one was only 500 mls! That's a big improvement from 950 mls. which was my average. I go every 5 days.
Do you think the gemzar might be working on me? Too bad I could not have it last Friday. I feel so good today, though, I almost feel normal.
If you go every 3 days your doctor should prescribe something else, a catheter or a pleuradesis.
Hugs to you, my friend.
Brenda0
