Today I got out my belly One liter and a half of fluid, my CT scan doesn't shows disease, but my CA-

Mercedes20870

Hi ladies, It's been a while since I been here, I was feeling sick, I started to take Letrozole in August 21th, and I did not go to good for me, I had a lot headache, the hot flases came back, some nausea, and upset stomach, so time pass, and around 2 weeks ago my stomach started to hurt so much, and swells, so last Thursday I got all my test done, CA-125 is 217, (July 15 was 200), did not raise to much, my CT scan shows a fluid, but not tumor, so today I got a Paracentesis done, they took 1 Lt 1/2 of liquid from my belly and I'm feeling a little sore, but more light, my doctor is sure is the cancer back, and he want to put me in a Chemo, Taxol+Avastin, I really explained to the Nurse Practicioner that I want a Chemo break, and I would like to try Gemzar, I have never been in that drug (I have Chemo in January of 2009, six rounds (carboplatin + plaxitel), and July 2010 six rounds (Carboplatin+Plaxitel+Avastin), and then 11 more times of Avatin every 3 weeks.

So now I'm waiting to the pain go away for complete, and praying to God that the fluid doesn't come back, just hoping for a miracle :-)

If you can give me any thoughts about this I will really appreciate them ...

God bless you all,

Mercedes

cfont11

Fluid
Hi Mercedes,

I never had the problem with fluid but I am dealing with a recurrence of ovarian cancer and I am on Gemzar. Last year I had 6 treatments of taxol/carbo and then had 2 more in April and May of this year. The dr. said I cannot have any more taxol/carbo as you can have an allergic reaction to carbo and now I am platinum resistant. I also have have neuropathy very bad from the taxol and they did not want to make it worse. Gemzar has little or no side effects, no nausea, no neuropathy and no hair loss. However, if you don't have a port and get chemo through an IV, Gemzar hurts like heck going in.

I also had a clean CT scan but my CA125 kept going up so the dr. knew something was going on.

I will keep you in prayers and talk to your oncologist about other chemo drugs.

Chris

antcat

Treatment
Hi Mercedes, sorry to hear what you're going thru. I also have recurrent disease. I was previously on Avastin and Topotecan and Avastin and Cytoxan, unfortunatley, didn't have good results. I was recently on just Taxotere but cancer still progressed. How did you make out while you were on Avastin? Did it work?

I also told the dr. I wanted a chemo break. It was a joke he said he would give me 2 weeks, and I said to him what will 2 weeks do? I've been on constant chemo since last year and my body is just tired. I was on gemzar. The only thing with genzar was that my blood counts went really low, but I didn't lose my hair. I also had experienced with bloody noses while on gemzar but that could have been because I have been on so much chemo. Good for you wanting to take a break if you can. Right now, I'm going to see a new oncologist so I'm on a little chemo break and I feel great, so I'm taking advantage of it. Good luck with Gemzar and keep us informed.

Mercedes20870

cfont11 said:

Fluid
Hi Mercedes,

I never had the problem with fluid but I am dealing with a recurrence of ovarian cancer and I am on Gemzar. Last year I had 6 treatments of taxol/carbo and then had 2 more in April and May of this year. The dr. said I cannot have any more taxol/carbo as you can have an allergic reaction to carbo and now I am platinum resistant. I also have have neuropathy very bad from the taxol and they did not want to make it worse. Gemzar has little or no side effects, no nausea, no neuropathy and no hair loss. However, if you don't have a port and get chemo through an IV, Gemzar hurts like heck going in.

I also had a clean CT scan but my CA125 kept going up so the dr. knew something was going on.

I will keep you in prayers and talk to your oncologist about other chemo drugs.

Chris

I have port
Hi Chris,

The first I got diagnose by Ovarian Cancer was the fluid in my belly in only 10 days I acumulated 8 liter, and the day of the surgery I have some more took out, this time is happening slowly, which is a hope, I'm still thinking that my organs and stomach are very upset, not necessary by the cancer, the chemos we are on are so strong and I'm sure they do some damage, however my doctor has agreed in wait a little bit, today my stomach is a little upset, hopely get better and I don't need to take a pain killer, I hope my doctor agree in try Gemzar on me, I know he wants to keep me in Avastin, it seems like is a lot of hope in this drug, but I got it for 17 months and my number went up anyways, it is sad that this cancer has to come back so fast, but we need to fight it with all the tools we have.

Thank you so much for your reply, I will also keep you on my prayers ...

Good bless you

Mercedes20870

antcat said:

Treatment
Hi Mercedes, sorry to hear what you're going thru. I also have recurrent disease. I was previously on Avastin and Topotecan and Avastin and Cytoxan, unfortunatley, didn't have good results. I was recently on just Taxotere but cancer still progressed. How did you make out while you were on Avastin? Did it work?

I also told the dr. I wanted a chemo break. It was a joke he said he would give me 2 weeks, and I said to him what will 2 weeks do? I've been on constant chemo since last year and my body is just tired. I was on gemzar. The only thing with genzar was that my blood counts went really low, but I didn't lose my hair. I also had experienced with bloody noses while on gemzar but that could have been because I have been on so much chemo. Good for you wanting to take a break if you can. Right now, I'm going to see a new oncologist so I'm on a little chemo break and I feel great, so I'm taking advantage of it. Good luck with Gemzar and keep us informed.

Avastin
Hi Antcat,

I have been on Avastin 17 months, to me still a mistery how it really help me, the first 6 rounds were a combo carboplatin+plaxotel+avastin, and my numbers went back, so in the following 5 months I received and I had some bleeding nose, shortness to breathe, blurry vision, and I lose some energy, but then my CA-125 started to raise again and now I'm on 217, I don't think really help me so much, but my doctor wants to put me again on it and plaxol, I want to try Gemzar because I have been reading some many of us are in that chemo and worked ok, and the end of the day, no one of the drug work a 100% that is why the cancer come back so fast, in my case it seems like is one a year, I'm wondering if always going to be in that way?, but God has the last word.

You don't like your doctor anymore?, it is always good a second opinion I heard, but to get to that point I really need to understand that my doctor is not doing the right think, I did not heard before of Topotecan and Cytoxan, I'm wondering why you were not in Carboplatin and Plaxotel like most of all, in what stage was your disease?, mine is III stage...

I will keep informing how my treatments are coming up, believe me I'm not in a hurry ...

God bless you, and keep a good fight!

Mercedes

dreamer007

Mercedes20870 said:

Avastin
Hi Antcat,

I have been on Avastin 17 months, to me still a mistery how it really help me, the first 6 rounds were a combo carboplatin+plaxotel+avastin, and my numbers went back, so in the following 5 months I received and I had some bleeding nose, shortness to breathe, blurry vision, and I lose some energy, but then my CA-125 started to raise again and now I'm on 217, I don't think really help me so much, but my doctor wants to put me again on it and plaxol, I want to try Gemzar because I have been reading some many of us are in that chemo and worked ok, and the end of the day, no one of the drug work a 100% that is why the cancer come back so fast, in my case it seems like is one a year, I'm wondering if always going to be in that way?, but God has the last word.

You don't like your doctor anymore?, it is always good a second opinion I heard, but to get to that point I really need to understand that my doctor is not doing the right think, I did not heard before of Topotecan and Cytoxan, I'm wondering why you were not in Carboplatin and Plaxotel like most of all, in what stage was your disease?, mine is III stage...

I will keep informing how my treatments are coming up, believe me I'm not in a hurry ...

God bless you, and keep a good fight!

Mercedes

ovca
the first time i had chemo taxol/carbo was administered, for 4 or 5 treatments....
the ca became resistent, and the combo was changed to gemzar/carbo for
the remaining 4 or 5 chemo treatments

while on the gemzar/carbo regimen, my hair grew back, the neuropathy went
away, but gemzar wiped out my platelets, hemoglobin, and the wbcs were much
lower... everytime i had an infusion of gemzar/carbo, two weeks later i had to have
blood transfusions over a two day period
the gemzar did its job, got me to remission, but it did take a toll on my blood counts!

there has been a recurrence, which was confirmed in late sept. of this year
i feel a lot of fluid building up in the abdomen, and will see the onc doc on 10/11
not sure if it needs to be drained, but will see what the doc says
hoping the next chemo knocks out some of this swelling

i did have a ct in july that was "clean" but the ca125 kept going up...based on the
ca125 numbers, the doc considers it a recurrence, and did not order another
scan

Mercedes20870

dreamer007 said:

ovca
the first time i had chemo taxol/carbo was administered, for 4 or 5 treatments....
the ca became resistent, and the combo was changed to gemzar/carbo for
the remaining 4 or 5 chemo treatments

while on the gemzar/carbo regimen, my hair grew back, the neuropathy went
away, but gemzar wiped out my platelets, hemoglobin, and the wbcs were much
lower... everytime i had an infusion of gemzar/carbo, two weeks later i had to have
blood transfusions over a two day period
the gemzar did its job, got me to remission, but it did take a toll on my blood counts!

there has been a recurrence, which was confirmed in late sept. of this year
i feel a lot of fluid building up in the abdomen, and will see the onc doc on 10/11
not sure if it needs to be drained, but will see what the doc says
hoping the next chemo knocks out some of this swelling

i did have a ct in july that was "clean" but the ca125 kept going up...based on the
ca125 numbers, the doc considers it a recurrence, and did not order another
scan

Hi dreamer,
I'm sorry that
Hi dreamer,

I'm sorry that both of us are having almost the same symptoms, sometimes doctors work different, I understand that is more important the CT scan vs the CA-125, but my doctor thinks like yours he is sure the cancer is back, it is me who is trying to buy some time before I get into chemo again, I insisted to get the fluid drained, because I want to get relief in my pain, but I'm still in pain, today I'm just resting and I took Percocet for the pain, it help me, I will call next week to the doctor to really get a new plan of my treatment, I will ask him to help me with the pain before put me in any chemo, because it will be pretty bad for me to keep this pain plus the side effects of the chemo, what I like is that he is not planing to give me a 3 combo treatment, and I really want to try Gemzar because I had not take before and I don't want to loose my hair again.

Your experience teach me a lot, It was hard for you on the blood, but worked, all this treatments are really strong, I really hope your following appointment with your doctor give you the answers you are looking for, you seem very strong to me, ready to keep the fight, I wish you the best of the best, we need to keep the faith and get the good part of it, like the love of our loves ones.

God bless you,

Mercedes

Barneygirl

Mercedes,Hope the
Mercedes,
Hope the paracentesis gives you relief from the pain and pressure. I don't have any experience with Gemzar, but I wanted to let you know I'm praying for you.

Laura

carolenk

Barneygirl said:

Mercedes,Hope the
Mercedes,
Hope the paracentesis gives you relief from the pain and pressure. I don't have any experience with Gemzar, but I wanted to let you know I'm praying for you.

Laura

Pain after fluid drained
I had the same experience where the pain didn't go away after the belly fluid was gone. A holistic nurse told me to massage under my ribs where a lot of lymph nodes are located. I did that every day for about a week & it helped me a lot.

It sounds like you should have a PET/CT scan--that will let you know what you are dealing with.

Mercedes20870

Barneygirl said:

Mercedes,Hope the
Mercedes,
Hope the paracentesis gives you relief from the pain and pressure. I don't have any experience with Gemzar, but I wanted to let you know I'm praying for you.

Laura

Hi Laura,
It means a lot to
Hi Laura,

It means a lot to me that you put me on your prayers, I know that to take out the fluid its not the solution, it is just a temporary relief, I'm so tired of live every year the same story, Cancer comes back once a year and I need to focus in the big picture, because, I don't see nothing promising to come, and the sad part is how this affects to my love ones, I'm pretty sure I will get chemo soon, I will ask to my doctor for Gemzar but it is up to him, not to me. I need to get my energy and hope back as soon I can, I don't like to feel like this, and I know I will get it thru prayers.

God bless you,

Mercedes

Mercedes20870

carolenk said:

Pain after fluid drained
I had the same experience where the pain didn't go away after the belly fluid was gone. A holistic nurse told me to massage under my ribs where a lot of lymph nodes are located. I did that every day for about a week & it helped me a lot.

It sounds like you should have a PET/CT scan--that will let you know what you are dealing with.

Hi Carol,
I just come back
Hi Carol,

I just come back from a Chinese practisioner and she told me, she see a disbalance on the water in my body, and gave me some natural pills, she explain me that is there something blocking, and I told her about cancer, she said I need to get a conventional treatment, she can help me with the side effects, because Acupunture wont be enough, I know that, I just want to get some time to myself, but I don't want to get any worse either, so I'm probably will go to see my doctor the following week, I just want to know if the natural pill she gave me do work and put some balance on the fluid in my abdomen.

I had a Ct scan done last week and doesn't not shows a disease it shows the fluid and some ascites, and for my doctor is the cancer, he want's to put me in Chemo soon, I'm the one who doesn't want a chemo again, but I think I have not other option.

Thank you I will do massage myself as you tell me.

God bless you,

Mercedes