Unfortunately things are going downhill
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Once again, cautionary tale for ALL of us. I have to FORCE myself to drink fluids. You wouldn't think so in the summer, but that's just the way it is for me. I'm getting to the point where nothing really tastes that great to me...not even my favorite teas, herbal, iced or whatever. I forced myself to drink some ginger ale yesterday (which I rarely do) because my stomach was upset.
I'm trying different combos of decaf tea and mango juice, cranberry and sparkling H2O, etc. I even keep a glass on my nightstand at night. That being said, I'm lucky if I even get 4 to 6 glasses out of the 8+ we're supposed to have each day, sigh. I better watch it or I could end up like you, Kandy.
Oh, remember NOT to drink GREEN tea on your chemo weeks, ladies. Green tea is anti-oxidant and you WANT full oxidation to occur during your ON CYCLE weeks so the chemo will actually KILL the cancer cells. I only found out about this a month ago, and when I stopped drinking green tea during my Xeloda cycles, my SE's were actually WORSE. Well, that tells you something right there...apparently more chemo was doing its thing in my system, so my hands, feet, and mouth were worse. I just hope the "cell-death" of those nasty buggers was worse too ;o).
As the Dos Equis dude says, "Stay thirsty, my friends" . . . [and keep DRINKING non-alcoholic fluids!]
L
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Yay! So glad you are feeling better! Keeping you in my thoughts. ((Hugs))
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Sending prayers and lots of love! Glad to see you are feeling better today!! You will be in my thoughts and prayers!
Robin
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Lita57 and others, just wanted to educate you on fluids because I did not know this until this time when I was admitted. I actually did ask the question to a Dr that I was so confused. I didn't understand how in the world I could be dehydrated when I drink so much. I actually drink at least 15-8 ounces of water a day. This is how it was explained to me. If your body is fighting a bad infection it doesn't matter how much water you drink, you can not keep up with it. Then your Albumin will drop. Once that happens your body will no longer allow your body to absorb any liquid that you take in. So everything you drink is either peed out or it lets it escape out of the vessels causing some peripheral swelling. Which in return makes the situation even worse. If your body has already went sepsis, your body is shutting down, nothing is working properly anymore and the result is death unless they can turn the situation around quick enough. For this to happen the infection must be being killed by powerful antibiotics and fluids ran in continually. Although it is very important to stay hydrated or you will become dehydrated it will not cause sepsis. It's actually the other way around. Thank you all for the continuing prayers. I really still need them. I found out tonight that during the last month that I've been sick my tumor markers have went up over 700 points. I almost cried. Looks like cancer loves to play while you are skipping chemo cause you are too sick to do it. I'm now over 1700, the highest they have been ever. If sepsis doesn't kill me cancer is. I was lucky enough to get off of ICU today. They said I was so much better than yesterday. Prayers to all of you. Keep your chin up and keep moving forward. God is in control
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Kandy, you are our rubber ball girl...you will bounce back again like after your surgery. With all the antibiotics and fluids and of course the power prayers of this group knocking on heavens door, your body has no choice but to get better.
Sending my heart
Brenda
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Wow, Kandy, I truly did NOT know that...one of the things they didn't cover 40 years ago when I took anatomy and physiology. I guess that's what they mean when they say a person "died of complications." And this is why they tell you to go to the ER immediately when you have a fever when you're stage 4
Of course now I'm totally freaked out cuz this could literally happen to any one of us at any time because chemo lowers one's resistance, making us vulnerable to life-threatening infections.
Still saying prayers for you, Kandy, and a few more for the rest of us.
L
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Kandy - Waves of prayers coming your way on this very bumpy patch of road. May this it be behind you soon. In the mean time, you are lifted in prayer.
>Z<
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Lita, you are exactly right that it could happen at any time. When I went to bed Sunday night I was fine. No symptoms whatsoever, not even a runny nose. When I woke up on Monday morning I was so dehydrated I couldn't get out of the bed. My fever was 102, and I was already in sepsis. Not sure what you do with that, when you are asleep and unaware that anything is happening. But I would advise everyone that as soon as you know you have a fever, please go to the ER. Sepsis is very dangerous. Wishing and praying the best for everyone. Enjoy the moment.
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Thank you for the information Kandy! A much needed lesson to us all. I'm so glad you are starting to feel better and I hope the antibiotics kick its butt!
Hug and prayers
Claudia
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Kandy - thanks for the lesson on hydration, dehydration and sepsis. That is very valuable information. My mother and my husband's father both had sepsis and fully recovered but it was quite the scare. In both cases it happened so quickly just as you described! I'm glad you are doing better and out of the ICU. You are very strong and resilient. You'll be beating those tumor markers down in no time! We're all here for you. You've got a chorus of voices supporting you! ((Hugs))
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Hi All
This is my first post. And I am writing this for my mom who is 57 years old.
After being diagnosed with Stage 4 bone mets in March 2017 and having gone through a complete hip replacement surgery and now being on Xeloda (1500 mg twice a day), she has become very weak. No appetite. No sleep. Can't sit for long, can't lay down for long, can't walk for long. She feels that she has become hollow from inside.
I am trying to get some advise from a naturopath because doctors have no further treatment. Just a few months ago, she was fine, the cancer was in remission and then all of a sudden it came back with sheer power.
Can anyone please advise if there are ways to deal with this fatigue, insomnia, weakness, loss of appetite etc...
Regards
Nouman (for my mom)
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welcome Bliss sorry to hear about your mom. Since this is Kandys thread, you may or may not find the advice you need here. May I suggest you copy your post into the All About Xeloda thread. There are many women there who can answer your questions and give you advice. I'm not saying you wontt find it here, but you may get a better resonse there. Good luck.
Stefanie
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Oh my gosh Kandy, I am so relieved that this was caught. Sounded like such a close call and so scary for you. I am happy to hear they got you out of ICU and on the upswing. God, with everything that goes with this disease how do we keep up and remember? Thanks you for the lesson on hydration which I found very interesting as I drink a lot every day and still feel dehydrated and the get the ascites build up.....I hope they spring you soon and back on the chemo. I'm just praying for a big break for you.
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Kandy, glad the antibiotics are doing the job and you feel better. Hang in there!
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So glad you are feeling a little better and are out of ICU. That said, I hope that your TMs begin to drop and you can get treatment as soon as you are able! Also, despite what you have been challenged with, you have lovingly taken the time to educate us about dehydration, and your kindness and information are deeply appreciated!
Looking forward to hearing that you will be home soon and feeling even better!
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Just a quick update. Yesterday I found out my tumor markers have risen over 700 points in the last month and that would be with me just missing 1 treatment. Obviously, I became very upset. They are now over 1700. The hospitalist came in and said because this has happened he did not think my MO would give me chemo for at least 2 weeks. Hmmm. Counting because last week was my week off from chemo, that would mean going 4 weeks with no chemo. I became more upset. I was like great, that means my markers will be over 5000 before I get it again. My MO is out of town this week, so they called his partner to come talk to me. He said that actually if I was his patient he wouldn't give chemo for 3 months. More upset. He said he was afraid the chemo was causing the pneumonia and each time it gets worse. That one of these times they aren't going to be able to control it. In fact, he said the next chemo could be the one that would do it. His recommendation was to try a hormonal. I told him that I had discussed going back on hormonals with my MO and he had said he wanted to do that but he needed a 3 month window that he could try it, have time to see if it would work and if it didn't to revert back to chemo and him have time to get it back under control. And my MO didn't feel like he had that 3 month window. He said this is true but it might be the chance we have to take. That he felt like I was close to dying from complications from chemo. So, what to do. He said that of course it would be up to my mo. He was very concerned about the rising markers and the fact that they rose that much just with 1 missed chemo and felt like maybe this isn't working anyway. So he ordered a CT to be done last night to see what's up. He will come back to see me today and let me know what they say. The other thing the nurse told me was I'm peeing out 3 times the amount I'm taking in. That obviously there is no way I can keep up with that and if they send me home I will be right back for dehydration. We have no idea why this is happening but she has left the Drs a note that they need to look into this. Ladies thank you all for all the kind words and holding me up in prayer. I'm hanging in there. In case at some point I go MIA, y'all can't get in touch with TarheelMichelle. She has even came to visit so she knows what's happening here. Thank you TarheelMichelle for being a great friend. Keep the prayers coming and I'm also lifting each of you up in prayer. Enjoy the moment
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Kandy, I hope you get some answers soon and can get a treatment plan set up. We are learning so much information from your unfortunate experience. Know that many of us are thinking of you and sending you prayers and positive thoughts. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Hang in there!
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hugs.
if there is any consolation. Pneumonia treatment and all the antibiotics can also drive tumor marker up without any real grow in the cancer. It's difficult but try to rest now and maybe go on a relaxing trip to let the body recuperate.
Saying a prayer for you
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Yangtan, is that really true that markers rise because of pneumonia? That would give me so much hope.
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Good grief, Kandy. What a frighteningly sudden turn of events. Here I am drinking coffee, scrolling through this thread and catching up, admiring the photo of you and your husband, feeling happy for your being at the beach and then--bam--reading you're in the hospital!
I'm glad you're feeling so much better and are out of the ICU. Rest, recover and let those antibiotics do their thing!
Tina
P.S. Posted the above before I read your very latest posts. Thinking of you, I'm by your side in spirit. Hang tough!
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OMG Kandy, I cannot believe all of this is happening to you so fast- Fortunately, you seem to be very calm and keeping your wits about you, which is essential! The first thing I thought of when you said sepsis and tumor markers rising crazy is that it may not be the cancer, everything is crazy in your body right now. Sepsis should be killing off a lot of the cancer anyway. At times like these its beyond aggrevating that we still do not to have some FDA-approved option that includes immunotherapy, understanding full well that most people don't respond to it, but for the few that do, it can last for years. Plus the fact that it works best on the most mutated aggressive cancers- and understanding of course you wouldn't go on that alone, but why not add some into the mix?! Thank you for taking the time to share what is going on and what options are being discussed, and we all hope to hear soon that your scans show a very different picture from what the stupid tumor markers indicate..
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Praying for you Kandy. It is shocking and scary how fast things can take a turn. Praying that you can get this turned around and headed In the right direction. Thank you so much for always taking the time to post and keep us informed.
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More bad news ladies. Report was progression of the liver in number and significant changes in size. I'm starting to feel doomed. Nothing has worked in a year. Now even chemo isn't working. He said of course it will be up to my MO but his recommendation would be to try Ibrance. More prayers needed, I'm flying through my options. Take care ladies. Enjoy every moment you can.
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Kandy, I'm so sorry you are going through this. You've had far more than your fair share of bad breaks. Your situation has to turn around. You hang in there! ((Hugs
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so sorry Kandy. I was hoping that marker flare was due to all the antibiotic. I had that when I had pneumonia and septic gall bladder infection. Praying that there will be a concoction that will work for you. Hug
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Kandy Im sending prayers and healing vibes your way.
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Kandy- can you spell out what treatments you've had thus far, and for how long?
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Cure-ious, please remind me after I get home. I just have my phone and I'm finding it difficult to edit on it. When I get home if you remind me I will edit it on the computer.
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In efforts to salvage something from this shitty situation, would the liver progression be an opportunity to biopsy a tumor and send it off for genomic testing? You'd still need effextivetreatment until you got the results back and came up with s plan to attack mutations you might have but I think genomically based treatments are going to be the future of cancer care
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Kandy, we haven't had many chances to communicate as I'm pretty new to the site but I'm sending my prayers. Stay strong and remember there are still lots of options. When I started my MBC treatment in February we started with chemo in an attempt to knock back my lung symptoms. Three cycles of Taxol were a big fat fail. Not only did it not reduce the cancer in my lung but there was also progression in my bones. All this to say that chemo is not always the solution and perhaps it is time to try hormone therapy again.
I hope you're home soon and able to meet with your MO to come up with a plan.
Hugs.
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