Father had surgery 10 days ago.
Thanks,
Joey
Comments
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Weight Loss is typical
Joey,
I am not sure about the paleness but weight loss is typical after surgery of this type. I weighed 150 lbs prior to surgery and I went down to 130 lbs after surgery and that was using a j-tube to supplement my food intake via mouth.
A j-tube is a feeding tube connected to your small intestine that feeds a high calorie food supplement directly into your intestines. It is a typical aid after surgery that reduces the size of the patient's stomach.
Your father has a stomach that is much smaller than it was prior to surgery so he will become full must faster than previously. He will need to learn to eat small amounts five or six times a day.
As relates to the paleness, if it persists I would investigate anemia as a potential problem but your dad has been through a very physically stressful surgery so it will take some time for him to recover to his previous state.
I am going to include some web site references to diets that are recommended for post surgical recovery:
Esophagectomy diet:
http://www.upmc.com/HealthAtoZ/patienteducation/Documents/Esophagectomy.pdf
Dumping diet:
http://www.upmc.com/HealthAtoZ/patienteducation/Documents/DumpingSynDiet.pdf
He is very fortunate to have been diagnosed this early. Most people with EC are diagnosed at a much later stage.
Best of luck to him in his recovery.
Paul Adams
AKA "paul61"
McCormick, South Carolina0 -
Hi Joey and welcome to you
Hi Joey and welcome to you and your dad. Congrats to your dad for having the surgery and for it going so well. I agree with Paul, he should get the j tube. The paleness may be coming from him being anemic, if it persists, I would mention it to the dr. I was a caregiver for my dad, he passed in March from ec with mets to the liver. Best of luck to you. Keep in touch.
Tina0 -
hi, thanks for theTina Blondek said:Hi Joey and welcome to you
Hi Joey and welcome to you and your dad. Congrats to your dad for having the surgery and for it going so well. I agree with Paul, he should get the j tube. The paleness may be coming from him being anemic, if it persists, I would mention it to the dr. I was a caregiver for my dad, he passed in March from ec with mets to the liver. Best of luck to you. Keep in touch.
Tina
hi, thanks for the responses. They are very helpful. I already forwarded the files to my father. He does have a J tube already in place, however it isnt having any issues eating by mouth. My mother is pretty good at counting calories and stuff and today she said that he didnt lose any weight which is awesome. I do have another question though...has anyone tried going to a store like GNC to buy those weight gainer powders or muscle builder powders? I'm curious if that would help my father or anyone else. They seem to have loads of protein and calories in them. Just curious if this would work. Thanks for the information so far. We all didnt know what "dumping syndrome" was. And the information was very helpful, as well as not drinking while eating. I told my father that yesterday and he said that it helped. So again thank you! Hopefully he will get some more strength back. But to be honest, for being 11 days since surgery he's doing phenomenally. Thank you everyone!0 -
Joey, Congrats on the earlyJoey524 said:hi, thanks for the
hi, thanks for the responses. They are very helpful. I already forwarded the files to my father. He does have a J tube already in place, however it isnt having any issues eating by mouth. My mother is pretty good at counting calories and stuff and today she said that he didnt lose any weight which is awesome. I do have another question though...has anyone tried going to a store like GNC to buy those weight gainer powders or muscle builder powders? I'm curious if that would help my father or anyone else. They seem to have loads of protein and calories in them. Just curious if this would work. Thanks for the information so far. We all didnt know what "dumping syndrome" was. And the information was very helpful, as well as not drinking while eating. I told my father that yesterday and he said that it helped. So again thank you! Hopefully he will get some more strength back. But to be honest, for being 11 days since surgery he's doing phenomenally. Thank you everyone!
Joey, Congrats on the early diagnosis and successful surgery! I just wanted to add a little bit to the discussion. My dad did alot of the ensure drinks while doing chemo & radiation before surgery, but can't tolerate them after surgery---too much sugar or carbs in them---causing the dumping syndrome. The Dr's then suggested the GLucerna drinks---apparently they are similar to Ensure, but are for Diabetics and have less sugars & carbs. I am not sure (and will yiled to others on this site) if it is beneficial or necessary to go to a GNC for nutritional drinks & such. I think you pay a lot higher price and may not need all of that??? You can buy whey protein powder at SAMs & grocery stores for example...
Oh---walking multiple times a day really helped my dad feel better and get his strength back---he said it was part of his "medicine" and it seemed to help.
prayers the rest of recovery keeps on this track!
Kim0 -
Thanks for the reply. IK_ann1015 said:Joey, Congrats on the early
Joey, Congrats on the early diagnosis and successful surgery! I just wanted to add a little bit to the discussion. My dad did alot of the ensure drinks while doing chemo & radiation before surgery, but can't tolerate them after surgery---too much sugar or carbs in them---causing the dumping syndrome. The Dr's then suggested the GLucerna drinks---apparently they are similar to Ensure, but are for Diabetics and have less sugars & carbs. I am not sure (and will yiled to others on this site) if it is beneficial or necessary to go to a GNC for nutritional drinks & such. I think you pay a lot higher price and may not need all of that??? You can buy whey protein powder at SAMs & grocery stores for example...
Oh---walking multiple times a day really helped my dad feel better and get his strength back---he said it was part of his "medicine" and it seemed to help.
prayers the rest of recovery keeps on this track!
Kim
Thanks for the reply. I didnt know about the GLucema. I will let my parents know about it. Maybe that will help in him feeling full so fast. And yes since he got home from the hospital i know his walking hasn't been as much. But today they are going to the mall. My mom wanted to get him a wheelchair because he gets tired, but i told her to make him walk until he gets tired then use the wheel chair or go home. Unless im giving the wrong information??
Joey0 -
This comment has been removed by the ModeratorJoey524 said:Thanks for the reply. I
Thanks for the reply. I didnt know about the GLucema. I will let my parents know about it. Maybe that will help in him feeling full so fast. And yes since he got home from the hospital i know his walking hasn't been as much. But today they are going to the mall. My mom wanted to get him a wheelchair because he gets tired, but i told her to make him walk until he gets tired then use the wheel chair or go home. Unless im giving the wrong information??
Joey0 -
Wow i really appreciate allunknown said:This comment has been removed by the Moderator
Wow i really appreciate all your help. And yes my father is healthy on all other aspects. Infact, what i think his biggest thing is, is that before the surgery he felt fine. He never had a symptom of being sick or anything. So i think he just feels down and out to feel totally "fine" one minute then 4 hours later after surgery his whole life is turned upside down. So I think that he's a little "depressed" for a lack of a better word. But they did end up going to the mall today and they walked around a little. I spoke to my parents again about the walking thing and I think I got it through to my dad. I might have left this out that we are 100% Italian so we are pretty damn stubborn haha. I think he just really wants his j tube out, he says its annoying and it feels like someone is pinching him on that side at all times. Maybe that will boost his morale once it comes out. But i will keep you all updated on his progress..i really do appreciate all the help and my father does also. One day i will get him on this forum and he can ask his own questions. :-)
Joey0 -
This comment has been removed by the ModeratorJoey524 said:Wow i really appreciate all
Wow i really appreciate all your help. And yes my father is healthy on all other aspects. Infact, what i think his biggest thing is, is that before the surgery he felt fine. He never had a symptom of being sick or anything. So i think he just feels down and out to feel totally "fine" one minute then 4 hours later after surgery his whole life is turned upside down. So I think that he's a little "depressed" for a lack of a better word. But they did end up going to the mall today and they walked around a little. I spoke to my parents again about the walking thing and I think I got it through to my dad. I might have left this out that we are 100% Italian so we are pretty damn stubborn haha. I think he just really wants his j tube out, he says its annoying and it feels like someone is pinching him on that side at all times. Maybe that will boost his morale once it comes out. But i will keep you all updated on his progress..i really do appreciate all the help and my father does also. One day i will get him on this forum and he can ask his own questions. :-)
Joey0 -
stubborn parents! haha!Joey524 said:Wow i really appreciate all
Wow i really appreciate all your help. And yes my father is healthy on all other aspects. Infact, what i think his biggest thing is, is that before the surgery he felt fine. He never had a symptom of being sick or anything. So i think he just feels down and out to feel totally "fine" one minute then 4 hours later after surgery his whole life is turned upside down. So I think that he's a little "depressed" for a lack of a better word. But they did end up going to the mall today and they walked around a little. I spoke to my parents again about the walking thing and I think I got it through to my dad. I might have left this out that we are 100% Italian so we are pretty damn stubborn haha. I think he just really wants his j tube out, he says its annoying and it feels like someone is pinching him on that side at all times. Maybe that will boost his morale once it comes out. But i will keep you all updated on his progress..i really do appreciate all the help and my father does also. One day i will get him on this forum and he can ask his own questions. :-)
Joey
Hi Joey,
funny that you mention stubborn parents---mine are not Italian, but they can be set in their ways! They appreciate guidance, but....well you know. My dad has certain ideas about food that affected him badly during chemo or post op--etc and may never try it again!---thinking it was the only reason he may not have felt well. An example is whey protein powder that I recommended putting in a shake or in other food, because his weight was low... well it was probably the chemo, radiation or the antibiotic that caused diarrhea, but he probably will never try whey protein powder again, even though he could really benefit from it.
But--to make your dad feel better---him getting moving should make him feel better about himself, but (of course) it would need to be gradual and guided by him-not pushed on him. Taking the wheel chair to the mall is a good idea if he wouldn't over use it all the time (I don't think he would). It would help him to know if he starts to feel bad, he can use it and not pass out and embarrass himself! He is still a MAN, right? (smile). He will be more likely to do things if he knows he has a safety net--or an out if he poops out...
ALSO---He can PUSH the wheelchair--it is easier, helps balance, keeps him upright & moving longer (good for healing, for the lungs, heart & psyche!). My husband mom prefers to push the grocery cart (no matter how heavy) after her 4 total joint replacements!--don't think it is not REAL walking---it will LEAD to regular walking after strength & endurance improves.
(by the way---I am not a doctor---don't claim to be---just have been through this with my dad and am a physical therapist and used to getting people moving even if weak, scared, sick or compromised)
Your parents are lucky to have your support and we are all lucky to have this site! Give you mom & dad a hug when you can!
Kim0 -
ThanksK_ann1015 said:stubborn parents! haha!
Hi Joey,
funny that you mention stubborn parents---mine are not Italian, but they can be set in their ways! They appreciate guidance, but....well you know. My dad has certain ideas about food that affected him badly during chemo or post op--etc and may never try it again!---thinking it was the only reason he may not have felt well. An example is whey protein powder that I recommended putting in a shake or in other food, because his weight was low... well it was probably the chemo, radiation or the antibiotic that caused diarrhea, but he probably will never try whey protein powder again, even though he could really benefit from it.
But--to make your dad feel better---him getting moving should make him feel better about himself, but (of course) it would need to be gradual and guided by him-not pushed on him. Taking the wheel chair to the mall is a good idea if he wouldn't over use it all the time (I don't think he would). It would help him to know if he starts to feel bad, he can use it and not pass out and embarrass himself! He is still a MAN, right? (smile). He will be more likely to do things if he knows he has a safety net--or an out if he poops out...
ALSO---He can PUSH the wheelchair--it is easier, helps balance, keeps him upright & moving longer (good for healing, for the lungs, heart & psyche!). My husband mom prefers to push the grocery cart (no matter how heavy) after her 4 total joint replacements!--don't think it is not REAL walking---it will LEAD to regular walking after strength & endurance improves.
(by the way---I am not a doctor---don't claim to be---just have been through this with my dad and am a physical therapist and used to getting people moving even if weak, scared, sick or compromised)
Your parents are lucky to have your support and we are all lucky to have this site! Give you mom & dad a hug when you can!
Kim
Hey!! Thanks for everyones responses. They have been real helpful. My father has a follow up appointment i believe on the 29th to get the staples out of his incision site. Also they are going to be telling him about the pathology test results, which will tell us if he's going to need to have a few rounds of chemo "just to be safe". I'm for and against the chemo. I understand its a wise thing to do just in case some of the cells were jarred loose during surgery BUT my father is making good progress after this surgery and i think the chemo will knock him back down a little. But obviously as long as he's cancer free i shouldn't be complaining. I think they are saying he might be lactose intolerant now? I didn't know he would just turn lactose intolerant all of a sudden, but who knows. All and all, everything is progressing in the right direction. He seems to lose a pound over night and then regain it during the day so if he can keep that up that will be good.
Joey
P.S. Hugs are always given in an Italian family...even to strangers lol0 -
This comment has been removed by the ModeratorJoey524 said:Thanks
Hey!! Thanks for everyones responses. They have been real helpful. My father has a follow up appointment i believe on the 29th to get the staples out of his incision site. Also they are going to be telling him about the pathology test results, which will tell us if he's going to need to have a few rounds of chemo "just to be safe". I'm for and against the chemo. I understand its a wise thing to do just in case some of the cells were jarred loose during surgery BUT my father is making good progress after this surgery and i think the chemo will knock him back down a little. But obviously as long as he's cancer free i shouldn't be complaining. I think they are saying he might be lactose intolerant now? I didn't know he would just turn lactose intolerant all of a sudden, but who knows. All and all, everything is progressing in the right direction. He seems to lose a pound over night and then regain it during the day so if he can keep that up that will be good.
Joey
P.S. Hugs are always given in an Italian family...even to strangers lol0 -
follow up chemo and new dietJoey524 said:Thanks
Hey!! Thanks for everyones responses. They have been real helpful. My father has a follow up appointment i believe on the 29th to get the staples out of his incision site. Also they are going to be telling him about the pathology test results, which will tell us if he's going to need to have a few rounds of chemo "just to be safe". I'm for and against the chemo. I understand its a wise thing to do just in case some of the cells were jarred loose during surgery BUT my father is making good progress after this surgery and i think the chemo will knock him back down a little. But obviously as long as he's cancer free i shouldn't be complaining. I think they are saying he might be lactose intolerant now? I didn't know he would just turn lactose intolerant all of a sudden, but who knows. All and all, everything is progressing in the right direction. He seems to lose a pound over night and then regain it during the day so if he can keep that up that will be good.
Joey
P.S. Hugs are always given in an Italian family...even to strangers lol
Joey,
Hi again,
It seems my dad has even more in common with your dad! First the diet stuff...His Dr.'s did the follow up differently diet recommendations differently than other places--not sure if I agree--but then again I am no Dr. But it really did end up working for him. I had printed up the "esophagectomy diet", (I think from Dr Luitech?) for my parents---his Dr's said he did not need to follow it. Instead he was on tube feedings a little longer to make sure a possible leak area healed, then he started slowly with fluids and soft foods as tolerated. They did not limit anything, just gave guidelines. They said nothing is off limits, just try a little the first time and go from there. I was very skeptical, but my dad can eat pretty much what he wants---but has to watch the sugars, acid and too much milk. He actually. can eat much more of a variety of food than I exspected. I don't know if this helps at all---just know that his body & digestive system will gradually adjust post surgery, but won't be what it was.
Also--my dad's surgeon did not want post op chemo, but his oncologist did. He had a very easy time with the first 4 weeks of a very intensive clinical trial at Duke of chemo & radiation, but around 5 1/2 weeks he started to have a really hard time. I was afraid the post op chemo would be too hard on him---but knew that to have a chance at long term recovery, he probably had to have it. He made the decision on his own to do it, but the Dr's had him recover---I think about a month???. It also was not as strong the intial chemo regimen. He was able to get some strength & stamina back before he began. HE is 1/2 through his last (6th) round and doing well. HE is 71 and an active (although light duty now) volunteer firefighter and very active in his yard & barn fixing things. If you can get your dad into any of the things he enjoyed before surgery, it helps recovery and helps him feel like himself---it also helps them "look forward" and hope for the future... SO even on tough days--they have something to look forward too.
I just wanted you to know that the post op chemo doesn't always completely wipe them out.
Prayers for the best!
Kim0 -
UpdateK_ann1015 said:follow up chemo and new diet
Joey,
Hi again,
It seems my dad has even more in common with your dad! First the diet stuff...His Dr.'s did the follow up differently diet recommendations differently than other places--not sure if I agree--but then again I am no Dr. But it really did end up working for him. I had printed up the "esophagectomy diet", (I think from Dr Luitech?) for my parents---his Dr's said he did not need to follow it. Instead he was on tube feedings a little longer to make sure a possible leak area healed, then he started slowly with fluids and soft foods as tolerated. They did not limit anything, just gave guidelines. They said nothing is off limits, just try a little the first time and go from there. I was very skeptical, but my dad can eat pretty much what he wants---but has to watch the sugars, acid and too much milk. He actually. can eat much more of a variety of food than I exspected. I don't know if this helps at all---just know that his body & digestive system will gradually adjust post surgery, but won't be what it was.
Also--my dad's surgeon did not want post op chemo, but his oncologist did. He had a very easy time with the first 4 weeks of a very intensive clinical trial at Duke of chemo & radiation, but around 5 1/2 weeks he started to have a really hard time. I was afraid the post op chemo would be too hard on him---but knew that to have a chance at long term recovery, he probably had to have it. He made the decision on his own to do it, but the Dr's had him recover---I think about a month???. It also was not as strong the intial chemo regimen. He was able to get some strength & stamina back before he began. HE is 1/2 through his last (6th) round and doing well. HE is 71 and an active (although light duty now) volunteer firefighter and very active in his yard & barn fixing things. If you can get your dad into any of the things he enjoyed before surgery, it helps recovery and helps him feel like himself---it also helps them "look forward" and hope for the future... SO even on tough days--they have something to look forward too.
I just wanted you to know that the post op chemo doesn't always completely wipe them out.
Prayers for the best!
Kim
So, I'm sorry Ive been away from the forum for so long, but things have been going well with my father and Ive been back busy at work. But here's the update as of now, and some new questions i have. My fathers doctors appt. went well. They said he is healing and recovery very well. They took 13 lymph nodes out and out of those 13, 1 has cancer cells in it. So they said that was good. I don't if that is good or not, obviously less is better. So he still has his feeding tube in, and they said to leave it in for another 2 weeks. He is still eating on his own and doing well with that and starting to get larger volumes of food down without issues. Although he is still losing weight. He's lost 10lbs so far. I hope that's all he loses. Also at the doctors appt, they said that they want to do chemo just to "clean up" any cells. I think he is going to start that sometime in July. My questions are, how much will chemo knock him down? Also my mother just told me that they have an appt. with the radiation doc on Tuesday. She doesn't understand why. Is he going to be receiving radiation also? Correct me if I'm wrong but i thought radiation was for tumors. And after the surgery he doesn't have a tumor anymore. So other then that, everything is going well.
Joey0 -
Chemo Only or Radiation with Chemo are both optionsJoey524 said:Update
So, I'm sorry Ive been away from the forum for so long, but things have been going well with my father and Ive been back busy at work. But here's the update as of now, and some new questions i have. My fathers doctors appt. went well. They said he is healing and recovery very well. They took 13 lymph nodes out and out of those 13, 1 has cancer cells in it. So they said that was good. I don't if that is good or not, obviously less is better. So he still has his feeding tube in, and they said to leave it in for another 2 weeks. He is still eating on his own and doing well with that and starting to get larger volumes of food down without issues. Although he is still losing weight. He's lost 10lbs so far. I hope that's all he loses. Also at the doctors appt, they said that they want to do chemo just to "clean up" any cells. I think he is going to start that sometime in July. My questions are, how much will chemo knock him down? Also my mother just told me that they have an appt. with the radiation doc on Tuesday. She doesn't understand why. Is he going to be receiving radiation also? Correct me if I'm wrong but i thought radiation was for tumors. And after the surgery he doesn't have a tumor anymore. So other then that, everything is going well.
Joey
Joey,
Like your Dad I was diagnosed as Stage 1 and had Ivor Lewis surgery to removed the tumor. When they sent the lymph nodes they removed to pathology after surgery they found abnormal cells in one of them. I had follow up chemo to "clean up" any stray cells.
When my oncologist discussed options with me he stated "We have three options; we can do chemo with radiation of the tissue around where the tumor was, we can do chemo only, or we can do nothing and hope the surgery got everything. I recommend the chemo option."
So that is what I did. I had six rounds of Cisplatin and Epirubicin, with continuous 5 FU via an infusion pump I wore during the entire 18 week period. The Cisplatin and Epirubicin were administered every 21 days.
How much will the chemo knock your dad down?
That is hard to say because everyone reacts to chemo differently. I would be less than honest if I didn't say that having chemo while trying to recover from surgery was difficult. I weighed 150 lbs prior to surgery, I weighed 130 lbs when I got out of the hospital after surgery, and I weighed 120 lbs when I finished my chemo. I had very little difficulty with nausea, but one of the side effects the chemo gave me was diarrhea. That caused me to lose some weight before my oncologist found a way to deal with it. Plus, dehydration was an issue, and I found I had to go in for IV fluids periodically. Now that I have finished chemo I have begun to gain weight again.
I did not keep my j-tube during chemo but some people feel it was helpful to keep their j-tube for the duration of chemo to provide additional calories.
Best Regards,
Paul Adams
AKA "paul61"
McCormick, South Carolina0 -
This comment has been removed by the ModeratorJoey524 said:Update
So, I'm sorry Ive been away from the forum for so long, but things have been going well with my father and Ive been back busy at work. But here's the update as of now, and some new questions i have. My fathers doctors appt. went well. They said he is healing and recovery very well. They took 13 lymph nodes out and out of those 13, 1 has cancer cells in it. So they said that was good. I don't if that is good or not, obviously less is better. So he still has his feeding tube in, and they said to leave it in for another 2 weeks. He is still eating on his own and doing well with that and starting to get larger volumes of food down without issues. Although he is still losing weight. He's lost 10lbs so far. I hope that's all he loses. Also at the doctors appt, they said that they want to do chemo just to "clean up" any cells. I think he is going to start that sometime in July. My questions are, how much will chemo knock him down? Also my mother just told me that they have an appt. with the radiation doc on Tuesday. She doesn't understand why. Is he going to be receiving radiation also? Correct me if I'm wrong but i thought radiation was for tumors. And after the surgery he doesn't have a tumor anymore. So other then that, everything is going well.
Joey0 -
Clean-up Chemo . . .Joey524 said:Update
So, I'm sorry Ive been away from the forum for so long, but things have been going well with my father and Ive been back busy at work. But here's the update as of now, and some new questions i have. My fathers doctors appt. went well. They said he is healing and recovery very well. They took 13 lymph nodes out and out of those 13, 1 has cancer cells in it. So they said that was good. I don't if that is good or not, obviously less is better. So he still has his feeding tube in, and they said to leave it in for another 2 weeks. He is still eating on his own and doing well with that and starting to get larger volumes of food down without issues. Although he is still losing weight. He's lost 10lbs so far. I hope that's all he loses. Also at the doctors appt, they said that they want to do chemo just to "clean up" any cells. I think he is going to start that sometime in July. My questions are, how much will chemo knock him down? Also my mother just told me that they have an appt. with the radiation doc on Tuesday. She doesn't understand why. Is he going to be receiving radiation also? Correct me if I'm wrong but i thought radiation was for tumors. And after the surgery he doesn't have a tumor anymore. So other then that, everything is going well.
Joey
Hi Joey,
Following chemo (cisplatin and 5FU) and radiation, my husband had surgery in March 2008. Although two of the removed lymph nodes showed cancer cells, the oncologist recommended against additional “clean up” chemo because the original chemo was heavy-duty stuff and, according to him, should have caught it all, if it was to be caught. Even though we were nervous about not having any additional chemo, we followed his advice, but had wondered if we made the right decision. I don’t think the medical community really knows what the best path to follow is, so it is hard for patients to know what course to take. Unfortunately, we faced a recurrence in December 2009. But, after additional chemo, starting twenty-two months after surgery, we have now emerged NED! We are plagued by the thought that the additional chemo right after surgery might have either delayed or prevented the recurrence. If we had to it all over again, we would probably opt for the extra chemo as a safeguard, if there are any. We might have felt more peace of mind as well.
Additional chemo can be challenging and reactions can be difficult to predict. Don’t know if your dad will be fine through it or, as you ask, knocked out. Everyone is different. My husband made it through all his chemo and, although somewhat fatigued, he continued to work full time.
Re the additional radiation therapy, I don’t know much about that. I, like you, thought that radiation is intended for targeting tumors. I noticed that Paul has left some comments for you.
I would encourage you to ask lots of questions . . . only then will you feel that your family has enough information to make the right decision for your situation.
Wishing you the best going forward . . .
Trisha0 -
Trisha and Joeytb7 said:Clean-up Chemo . . .
Hi Joey,
Following chemo (cisplatin and 5FU) and radiation, my husband had surgery in March 2008. Although two of the removed lymph nodes showed cancer cells, the oncologist recommended against additional “clean up” chemo because the original chemo was heavy-duty stuff and, according to him, should have caught it all, if it was to be caught. Even though we were nervous about not having any additional chemo, we followed his advice, but had wondered if we made the right decision. I don’t think the medical community really knows what the best path to follow is, so it is hard for patients to know what course to take. Unfortunately, we faced a recurrence in December 2009. But, after additional chemo, starting twenty-two months after surgery, we have now emerged NED! We are plagued by the thought that the additional chemo right after surgery might have either delayed or prevented the recurrence. If we had to it all over again, we would probably opt for the extra chemo as a safeguard, if there are any. We might have felt more peace of mind as well.
Additional chemo can be challenging and reactions can be difficult to predict. Don’t know if your dad will be fine through it or, as you ask, knocked out. Everyone is different. My husband made it through all his chemo and, although somewhat fatigued, he continued to work full time.
Re the additional radiation therapy, I don’t know much about that. I, like you, thought that radiation is intended for targeting tumors. I noticed that Paul has left some comments for you.
I would encourage you to ask lots of questions . . . only then will you feel that your family has enough information to make the right decision for your situation.
Wishing you the best going forward . . .
Trisha
Hi,
I had clean up chemo just ending this March. This is how my oncologist explained what and why he did it. I had one bad lymph node found during surgery out of 19 nodes. He said many drs do not do cleanup but he does it but it is not always done. I was glad he did it. Joey how much your Dad is knocked down depends on the chemo med used. I was only given Taxotere in 3 cycles, I would be ill for about 5 days and then weak for about a week afterwards. Have your Dad ask if he gets taxotere if they recommend the Clariten when they give the Neulasta. So far my last CT scan is clear waiting to get the next 7/6. Good luck to your Dad and glad he has you to help with the journey. Prayers always, take care,
Donna700 -
Update Part IIDonna70 said:Trisha and Joey
Hi,
I had clean up chemo just ending this March. This is how my oncologist explained what and why he did it. I had one bad lymph node found during surgery out of 19 nodes. He said many drs do not do cleanup but he does it but it is not always done. I was glad he did it. Joey how much your Dad is knocked down depends on the chemo med used. I was only given Taxotere in 3 cycles, I would be ill for about 5 days and then weak for about a week afterwards. Have your Dad ask if he gets taxotere if they recommend the Clariten when they give the Neulasta. So far my last CT scan is clear waiting to get the next 7/6. Good luck to your Dad and glad he has you to help with the journey. Prayers always, take care,
Donna70
Hey Thanks for the info. Heres another update. My father is going today 6/30 for a CAT scan, because the oncologist wants to make sure he can do radiation without harming any other organs. I'm still not sure if they are defiantly doing radiation or not but I think they want to do radiation and chemo. Um...now I don't know if this is normal but they said that my father is going to be having chemo 5 days a week all day long. Like he's going to have a mobile pack on him that's going to be 24 hours for 5 days a week for 5 weeks. I'm not sure what type of chemo it is yet. Um...he is starting chemo on the 18th or around there I cant remember the exact date right now. Sooo that's all I know as of now...really the only question I have is, is the time line sound normal? 24 hours a day for 5 days? Well anymore info would be awesome.
Thanks,
Joey0 -
The timing sounds typical for a "clean Up" radiation/chemo cycleJoey524 said:Update Part II
Hey Thanks for the info. Heres another update. My father is going today 6/30 for a CAT scan, because the oncologist wants to make sure he can do radiation without harming any other organs. I'm still not sure if they are defiantly doing radiation or not but I think they want to do radiation and chemo. Um...now I don't know if this is normal but they said that my father is going to be having chemo 5 days a week all day long. Like he's going to have a mobile pack on him that's going to be 24 hours for 5 days a week for 5 weeks. I'm not sure what type of chemo it is yet. Um...he is starting chemo on the 18th or around there I cant remember the exact date right now. Sooo that's all I know as of now...really the only question I have is, is the time line sound normal? 24 hours a day for 5 days? Well anymore info would be awesome.
Thanks,
Joey
Joey,
I would not be too happy about additional radiation after surgery. I would really want to understand the benefit of radiation with chemo as opposed to chemo only.
But; that being said,the timing sounds typical for a radiation and chemo "clean Up" cycle.
Your dad will need to get a "port" installed in his chest. (This is a device that allows access to his veins for IV infusion; it is implanted just under the skin.) It is quick and painless. He will wear a portable infusion pump (about the size of a fanny pack) and the typical chemotherapy agent used with radiation is 5 FU. Side effects from the 5 FU should be minimal (some diarreha and loss of appitite) typically.
Side effects from the radiation are more significant. They usually include substaintial fatigue and sometimes skin irritation and sub-tissue pain at the radiation site.
The typical duration is 5 to 6 weeks for this type of treatment.
Hope things work out well for your dad..
Paul Adams
AKA "paul61"
McCormick, South Carolina0 -
Thankspaul61 said:The timing sounds typical for a "clean Up" radiation/chemo cycle
Joey,
I would not be too happy about additional radiation after surgery. I would really want to understand the benefit of radiation with chemo as opposed to chemo only.
But; that being said,the timing sounds typical for a radiation and chemo "clean Up" cycle.
Your dad will need to get a "port" installed in his chest. (This is a device that allows access to his veins for IV infusion; it is implanted just under the skin.) It is quick and painless. He will wear a portable infusion pump (about the size of a fanny pack) and the typical chemotherapy agent used with radiation is 5 FU. Side effects from the 5 FU should be minimal (some diarreha and loss of appitite) typically.
Side effects from the radiation are more significant. They usually include substaintial fatigue and sometimes skin irritation and sub-tissue pain at the radiation site.
The typical duration is 5 to 6 weeks for this type of treatment.
Hope things work out well for your dad..
Paul Adams
AKA "paul61"
McCormick, South Carolina
Thanks Paul. So I really should discourage the radiation. I mean I guess understand the reasoning for it but if there's no tumor there wouldn't the chemo take care of anything else. So chemo doesn't sound like its to "bad". Will he lose his hair?
Thanks,
Joey0
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