Start Chemo Tomorrow

looch969

I start my first chemo tomorrow (Wednesday June 24, 2009), Im scared but anxious to get this started. As previously posted I have been diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer bronchoalveolar StageIV both lungs and mets to bone, neck, rib & shoulder. The chemo I will be starting with is Carboplatin, Alimta & Avastin.

Anyone had the same chemo? How did you do?

Tamie

MichelleP

Looch
Good luck to you tomorrow. I bet knowing it's starting feel good huh? My husband has stage III anenocarcinoma and malignant pluera. He is currently on Gemzar/Carbo. He's only had about four treatments and x-rays show a noticeable decrease in the densities.

Keep us all updated and I'll keep you in my prayers.

ARobben

MichelleP said:

Looch
Good luck to you tomorrow. I bet knowing it's starting feel good huh? My husband has stage III anenocarcinoma and malignant pluera. He is currently on Gemzar/Carbo. He's only had about four treatments and x-rays show a noticeable decrease in the densities.

Keep us all updated and I'll keep you in my prayers.

Hope it's going well!
Good luck with the chemo Looch!

I had a very similar combination of Cisplatin/Alimta/Avastin. Cisplatin and Carboplatin are almost the same thing. Cisplatin is a little bit stronger but tends to have more intense side effects. But the doctors thought I would be able to handle it, because I am young (27).

Anyway, I experienced some nausea after the first round, but after we found the right anti-nausea meds I was able to handle the successive rounds much better. The main difference was that after the first round, I got a hold of a drug called Emend. This made a huge difference. It is crazy expensive, but I was able to get it through the company's patient assistance program. In addition to the Emend, I also took Zofran and Decadron twice a day for five days after the chemo. If you experience any nausea, I would talk to your doctors about it.

Best of luck!

looch969

ARobben said:

Hope it's going well!
Good luck with the chemo Looch!

I had a very similar combination of Cisplatin/Alimta/Avastin. Cisplatin and Carboplatin are almost the same thing. Cisplatin is a little bit stronger but tends to have more intense side effects. But the doctors thought I would be able to handle it, because I am young (27).

Anyway, I experienced some nausea after the first round, but after we found the right anti-nausea meds I was able to handle the successive rounds much better. The main difference was that after the first round, I got a hold of a drug called Emend. This made a huge difference. It is crazy expensive, but I was able to get it through the company's patient assistance program. In addition to the Emend, I also took Zofran and Decadron twice a day for five days after the chemo. If you experience any nausea, I would talk to your doctors about it.

Best of luck!

What a long Day
Andrew,

I have just returned home from 1st chemo, started at 11:30 finished at 4:30 then the doctor came in and told me they needed another MRI ( another hour 1/2) of upper back to see where the shadow was they are trying to make sure its not near my spine. I will get results tomorrow, if it is any where near my spine I will start radiation right away in between chemo.

P.S. they gave me KYTRIL (I.V.) before starting chemo for nausea, they also gave me pills of the same that if needed I can take every 12 hours.

Did you lose your hair? If yes how long until it might happen to me?

Thanks so much for the advice you are a great communicator and hopefully we can become good friends.

I'll let you know results tomorrow!

Tamie

wrb123

Treatment begins
My first time here. My husband,66 yr old, has been diagnosed with Stage III non small cell lung cancer. Don't have the acronyms down yet. Chemo starts Monday. Drugs used will be Taxol, Carbo and Erbitux(he was accepted into a clinical trial)and radiation. Read so much here today. A rollercoaster ride. Hoping to hear from those who have experienced it first hand - the chemo and radiation effects and how you handled it. I have suffered from depression in the past and it was better to talk to someone who went through it then to read about it. My prayers are with all on this site. One thing I learned today - look at the successes not the statistics.

Jager

ARobben said:

Hope it's going well!
Good luck with the chemo Looch!

I had a very similar combination of Cisplatin/Alimta/Avastin. Cisplatin and Carboplatin are almost the same thing. Cisplatin is a little bit stronger but tends to have more intense side effects. But the doctors thought I would be able to handle it, because I am young (27).

Anyway, I experienced some nausea after the first round, but after we found the right anti-nausea meds I was able to handle the successive rounds much better. The main difference was that after the first round, I got a hold of a drug called Emend. This made a huge difference. It is crazy expensive, but I was able to get it through the company's patient assistance program. In addition to the Emend, I also took Zofran and Decadron twice a day for five days after the chemo. If you experience any nausea, I would talk to your doctors about it.

Best of luck!

Hey, good to find you
Hi ARobben, today I discovered a new feeling, can´t explain but feels great to find some other person with the same treatment and taking same medications as myself and to hear you are doing fine as myself.

I am also on Alimta/Cisplatin/Avastin, taking Emend and something you didn´t mention so I am not sure if you receive this.

After kemo day, next day I used to receive a shot of Neulastim (Roche), but it seems this was not enough so, after seven days I receive a shot of something named Bioclin or Biocilin (can´t remember, at work now) and another of this on day kemo +10 (just before going offshore to help my defenses to strenght to protect me from any infection at work on the vessel).

I have had 4 kemos now and doing fine but last time there was a little change in my treatment, as I receive everything from the hospital, there was no Neulastin available at that moment so my doctor gave me 7 doses of Bioclin or Biocilin to get one shot everyday starting next day after kemo.

It was superb my friend, I still felt a little tired for a few days but nothing like before, I was able to do more things than before when receiving the Neulastin only. My wife went to surgery (a new baby) and I run through that feeling really much better. Now I am at work offshore and feeling great.

So next kemo (July 14th as I am taking my kemos every 4 weeks to keep on working) I will ask my doctor to continue with this instead of a single shot of Neulastin.

I still don´t have had any evaluation (I think they plan to do it after 6 kemos) but I feel great and think kemo is working fine and doing its job. Will update as soon as I get any news about the results of this treatment.

looch969, I have had 4 kemos as mentioned before and have had no hair lost. I was prepared for that so I cutted my hair very short (as a soldier) and I don´t know if that helped as I don´t mess with my hair anymore and it stills there.

greeneyes41

wrb123 said:

Treatment begins
My first time here. My husband,66 yr old, has been diagnosed with Stage III non small cell lung cancer. Don't have the acronyms down yet. Chemo starts Monday. Drugs used will be Taxol, Carbo and Erbitux(he was accepted into a clinical trial)and radiation. Read so much here today. A rollercoaster ride. Hoping to hear from those who have experienced it first hand - the chemo and radiation effects and how you handled it. I have suffered from depression in the past and it was better to talk to someone who went through it then to read about it. My prayers are with all on this site. One thing I learned today - look at the successes not the statistics.

Treatment Begins
I also am new to this board. I am stage 3 NSCLC, Adenocarcinoma. I am now 1/2 way through 35 treatments of Radiation, 5 days a week and 8 rounds of Chemo, with Carbo & Taxol once a week.
I have had very few problems.My tumor & affected lympth nodes are in the middle of my chest.
After Rads I get a funny taste in my mouth that lasts for about 30 minutes. Hard candy takes care of that. I have also started using a cream to keep the skin soft there, however I see few changes so far in the skin.
I only have one kidney so I think they are taking it easy on me with the Chemo, giving me extra fluids each round.
My first week was tough. I think I had a preconceived notion as to what was going to happen and it was all bad. I spent the whole week in and out of bed tired and sick. I finally decided that there was no way I was going to live like that for the next 8 weeks!
I started reading and learning and changed my attitude and since then, my biggest hurtle has been fatigue a couple days a week.
I wish ya'll luck and if I can help more, let me know.

wrb123

greeneyes41 said:

Treatment Begins
I also am new to this board. I am stage 3 NSCLC, Adenocarcinoma. I am now 1/2 way through 35 treatments of Radiation, 5 days a week and 8 rounds of Chemo, with Carbo & Taxol once a week.
I have had very few problems.My tumor & affected lympth nodes are in the middle of my chest.
After Rads I get a funny taste in my mouth that lasts for about 30 minutes. Hard candy takes care of that. I have also started using a cream to keep the skin soft there, however I see few changes so far in the skin.
I only have one kidney so I think they are taking it easy on me with the Chemo, giving me extra fluids each round.
My first week was tough. I think I had a preconceived notion as to what was going to happen and it was all bad. I spent the whole week in and out of bed tired and sick. I finally decided that there was no way I was going to live like that for the next 8 weeks!
I started reading and learning and changed my attitude and since then, my biggest hurtle has been fatigue a couple days a week.
I wish ya'll luck and if I can help more, let me know.

2 weeks into Chemo & Rad
Glad to hear from you greeneyes41. Tumor pushing against rib and lymph nodes in middle of chest involved. My husband is on Carbo, Taxol and Erbitux. 2 weeks into chemo once a week and 1 week of high dose radiation (5 days a week for 7 1/2 weeks). He is somewhat active in the morning and tires out for the rest of the day. No effects from radiation yet. But Chemo symptoms set in after second treatment. Acne type rash from Erbitux, food dosen't taste the same, fatigue in the afternoon. No nausea or mouth sores yet.
Attitude does mean a lot. Humor helps us also. Let us know how your treatment progresses. Thoughts, prayers with you.