Chemo "lite" for my mom who is still in ICU?

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wendybill
wendybill Member Posts: 84
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hi everyone---I wanted to let you know that my mom is still hanging on in ICU. She has been in ICU on mechanical ventilation for three three weeks now. We had a phone conference with the MD's today. Her pulmonary status has been stable for the last week on 40% ventilation. She is no longer on paralytics but continues to be on a lot of sedation. The recommendation was to move forward with the tracheostomy in hopes that sedation could be lessened and that eventually she could come off the ventilator. The oncologist is recommending a type of weekly chemo that would help reduce the plural effusions in her lungs. I could not clearly hear the name of the drug but I did her her say platinum. It is not one of the traditional big boys like Taxol. I'm not sure if she is strong enough for this but the oncologist seems to think so. She has been so sedated for weeks now that we have not been able to communicate with her. She has not opened her eyes in several days. The pulmonologist said that even with the trache, it will be hard to avoid wrist restraints again and this really bothers me. She continues to have fevers but does not have an infection. Lastly, her liver enzymes are now elevated and the MD states this could be due to a "sluggish liver" in the ICU. I'm not sure how to emotionally process these plans of moving forward with more interventions. It feels like I have been mentally preparing for her death for weeks now. However, it is difficult not to be hopeful when the MD's still have things they want to try and talk about getting her into remission. At times I think the MD's feel like my mom is Steve Austin on the Six Million Dollar man..."We can rebuild her...we can make her STRONGER." I feel that as long as they think her brain is intact they will move forward with whatever it takes in hopes of repairing her body.

The oncologist told me that she didn't have cancer cells in the pleural fluid---yet I was told by her and at least three others that there were cancer cells in the fluid. She said she didn't "think" so and would have to look back through her chart. I wanted to slap her through the phone "...you don't THINK so!!!---I have had my head wrapped around this for weeks now and this DOES appear to be her MAIN problem" She responded--"Well stage 3 or 4--doesn't really matter--they are both advanced." Well it mattered to me when you told me. I just couldn't believe it.

So who knows...if my mom recovers from this with a fighting chance of surviving this it will be amazing and I will really believe that you do need to go down fighting until the end.

Thanks for all your support on this board--you don't know how I appreciate it. BTW--Does anyone know the name of this type of chemo med??? I'd like to research it if I could.

Wendy

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  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #2
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    If she can get passed her respiratory problems she DOES have a fighting chance. Thanks for keeping us updated. The platinum drug is probably Carboplatinum or Cisplatinum.

    Don't give up hope!!!

    Nancy
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #3
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    probably carbo
    Nancy's right, it's probably carbocisplatin, one of the two first-line chemos used for OVCA, and the one that often suppresses or shrinks tumors by radically altering pH. There are side effects (weakness, constipation) that the nurses will handle in the hospital as best they can. It will be hard on your mother, but if the pulmonary problem is stabilized and if the tumors respond to chemo (they usually do), she has a chance of coming back. Good luck.
  • wendybill
    wendybill Member Posts: 84
    #4
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    Barbara53 said:

    probably carbo
    Nancy's right, it's probably carbocisplatin, one of the two first-line chemos used for OVCA, and the one that often suppresses or shrinks tumors by radically altering pH. There are side effects (weakness, constipation) that the nurses will handle in the hospital as best they can. It will be hard on your mother, but if the pulmonary problem is stabilized and if the tumors respond to chemo (they usually do), she has a chance of coming back. Good luck.

    Constpation won't be an issue
    She got a colostomy on August 20th which is what landed her in ICU on the vent this go around.
    Thanks for the input. We will see what happens. She got her trache today and they discovered bacteria in her blood so here we go again. Hello sepsis!

    Thanks for the input. Seems like a crazy question...but will her hair fall out on this drug? Just another thing to prepare for.

    Wendy
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #5
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    wendybill said:

    Constpation won't be an issue
    She got a colostomy on August 20th which is what landed her in ICU on the vent this go around.
    Thanks for the input. We will see what happens. She got her trache today and they discovered bacteria in her blood so here we go again. Hello sepsis!

    Thanks for the input. Seems like a crazy question...but will her hair fall out on this drug? Just another thing to prepare for.

    Wendy

    she'll keep her hair
    She'll keep her hair with carbo. It's the Taxol that makes it fall out. Good luck. She's in God's hands.
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #6
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    wendybill said:

    Constpation won't be an issue
    She got a colostomy on August 20th which is what landed her in ICU on the vent this go around.
    Thanks for the input. We will see what happens. She got her trache today and they discovered bacteria in her blood so here we go again. Hello sepsis!

    Thanks for the input. Seems like a crazy question...but will her hair fall out on this drug? Just another thing to prepare for.

    Wendy

    ostomy
    An ostomy is not uncommon. I had an illesotomy after my inital debulking surgery. It was reversed when the inital chemo was completed.
  • wendybill
    wendybill Member Posts: 84
    #7
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    nancy591 said:

    ostomy
    An ostomy is not uncommon. I had an illesotomy after my inital debulking surgery. It was reversed when the inital chemo was completed.

    Ostomy
    It was unexpected and a second surgery. She developed a fistula following the debulking. It was terrible and gross. I'm not sure if the fistula will heal.
    Wendy
  • wendybill
    wendybill Member Posts: 84
    #8
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    wendybill said:

    Ostomy
    It was unexpected and a second surgery. She developed a fistula following the debulking. It was terrible and gross. I'm not sure if the fistula will heal.
    Wendy

    She's comin back :)
    My mom has done much better since getting her trach. She has done 12 hour stretches on CPAP and the " rest" on the vent. She received her first dose of chemo today - Cisplatin. Now... If they can slowly reduce the sedation so she can wake up. I'm happy with her progress and am going to just try and sit with that...
    Wendy
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #9
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    Hi Wendy,
    This is already
    Hi Wendy,
    This is already positive, I've been keeping up and keeping you/your mother in my daily prayers.

    Once the cancer responds to the chemo, she should get better and better as the cells shrink.

    As for the docs,..sometimes they're bedside manners are little to be desired. And sometimes I know they are not even aware how brash they come across, so on top of what you and your mother are going through, if that continues address it, but don't let it distract you from the focus of doing whatever it takes to get your mother well.

    Stay strong and keep us posted.

    Sharon
  • 8isenough
    8isenough Member Posts: 16
    #10
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    wendybill said:

    She's comin back :)
    My mom has done much better since getting her trach. She has done 12 hour stretches on CPAP and the " rest" on the vent. She received her first dose of chemo today - Cisplatin. Now... If they can slowly reduce the sedation so she can wake up. I'm happy with her progress and am going to just try and sit with that...
    Wendy

    My prayers for your Mom
    I just wanted to say i can really sympathize with you and what you are going through with your mom,(my mom is advanced ov cancer)and i will say a prayer for you and your Mom.I believe that every prayer does help!May God give your mom the strenght she needs to fight this cancer. May the Virgin Mary Mother be praised,adored and glorified throughout the whole world forever and ever.Amen. Thank You K.S

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