Hi Friends

Nana2

I'm really sorry I have neglected checking in with all of you for so long. Jim has been making progress and I guess I've been just going along as though everything is normal again trying not to think about anything. Kind of hiding from it for awhile. Jim has recovered from his surgery and infection and has put on about 10 pounds. His first scan showed some stuff, but the surgeon told us that might happen due to scar tissue and not to be alarmed. So for the past several weeks, he has just been working on getting stronger.
This Tuesday he goes back for his CT scan and the following week we will see both Doctors to plan his chemo. I understand now what you all talk about when you call it scan-ciety! As soon as we have more information from the Doctor, I will post and let you all know what is happening. When we last talked to his oncologist he told us that Jim can't do the 5-FU again because it gave him bad mouth sores at a very low pre-surgery dose back in January, and so he is concerned about what it would do to him at a high dose, so he discussed using the oxi(?) with some other things in the mix(?) does that all sound normal to you? I'm sure we'll be picking your brains for info about what to expect when we know what the plan of action will be.

April

AnneCan

Thanks for updating us
Thanks for updating us April! It sounds like Jim is doing well. Scanxiety seems to hit us all; here`s hoping for good results for Jim!

KathiM

Normal is good......
And it sounds like it's working! 10 pounds! What a GREAT achievement! Please keep us posted on the rest...my 5FU ride caused mouth sores, too...and a bubble on my nose that was right under my glasses...sigh...but, it's better now!


Hugs, Kathi

Lilmiss82

KathiM said:

Normal is good......
And it sounds like it's working! 10 pounds! What a GREAT achievement! Please keep us posted on the rest...my 5FU ride caused mouth sores, too...and a bubble on my nose that was right under my glasses...sigh...but, it's better now!


Hugs, Kathi

That's Great News:)
Looking back I was sooooo thin after surgery and I noticed as I gained more weight the better I felt. So to me it sounds like everything is going pretty good. Not to sure if I can offer any advice on the chemo, although when I did chemo/rad last year I got bad mouth sores too from 5-fu. They had to keep on lowering the dose to get me through the last 3 weeks. Thanks for the update and keep us posted

coloCan

Lilmiss82 said:

That's Great News:)
Looking back I was sooooo thin after surgery and I noticed as I gained more weight the better I felt. So to me it sounds like everything is going pretty good. Not to sure if I can offer any advice on the chemo, although when I did chemo/rad last year I got bad mouth sores too from 5-fu. They had to keep on lowering the dose to get me through the last 3 weeks. Thanks for the update and keep us posted

Don't know if Jim will have same bad reaction but Xeloda is a
pill version of 5-FU;oxi by itself or in combo is super powerful.....5-FU was nothing to me;oxi was a totally different story!!!!!!steve

dorookie

coloCan said:

Don't know if Jim will have same bad reaction but Xeloda is a
pill version of 5-FU;oxi by itself or in combo is super powerful.....5-FU was nothing to me;oxi was a totally different story!!!!!!steve

I second that
after the cancer came back and I was stage 4, i ended up doing Xeloda for 8 months instead of the IV 5FU, let me tell ya, so much easier, less side effects for me anyway, and it worked, I have been cancer free longer after doing the Xeloda, then I was when I did the IV 5FU....Something to think about..

Good Luck...

Hugs
Beth

geotina

April:
So happy that things have turned around and Jim is finally on the mend. I keep up on your caring bridge site and was troubled a bit that he was having such a hard time. Liver resection is a tough surgery. If the doctor mentioned Oxi, then he may be talking about Jim getting Folfox.

Put a golf club on the table and tell him another 10 pounds and you will let him touch it.

Take care - Tina

pluckey

April,
so glad you posted!
April,
so glad you posted! I know it's sometimes the best to stay away from the board and not get mired in a lot than can happen to us here.

Prayers, Hugs and Good Vibs for Jim,,,

Peggy

tootsie1

Yay!
Hey, April.

It sounds like Jim is doing well! I'm so glad to hear that. Keep us posted!

*hugs*
Gail

herdizziness

Yes, they do change chemo's
As for the chemo, the oxi and xeloda were given to me, (plus had 6 avastin added in), and my cea counts have gone steadily down, this visit I was told my cea count was 17. A lot of difference when I started in the thousands. This was after 7 chemo's. My onc also told me today, that they do switch around chemo's, he wants to get me off oxi after this next chemo, due to it's toxic effects, plus my red blood cell count won't take another oxi, down to 117 started at 338 red blood cells, and try something else. If that doesn't keep the count going down, then they try another combination. So yes, if one chemo gives you bad side affects they will switch and find another combo that will keep the counts going down.
So yes, according my oncologist they do change chemo's.
Wishing you and yours the best,
Winter Marie