I'm Bummed :( ******* UPDATE *********

idlehunters
idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I was all excited today because today was the start of my new treatment with Xeloda and a 30 minute Avastin drip every 3 weeks. No more hours and hours of chemo and no more bag...yeah!!!! Got to Onc's place... had labs done... all fine. My port has been having a few pains here and there in it.... kinda feels like someone pinching me on the inside. Just occasionally tho.... but enough to make me take notice. 2 weeks ago was the first time ever they could not get a blood return from port. I ended up doing exercising of all sorts and finally it spurted. He is sending me Wednesday for a dye something or other???? Anyway, they turned me down for my new treatment today because my blood pressure was still high. They put me on Norvasc a few weeks back. I have been having extreme headaches. Onc said it is definately from BP. It is running around 160/100. My pulse has been on the high side too. Running 122 tonite. Onc said no more treatments of any kind until we get BP under control. I have appt tomorrow with Primary Doc. I am pretty sure she is going to order some testing for stroke... bleeding on the brain type of stuff. It scares the hell out of me because that is what my Mom died from. Man..... it's always something...... but hey.... whatever it is..... I will figure it out.... treat it...and move on to another day. :) Just wanted to get all that off my chest. thanks for the ear guys!

Jennie

OH YEAH..... forgot to add that now I am also having pains in my lower left abdomin....What is that?????????? man!

***** UPDATE *****

I finally got to sleep at 2:30 this morning and then awoke at 4:30 feeling really.. "funny" It was a weird feeling. I was kinda numb... fingers are usually numb and tingle but this was in my hand and up my arms. My lips even felt numb. My muscles kept tightening up in my jaw...my legs... my arms..and my stomach. Every time they would tighten in my stomach the pain I was having in my lower left pelvic area would intensify 3 fold. My husband woke right away too. I must have been somewhat out of it because he just started helping me get dressed and said we were going to the ER. They rushed me right in after seeing me in Triage. My blood pressure had gone up to 179/122 and pulse was 125. They immediately gave me some pills to jack the pressure down. They took blood tests, xray, urine test,EKG. All tests came out great except for urine test. Evidently the pain I have in my pelvic area is due to a very bad urinary tract infection. They gave me anti-biotics for that. They did not test to see WHY i was having an issue with BP as I was going to see my Primary Care Doc as soon as I left there for some testing on that issue. According to all test results from Primary doc.... I have no abnormal readings for stroke... bleeding on the brain... and EKG...all normal. i still have to do some Dopplar Test for veins in my neck on Friday and port dye tomorrow. SOOOOOOOO...I feel much better knowing I do not have any BIG brain problems. Doc said my blood pressure is running high because of age(huh!), stress, chemo, pain issues from infection and still healing back, inflammation still in pelvic area where I fell. She said I would be on BP meds from here on out. She did change my Meds from Norvasc to Azor (which is a combo drug of Norvasc and another BP med combined into 1 pill. I took 1 pill right away and have NOT had a headache yet (knock on wood) It looks like all is good or getting good in the neighborhood again. Thank you ALL so much for all the kind words and support.luv u guys!!!!

Jennie

Comments

  • karguy
    karguy Member Posts: 1,020 Member
    Don't
    Don't worry untill all the tests are back.The headaches are probably from the high blood pressure,once your blood pressure is down you will probably feel better.Just try not to worry,I'll pray you are ok.
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    Always something
    George had the dye test for his first port. Nothing in and nothing out. They just look at it though like an x-ray machine. In George's case, the tip had turned into the vein so it had to come out and a new one put it. Sometimes the docs looking at it will be able to straighten things out, they are more aggressive than the nurses but with George it was a no go. The second one, no troubles, except, getting blood draws. He knows the procedure, arms up, arms down, back in chair, all the way back in the chair, up in chair. Sometimes it gives the blood but if not he just lets the nurse draw it rather than sit there screwing around with it. Long as the chemo is going in ok then he is fine with the arm prick for blood. Hope you can get the blood pressure under control. Geez, enough already. Take care - Tina
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    Goodness!
    Gracious! You are just having a time, aren't you? I'm so sorry. Hope you get it all straightened out very soon.

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    can relate
    Hi Jennie,

    I'm sorry you've had such a bad time.
    I definitely can relate to the headaches and the blood pressure issue. Funny though, my pulse sometimes runs over 100 but when my bp was so high Friday and Saturday, my pulse actually got really low- like down in the 60's, which it never normally does. Weird. I have an appt. w/ my primary care doctor tomorrow about my blood pressure, too.
    I was on 100 mg. Atenolol already and popped an extra 50 mg. of it a day since Thursday and I also had some leftover Norvasc on hand that I took from when the Avastin made my bp so high about a year ago. It didn't seem to do anything immediately, but it has come down some yesterday and today. The bottom number goes up and down from 85 to over 100. Saturday was the scariest when it was 179/119- I've read online that 180/120 is emergency level and organ damage can occur.
    I hope that you will get some answers and medication adjustment from your primary care Dr. tomorrow & hope that I will too. You definitely have to get the bp under control before you can start in on Avastin because Avastin can make it really go up.

    I hope that you will be feeling better soon with the blood pressure and that your port problem will also get figured out.
    Take care and keep in touch-
    Lisa
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    lisa42 said:

    can relate
    Hi Jennie,

    I'm sorry you've had such a bad time.
    I definitely can relate to the headaches and the blood pressure issue. Funny though, my pulse sometimes runs over 100 but when my bp was so high Friday and Saturday, my pulse actually got really low- like down in the 60's, which it never normally does. Weird. I have an appt. w/ my primary care doctor tomorrow about my blood pressure, too.
    I was on 100 mg. Atenolol already and popped an extra 50 mg. of it a day since Thursday and I also had some leftover Norvasc on hand that I took from when the Avastin made my bp so high about a year ago. It didn't seem to do anything immediately, but it has come down some yesterday and today. The bottom number goes up and down from 85 to over 100. Saturday was the scariest when it was 179/119- I've read online that 180/120 is emergency level and organ damage can occur.
    I hope that you will get some answers and medication adjustment from your primary care Dr. tomorrow & hope that I will too. You definitely have to get the bp under control before you can start in on Avastin because Avastin can make it really go up.

    I hope that you will be feeling better soon with the blood pressure and that your port problem will also get figured out.
    Take care and keep in touch-
    Lisa

    Karguy, Tina, Gail, Lisa
    Thanks so much for your words of encouragement... and prayers! Lisa, I know you been having BP problems too. I have been on Avastin for the past 6 months but this is the first time I have had any BP issues. Onc said there is some other underlying issue that is causing BP to rise and that is what we need to find out first and foremost. These headaches are killing me. My husband and son get migraines and I never really knew how painful they were.... THEY SUCK!! I just don't know how anyone can function with one. OK...now I'm rambling...LOL. Thanks again guys....appreciate your concern

    Jennie
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    Maybe
    Maybe there is an underlying problem causing the bp to go up, but I know what the Avastin did to mine & I went from just being on 25 mg. of Atenolol prior to ever taking Avastin to having to go up to 100 mg. plus a 20 mg Norvasc per day while on Avastin. Since stopping the Avastin, my blood pressure then dropped down to really low & I stopped the Norvasc but kept the Atenolol at 100 mg. It's been working well up until recently- now I don't know why it's gone up again. Hope they can get the meds right.

    Take care!
    Lisa
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    lisa42 said:

    Maybe
    Maybe there is an underlying problem causing the bp to go up, but I know what the Avastin did to mine & I went from just being on 25 mg. of Atenolol prior to ever taking Avastin to having to go up to 100 mg. plus a 20 mg Norvasc per day while on Avastin. Since stopping the Avastin, my blood pressure then dropped down to really low & I stopped the Norvasc but kept the Atenolol at 100 mg. It's been working well up until recently- now I don't know why it's gone up again. Hope they can get the meds right.

    Take care!
    Lisa

    Wow Lisa!
    They are only giving me 10 mg of the Norvasc. I have to take Oxycodone for any relief and I hate taking pain pills like that. I read that the Avastin has headaches as a side effect and it can happen after 1 treatment or not for a year of treatments! We will get US fixed. I was excited to see what John had found out. let me know what comes of that will you? have a good nite Lisa...

    Jen

    Hey...you going to Palooza?????
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    Hey Jennie - Hang in there.
    Hey Jennie - Hang in there. Don't be bummed.
    I don't have any blood pressure issues, but I really appreciate you and Lisa sharing your bp problems and how you and your dr.s are addressing. It's great info incase I run into this later. I would also hate to postpone treatment, but I like it that your dr. wants to get the bp problem solved right now.
    I'm also having problems with my port. Won't draw. Had the dye something of other test a few weeks ago. It's a piece of cake. The test showed that that the little tube does not go in far enough. The port is also on the left side - they prefer the right. My surgeon put my port in when he did my colostomy. I found out later - from the nurses - that most of the problems that they have with ports are from ones that surgeons put in. I wish somebody had told me that earlier. The only way to solve the problem is to take out the existing port and put a new one in. Lots of folks here have had to do the same. My platelets are low; so the dr. has not scheduled the procedure. As long as all the good stuff is going in, it's not a big concern.
    Don't know what to say about the lower abdomin pain. What did your dr. say about it? Probably just one more thing to take note of but not worry about.
    Glad you got all that off your chest - that's what we're here for. Sooner or later - hopefully sooner - the only thing we'll be getting off our chests are these damn ports.
    Take Care,
    Roger
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    Thinking of you Jennie
    Folks have given you lots of good tips so I just wanted to let you know I'm hanging there with you.

    Leslie
  • JDuke
    JDuke Member Posts: 438
    lesvanb said:

    Thinking of you Jennie
    Folks have given you lots of good tips so I just wanted to let you know I'm hanging there with you.

    Leslie

    Me too Jennie
    I don't have anything to add to all the good info you have received. Just wanted you to know that I am thinking positive thoughts for you and hope all improves quickly.
    Hugs,
    Joanne
  • GOOFYLADIE
    GOOFYLADIE Member Posts: 232 Member
    Jennie girl
    I am glad you are doing a little better. Girl it looks like you and Mr. Murphy are becoming friends too. You can pass back to me if you'd like. I don't have cancer I can deal with him for awhile for you. Man you just can't catch a break. I hope you rest tonight and wake tomorrow with new energy and kick **** attitude not that you lost that at all. I hate to see you go thru all this. It seems after 12 years some of of the stupid things I had to deal with many of you are still dealing with too. It makes me crazy. I just want you all to be well. Hang in there I am right here with you kicken and raising trouble.LOL I am so glad you were able to keep us posted. Keep moving forward. Huge hugs
    Goofyladie (Cass)
  • HollyID
    HollyID Member Posts: 946 Member
    JDuke said:

    Me too Jennie
    I don't have anything to add to all the good info you have received. Just wanted you to know that I am thinking positive thoughts for you and hope all improves quickly.
    Hugs,
    Joanne

    Me too, Jennie....
    Sending good vibes your way though.

    Hugs
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    what a day!
    Hi Jennie,

    Wow- what an experience. I'm glad they were able to determine that your pain had been from a urinary tract infection. No fun, but definitely treatable, and now of course, you won't have to worry that it's cancer or anything else like that.

    I went to my doctor today about my high blood pressure- funny how we've both been experiencing that & both had recent ER trips about it. Anyhow, I'm now on 150 mg. Atenolol a day (upped from the 100 mg. Atenolol I was already on), and she added in a Lisinopril also (forgot the mg). My blood pressure was 179/119 at its worst on Saturday- right up there with yours. Fortunately, though, my pulse wasn't as fast, although my doctor was amazed that it was still at 80 even after 150 mg. of Atenolol. I've always had a fast pulse, though, and having it in the 80's or 90's at rest was my normal.

    Hopefully, the meds will start regulating you and the nasty urinary tract infection will also clear up soon.

    I have my PET/CT scan tomorrow- should get results on Thursday.


    YOU TAKE CARE!!!!!!!

    Lisa
  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    I am sorry you are going
    I am sorry you are going through all of this + hope you feel better soon.
  • robinvan
    robinvan Member Posts: 1,012
    Tough stuff Jennie!
    This is nasty stuff you are having to cope with. Sorry to hear about the delay in your program, BUT... let's get this BP under control!

    Glad you are feeling a bit better. I hope it continues to improve.

    TTFN... Rob; in Vancouver
  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    Blood Pressure
    Hi Jennie and all
    My blood pressure went sky high when I was on chemo, and never went down again. It took a while for them to find a combo of BP drugs that worked, but now mine is under control, I take 40 mg atenolol, 40 mg lisinopril, and hydrochlorathiazide which is a diuretic. I don't know of any studies about chemo and blood pressure, but I am pretty sure it did something to my vascular system that is permanent. My BP shot up to 190/110, that was pretty scary, but it has been under control for 4 years now with those 3 meds and I feel good. Just thought I'd share my experience with this for you others having BP problems.
    Pam