Completed fourth round of chemo

Ro10
Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
Two long but uneventful days. No reactions, so that was great news. My red blood cells and white blood cells are almost unchanged from the last chemo. However my CA 125 dropped from 969 to 365. That is wonderful. I read where the blood thinner shots can make the chemo more effective. So maybe that is a plus about taking the shots every day.

I got Aloxi day 1 to prevent nausea, and got Emend day 2 to prevent nausea. Both of these drugs are supposed to last five days. Then I have a patch to put on my upper arm to help with the nausea. It is called sancuso. You can leave it in place for seven days. It is like Kytril if anyone has heard of it.
I have never heard of either of them. But I am willing to try something else to help with the nausea. It is still a problem for me.

Today when I woke up I had swelling of my upper eyelids all the ways to my eyebrows. Don't know what caused it. The nurses sais to just observe it. I put ice on it tonight, but it did not help. Don't have swelling anywhere else.

I have had my cough for six weeks now. No fever and my lungs sound clear. The doctor said if it keeps up he will do a scan to make sure everything is okay because of my blood clots. He said you cannot depend everything is okay even though the marker is going down. I do want to think everything is okay if the marker continues to go down. But I know I do not always have a cough. But everyone says their coughs and allergies have been worse this year.

Hope everyone will have a good weekend. We have been back in IL for a week and the cooler weather greeted us. We had frost a couple of nights. It is supposed to warm up though. I have lots of weeds to greet me in my gardens, too. But that is relaxation for me to work in the gardens.

Another bright note this week. During my first round of chemo I stitched a quilt block for the cancer center. The ladies put blocks together for wall hangings. Some are large and some are small hangings. My quilt block was in one the hangings this week. That brightened my day to see it hanging.

You all remain in my prayers. In peace and caring

Comments

  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    Ups and downs
    You must feel a bit like being on a roller coaster. Overall, your progress sounds up - then you'll throw in a little something like the cough,the swelling, the weeds. All unknowns (except the weeds, and dealing with them will be very good for you). It does sound like you're tolerating this round of chemo better than you anticiped. How many more to go?

    I hope you continue to get through this and the mysterious cough turns out to be related to the weeds (allergies). Thank you for keeping us informed about your progress.

    Hugs,
    Suzanne
  • HellieC
    HellieC Member Posts: 524 Member
    Well done, Ro
    Another cycle down, Ro. It's such a long couple of days for you each time and the nausea must get you down. But it sounds as if you are coming through fairly well - although the eyelids and the ongoing cough must have been a worry. Those tumbling numbers must feel so good. I hope and pray you will be NED very soon.
    With kindest wishes
    Helen
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    Keep on keeping on!
    So proud of your fighting spirit! Hope the eyelids and cough are related to allergies and nothing else.

    Liz in Dallas who is also in the throes of allergies
  • pakb56
    pakb56 Member Posts: 141
    Glad to hear
    Glad to hear another hurdle jumped.

    I hear what you are saying about that cough. I had a cold about 4 weeks ago and cannot shake the residual cough, especially at night. Although, this is not an unusual occurence for me after a cough, it bugs me too.
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    pakb56 said:

    Glad to hear
    Glad to hear another hurdle jumped.

    I hear what you are saying about that cough. I had a cold about 4 weeks ago and cannot shake the residual cough, especially at night. Although, this is not an unusual occurence for me after a cough, it bugs me too.

    Sancuso patch for nausea worked great
    I put the patch on Sunday night and have had no nausea from the chemo. It has been great. For a week nothing tasted good, so I had to force myself to eat or drink. Luckily that is better now, too. The first week after chemo I have no energy, but that is getting better, too. Hope the marker keeps going down, and I won't need too many more treatments.

    Hope everyone is doing okay and had a good weekend. In peace and caring.
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    Ro10 said:

    Sancuso patch for nausea worked great
    I put the patch on Sunday night and have had no nausea from the chemo. It has been great. For a week nothing tasted good, so I had to force myself to eat or drink. Luckily that is better now, too. The first week after chemo I have no energy, but that is getting better, too. Hope the marker keeps going down, and I won't need too many more treatments.

    Hope everyone is doing okay and had a good weekend. In peace and caring.

    Ro, so glad you have managed
    Ro, so glad you have managed the nausea well. You have my continuing prayers for complete positive response to treatment.

    How's that garden doing?

    Mary Ann
  • imackie48
    imackie48 Member Posts: 96
    Ro10 said:

    Sancuso patch for nausea worked great
    I put the patch on Sunday night and have had no nausea from the chemo. It has been great. For a week nothing tasted good, so I had to force myself to eat or drink. Luckily that is better now, too. The first week after chemo I have no energy, but that is getting better, too. Hope the marker keeps going down, and I won't need too many more treatments.

    Hope everyone is doing okay and had a good weekend. In peace and caring.

    Happy the meds are working
    Ro, I glad that you are finding meds that are working for you for the nausea. I hope it works for you for your next treatments too.
    When I couldn't hardly eat anything, I always seemed to manage eating a baked potato, I was eating one everyday. It kept me going.
    I am having problems with loose stools with my radiation treatments, it's irritated my rectem and anus, I have been doing sitz baths for relief from the itching, and have been taking Imodium. I have one more treatment. White count went down with each rad treatment, got my Neupogen shots.
    I hope you continue to get stronger everyday.
    Take care and praying for all my board friends.
    Irene
  • HellieC
    HellieC Member Posts: 524 Member
    Ro10 said:

    Sancuso patch for nausea worked great
    I put the patch on Sunday night and have had no nausea from the chemo. It has been great. For a week nothing tasted good, so I had to force myself to eat or drink. Luckily that is better now, too. The first week after chemo I have no energy, but that is getting better, too. Hope the marker keeps going down, and I won't need too many more treatments.

    Hope everyone is doing okay and had a good weekend. In peace and caring.

    That's another round down, Ro
    You are doing so well, always willing to try different medication strategies to keep things at bay. I am so pleased the nausea was better this time for you. I remember the taste changes very well - I was the same and didn't fancy many things. I found eggs OK, but you can't eat that many! Let's hope those numbers keep on tumbling down. Can't be long to go now.
    Kindest wishes
    Helen
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    HellieC said:

    That's another round down, Ro
    You are doing so well, always willing to try different medication strategies to keep things at bay. I am so pleased the nausea was better this time for you. I remember the taste changes very well - I was the same and didn't fancy many things. I found eggs OK, but you can't eat that many! Let's hope those numbers keep on tumbling down. Can't be long to go now.
    Kindest wishes
    Helen

    Ro
    Even though you've got some side affects from chemo, you still bring out the positives in life....wonderful attitude which will keep you going!

    Wish I could make all the nausea and puffy eyes go away. When you mention allergies I've never been prone to them, but over last few years when it gets really bad with pollens floating around, I have a constant runny nose and cough...so yes it's allergy season.

    Thanks for keeping us posted...sending you positive vibes to continue onward...

    Hugs,
    Jan
  • light42day
    light42day Member Posts: 62 Member
    jazzy1 said:

    Ro
    Even though you've got some side affects from chemo, you still bring out the positives in life....wonderful attitude which will keep you going!

    Wish I could make all the nausea and puffy eyes go away. When you mention allergies I've never been prone to them, but over last few years when it gets really bad with pollens floating around, I have a constant runny nose and cough...so yes it's allergy season.

    Thanks for keeping us posted...sending you positive vibes to continue onward...

    Hugs,
    Jan

    Glad you're feeling better
    I'm glad the patch is working for you and the nausea is better. Hopefully food is starting to taste a little better now, too! You have such a postive attitude during all your treatments! I hope you keep getting better and can put all this behind you. Wishing you comfort and healing!
  • txtrisha55
    txtrisha55 Member Posts: 693 Member
    Glad to know that you are
    Glad to know that you are feeling better. The news said that because we (in Dallas area) did not have a strong winter that nothing got put in hibernation for the winter. As soon as the cold left, spring came real fast behind it, which means pollen. It has been really bad this year here. Everyone is sick with runny noses, coughing, sneezing and the works. Hopefully that is all that you have with the cough and puffy eyes, is allergies to spring time. My family and I are doing a ACS Relay for Life here in Dallas on 25 May. They do a Lumanaira event. It is a lunch sack with a picture and name on it for fighting and living with cancer. They light a candle in the bag at 10:00 PM as people are walking around the track. It is a 12 hour event from 7 pm to 7 am. I would like your permission to do a Luminaria Bag in Honor of you? trish
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member

    Glad to know that you are
    Glad to know that you are feeling better. The news said that because we (in Dallas area) did not have a strong winter that nothing got put in hibernation for the winter. As soon as the cold left, spring came real fast behind it, which means pollen. It has been really bad this year here. Everyone is sick with runny noses, coughing, sneezing and the works. Hopefully that is all that you have with the cough and puffy eyes, is allergies to spring time. My family and I are doing a ACS Relay for Life here in Dallas on 25 May. They do a Lumanaira event. It is a lunch sack with a picture and name on it for fighting and living with cancer. They light a candle in the bag at 10:00 PM as people are walking around the track. It is a 12 hour event from 7 pm to 7 am. I would like your permission to do a Luminaria Bag in Honor of you? trish

    Thank you everyone for words of encouragement
    I appreciate all your kind words and thoughts. Trish you really touched my heart by offering to light a luminaries for me. That is so kind of you.
    I would be honored.

    This week has been a good week for me. My cough is gone, I have more energy, and still no did not have to take anything for nausea.

    I picked up my Sancoso patches from the pharmacy today. Sancuso patches are very expensive. $1400 for 4 patches, WOW.

    Hoping you all have a good weekend. In peace and caring.
  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    Ro10 said:

    Thank you everyone for words of encouragement
    I appreciate all your kind words and thoughts. Trish you really touched my heart by offering to light a luminaries for me. That is so kind of you.
    I would be honored.

    This week has been a good week for me. My cough is gone, I have more energy, and still no did not have to take anything for nausea.

    I picked up my Sancoso patches from the pharmacy today. Sancuso patches are very expensive. $1400 for 4 patches, WOW.

    Hoping you all have a good weekend. In peace and caring.

    Ro,
    I haven't been posting

    Ro,

    I haven't been posting much lately but I have been following your post. I pray for you and am glad that you had a good week. I am glad that the patches are working for you and hope you do not need to use them all.

    Kathy
  • fuzzytrouble
    fuzzytrouble Member Posts: 212
    Ro10 said:

    Thank you everyone for words of encouragement
    I appreciate all your kind words and thoughts. Trish you really touched my heart by offering to light a luminaries for me. That is so kind of you.
    I would be honored.

    This week has been a good week for me. My cough is gone, I have more energy, and still no did not have to take anything for nausea.

    I picked up my Sancoso patches from the pharmacy today. Sancuso patches are very expensive. $1400 for 4 patches, WOW.

    Hoping you all have a good weekend. In peace and caring.

    thinking of you
    Hi Ro, I am so happy that the patch is working. It sure is expensive but you need it. I love quilting again and I am happy you felt well enough to do it because being sick just takes the joy out of doing the things you love. I still remember Linda getting so excited about her garden, now her grand children are tending to it. I wish I had gotten some seeds from her. Thinking of you as you go through this all over again.
    Sharon