Chemo 7 completed

Ro10
Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
Sorry to be so late in updating, but our power was off for two and a half days due to a storm that went through. So much of the city was without power. Trees and lines were down all over town.

I went to the doctor on Tuesday. My CA 125 was 43.5 down from 50.9 three weeks ago. The doctor felt I should have one more chemo treatment and then go into observation mode of lab work every month and possibly CAT scan every three months.

So I had my two long days of 9 - 4:30 treatments. They were long but uneventful days. The metallic taste is back already. It was nice to have a week of normal tasting food and drink. I hope I can say this was my last treatment for quite a while.

Thank you for all the thoughts, positive vibes and prayers. They are much appreciated. In peace and caring.

Comments

  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #2
    update
    Thanks for the update. I'm with you - hope all goes smoothly and you go into surveillance. Question: Can they do PET/CT to monitor rather than CT so you get less radiation exposure???

    All the best, Ro. Mary Ann
  • upsofloating
    upsofloating Member Posts: 466 Member
    #3
    Ro, the good news is you
    Ro, the good news is you were able to get all 7 rounds! Sounds like this last went out with quite a storm. Time now to recover and enjoy summertime and your garden.
    Thanks for updating us.
    Annie
  • kkstef
    kkstef Member Posts: 688 Member
    #4
    Good news Ro
    I am hoping that you have a long time ahead of you to enjoy the things that are meaningful to you and that bring you peace and tranquility! So glad that you are finished with this seige!

    Wishing you the very best....you deserve a LONG rest from treatment!

    Hugs, Karen
  • HellieC
    HellieC Member Posts: 524 Member
    #5
    It's been a long road - but you're nearly there
    Keep those markers dropping - they are so close to being within "NED range" now! This last treatment should do it! 7 treatments is a lot to cope with, but you have been so patient with it all, despite all the problems. Wishing you have a long break from all this now, so you can enjoy the summer.
    Kindest wishes
    Helen
  • Songflower
    Songflower Member Posts: 608
    #6
    HellieC said:

    It's been a long road - but you're nearly there
    Keep those markers dropping - they are so close to being within "NED range" now! This last treatment should do it! 7 treatments is a lot to cope with, but you have been so patient with it all, despite all the problems. Wishing you have a long break from all this now, so you can enjoy the summer.
    Kindest wishes
    Helen

    You're a fighter Ro
    It's been rough but you sure have been a fighter. The summer is yours now! Love,
    Diane
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #7
    Songflower said:

    You're a fighter Ro
    It's been rough but you sure have been a fighter. The summer is yours now! Love,
    Diane

    ro:
    wow, one more of your chemo treatment was two full days. what chemo/os were you on. you probably said in an earlier post, but if you don't mind saying again, i'd be interested to know. also, after the extra last treatment, do you know what your ca 125 is now? hope it really made a difference.

    i agree with the idea of a pet rather than ct scan, since the ct has so much more radiation. of course, the pet is more expensive, which is why your insurance may not pay for it, even though your good health is cost-effective for them. crazy system.

    hope the metallic taste leaves you soon, and your back to enjoying life again.

    sisterhood,
    maggie
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #8
    maggie_wilson said:

    ro:
    wow, one more of your chemo treatment was two full days. what chemo/os were you on. you probably said in an earlier post, but if you don't mind saying again, i'd be interested to know. also, after the extra last treatment, do you know what your ca 125 is now? hope it really made a difference.

    i agree with the idea of a pet rather than ct scan, since the ct has so much more radiation. of course, the pet is more expensive, which is why your insurance may not pay for it, even though your good health is cost-effective for them. crazy system.

    hope the metallic taste leaves you soon, and your back to enjoying life again.

    sisterhood,
    maggie

    Thanks for all the encouragement
    I do appreciate all the positive comments. A CAT scan will be used for follow-up. I have been told that if the nodes are less than 1cm they do not show up on the PET scan. Also if the nodes are not increasing in size, or no progression in disease, the PET scan will not be approved by insurance. My nodes have gotten much smaller, and they are less than 1 cm. So those are positive things.

    Maggie the last 4 treatments I have had were Taxol/Cisplatin, due to reaction to Carboplatin with the 3rd treatment. This round of chemo is certainly harder on me than the first round was. Luckily I do not have all the side effects that others have with the neuropathy or low blood counts. I am just fatigued and have nausea, (and that terrible metallic taste). Those are pretty minimal side effects for what others have had or are having. My last CA 125 was 43.5 down from 50.9 three weeks ago.

    Still having trouble with my port. Drew blood for the blood test on Tuesday, but then would not draw blood on Wednesday or Thursday for treatment. Does not make sense to me.

    Maggie hope you are doing a little better with your rounds of chemo, too. Diane wishing you a good day, too. Mary Ann enjoy your NED and celebrate each day. Norma enjoy your challenges of your rewarding job. In peace and caring.
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #9
    Ro10 said:

    Thanks for all the encouragement
    I do appreciate all the positive comments. A CAT scan will be used for follow-up. I have been told that if the nodes are less than 1cm they do not show up on the PET scan. Also if the nodes are not increasing in size, or no progression in disease, the PET scan will not be approved by insurance. My nodes have gotten much smaller, and they are less than 1 cm. So those are positive things.

    Maggie the last 4 treatments I have had were Taxol/Cisplatin, due to reaction to Carboplatin with the 3rd treatment. This round of chemo is certainly harder on me than the first round was. Luckily I do not have all the side effects that others have with the neuropathy or low blood counts. I am just fatigued and have nausea, (and that terrible metallic taste). Those are pretty minimal side effects for what others have had or are having. My last CA 125 was 43.5 down from 50.9 three weeks ago.

    Still having trouble with my port. Drew blood for the blood test on Tuesday, but then would not draw blood on Wednesday or Thursday for treatment. Does not make sense to me.

    Maggie hope you are doing a little better with your rounds of chemo, too. Diane wishing you a good day, too. Mary Ann enjoy your NED and celebrate each day. Norma enjoy your challenges of your rewarding job. In peace and caring.

    ro
    good news re: your nodes getting much smaller, and that your ca 125 steadily going down. i don't think fatigue, nausea and metallic taste are exactly minimal--they can be pretty debilitating. what do you do for your nausea? i know cisplatin is a tough drug; i'm on carboplatin and gemser, and those are harder on me than first go around. for the first time in weeks, they were able to access blood from my port, on again, off again. they put me in different positions when they try to draw blood, which sometimes work, like leaning way back in my chair and/or putting my arms above my head. but, who knows? chemo pretty much same old, same old. doesn't seem to improve much. i am literally 1/2 way through. can't wait. just hoping everything goes according to plan, and that goes for all of us.

    take care, ro. so glad you're done.

    sisterhood,
    maggie
  • Songflower
    Songflower Member Posts: 608
    #10
    Ro10 said:

    Thanks for all the encouragement
    I do appreciate all the positive comments. A CAT scan will be used for follow-up. I have been told that if the nodes are less than 1cm they do not show up on the PET scan. Also if the nodes are not increasing in size, or no progression in disease, the PET scan will not be approved by insurance. My nodes have gotten much smaller, and they are less than 1 cm. So those are positive things.

    Maggie the last 4 treatments I have had were Taxol/Cisplatin, due to reaction to Carboplatin with the 3rd treatment. This round of chemo is certainly harder on me than the first round was. Luckily I do not have all the side effects that others have with the neuropathy or low blood counts. I am just fatigued and have nausea, (and that terrible metallic taste). Those are pretty minimal side effects for what others have had or are having. My last CA 125 was 43.5 down from 50.9 three weeks ago.

    Still having trouble with my port. Drew blood for the blood test on Tuesday, but then would not draw blood on Wednesday or Thursday for treatment. Does not make sense to me.

    Maggie hope you are doing a little better with your rounds of chemo, too. Diane wishing you a good day, too. Mary Ann enjoy your NED and celebrate each day. Norma enjoy your challenges of your rewarding job. In peace and caring.

    CT or PET
    I just saw my oncologist and I asked him why he preferred CT scan over PET. He told me the new CT scans have added visibility in (I can't remember how many positions) and he felt they picked up more than PET scans. He orders a PET in only certain circumstances depending on the area he is looking at. My gyn onc use to order only PET scans.s My topetecan has not brought my CA 125 down yet but he thinks it's too early to pull me off. I'll get a CT and re-evaluation. It sure is a long road. My platelets were low and I am off a week and to me this is a week of freedom and fun. My husband feels blue but I am happy with just one week off chemo!
    Diane
  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    #11
    Songflower said:

    CT or PET
    I just saw my oncologist and I asked him why he preferred CT scan over PET. He told me the new CT scans have added visibility in (I can't remember how many positions) and he felt they picked up more than PET scans. He orders a PET in only certain circumstances depending on the area he is looking at. My gyn onc use to order only PET scans.s My topetecan has not brought my CA 125 down yet but he thinks it's too early to pull me off. I'll get a CT and re-evaluation. It sure is a long road. My platelets were low and I am off a week and to me this is a week of freedom and fun. My husband feels blue but I am happy with just one week off chemo!
    Diane

    Freedom and Fun
    You go girl. Get that week of freedom and fun. Enjoy your week off of chemo!

    Kathy
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #12
    Songflower said:

    CT or PET
    I just saw my oncologist and I asked him why he preferred CT scan over PET. He told me the new CT scans have added visibility in (I can't remember how many positions) and he felt they picked up more than PET scans. He orders a PET in only certain circumstances depending on the area he is looking at. My gyn onc use to order only PET scans.s My topetecan has not brought my CA 125 down yet but he thinks it's too early to pull me off. I'll get a CT and re-evaluation. It sure is a long road. My platelets were low and I am off a week and to me this is a week of freedom and fun. My husband feels blue but I am happy with just one week off chemo!
    Diane

    Diane glad you have a week off of chemo
    Not happy to hear your platelets are low though. Enjoy your week of freedom and have some fun. Sure hope the Topetecan is working for you. In peace and caring.
  • norma2
    norma2 Member Posts: 479
    #13
    Thinking of you, RO
    Just getting to read your post. You are an inspiration, my friend. So glad you are sharing your experience. I pray for a long remission for you. Sending you prayers and positive thoughts. Norma

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