cycle 5 done but not completed

cindy0519

Chemo Cycle #5 infusion began at 8:15 this morning.  Premeds and Taxol, which I had a small reaction to last time near the end of the infusion, went well - no reactions. 

Started the Carboplatin on time just after 1:00. Twelve minutes into the infusion my palm of my left hand and under my eyes began itching.  Apparently a very common sign of reaction to Carboplatin.   They immediately sprang into action stopping the infusion, giving me more Benadryl, and waiting 15 minutes to see how I felt.  15 minutes later still itching and in new spots so they gave me a dose of an"big gun steroid".  15 minutes later the PA from Dr Rath's office comes to see me.  I still feel itchy but am unsure if it is just my mind playing with me because I am so focused on not or if I really itch. It is decided that it is too risky to start the infusion again.  So treatment today is declared done even though only about of the Carboplatin is infused.  

Next cycle, the last cycle, I will be admitted to Riverside Hospital and the infusion done there so they have access to the necessary medical equipment should I have yet another and more serious reaction.  The PA says this is not uncommon but they will do everything they can to prevent it including preparing my for chemo by adding steroids before instead of just during and after and slowing the infusion of the Carboplatin way down.

The PA assures us that skipping the remainder of the Carboplatin this treatment is not going to affect my chances of recurrence.  She said depending on how cycle 6 goes, we can always schedule another session 3 weeks after six to do only Carboplatin. 

Not sure what I want to do.  I need time to process this and pray a bit before making a decision. On one hand I want to finish entirely so I have wont have any way to say "if only" should I have a recurrence. One the other hand, it makes logical sense to me that the missing portion will have little affect.  

Not exactly the way I anticipated this cycle going

TeddyandBears_Mom

Hey Cindy, All of the

Hey Cindy, All of the decision we have to make outside of the "norm" are not easy and it takes a lot of soul searching to reach one that is best for us.

Sorry you had to deal with that; but so very glad your nurses and  PA paid attention and made sure you stayed safe.

I hope your impacts from #5 are as mild as possible!

Love and Hugs,

Cindi

EZLiving66

I agree 100%!  Better to be

I agree 100%!  Better to be safe than sorry.  This stuff they inject into us is nothing to fool around with.  I'm hoping your side effects are minimal!!!

Love,

Eldri

Lou Ann M

Hi Cindy

I was recently on a Carbo desensitizing program because I had a reaction twice to the Carbo.  Thy ran it over a 7 1/2 hr time frame.  it was mixed in 3 different patches each with and increased amount of Carbo in it.  Each bag had to be increased with faster drip 4 times (every 15 minutes0. The last bag was run at a normal rate for the last half, but still lasted for 3-4 hrs.  I did fine for 4 rounds and then on the last one I had a reaction 15 minutes into the full dose.  Since this was my 3rd reaction we decided tom leave this stuff alone and try something new the next time.    I flush, my heart rate and blood pressure rises and I get light headed.  I had hoped that the desencitizing program would work longer, but it did work for 4 rounds.  So that is an option that may work for you.   My chemo nurse said she was going to get someone that really cared and she came back with my doctor in tow in  few minutes.  he came back to check on me before I left and sent his PA and nurse to check on me too.  Hugs and prayers , Lou Ann

Unknown

Lou Ann M said:

Hi Cindy

I was recently on a Carbo desensitizing program because I had a reaction twice to the Carbo.  Thy ran it over a 7 1/2 hr time frame.  it was mixed in 3 different patches each with and increased amount of Carbo in it.  Each bag had to be increased with faster drip 4 times (every 15 minutes0. The last bag was run at a normal rate for the last half, but still lasted for 3-4 hrs.  I did fine for 4 rounds and then on the last one I had a reaction 15 minutes into the full dose.  Since this was my 3rd reaction we decided tom leave this stuff alone and try something new the next time.    I flush, my heart rate and blood pressure rises and I get light headed.  I had hoped that the desencitizing program would work longer, but it did work for 4 rounds.  So that is an option that may work for you.   My chemo nurse said she was going to get someone that really cared and she came back with my doctor in tow in  few minutes.  he came back to check on me before I left and sent his PA and nurse to check on me too.  Hugs and prayers , Lou Ann

Cindy, it will be OK.

I had a pretty good talk with my doctor Monday about delaying/cutting doses.  He assured me that going light or pssibly delaying chemo isn't going to affect your chemo treatment in the long run.  It sounds like you have received 4 good doses, and at least 1/2 of #5?  And what a great doctor to do it right and watch you for your last one.  I just had chemo #4, but it was at a lower dose, I was contemplating asking my doctor for at least one more (maybe 7 instead of 6) to compensate for the lower dose, but I don't know if any insurance will approve goinbg above standard tretment?  When my son was 15/16 (30 some years ago) he had non-hodgkins lymphoma.  When he had his first chemo he was so sick, his eyes rolled back in his head and I thought we lost him.  After that, he received the rest of his treatments in the hospital, somewhat sedated, and did just fine.  PS, he's my miracle,  because he hasn't had any cancer return since then!  I'm pretty sure that I would want the VIP hospital care for my last one if I had an allergic reaction.

Editgrl

Aw jeez, Cindy

What a drag!  It does sound that your doctors are doing everything they can to give you the full dose with as little risk as possible, and that they are paying attention to you.  Treatment decisions are so difficult to make.  I hope you can make a decision you are at peace with sooner rather than later.

Chris

cindy0519

Thanks everyone!

i am going to bit of Carbo desensitzing with Round #6. I wil take the steroid at home the day and night before (2 tablets once in the morning and once at night) they will also be doing the infusion over four hours rather than 30 minutes and I will be very well monitored in the hospital.  

I am not going to make any decision about doing a seventh cycle to get the remaining Carboplatin in unti after I see how cycle 6 goes   If i make it through reaction free i will then decide what to do about the missed Carboplatin       

Your support and comments help so much...thank you!!

 

 

Editgrl

cindy0519 said:

Thanks everyone!

i am going to bit of Carbo desensitzing with Round #6. I wil take the steroid at home the day and night before (2 tablets once in the morning and once at night) they will also be doing the infusion over four hours rather than 30 minutes and I will be very well monitored in the hospital.  

I am not going to make any decision about doing a seventh cycle to get the remaining Carboplatin in unti after I see how cycle 6 goes   If i make it through reaction free i will then decide what to do about the missed Carboplatin       

Your support and comments help so much...thank you!!

 

 

For what it's worth, I always

For what it's worth, I always took steroids 12 hours before and woke up to take another dose during the night 6 hours before chemo and never had a problem.  Hope getting dosed before works for you, too!

ConnieSW

Editgrl said:

For what it's worth, I always

For what it's worth, I always took steroids 12 hours before and woke up to take another dose during the night 6 hours before chemo and never had a problem.  Hope getting dosed before works for you, too!

Steroids

i dosed with steroids as Chris did and assumed that was standard protocol.  I never had a reaction.  I'll be interested to see what others did.

Unknown

ConnieSW said:

Steroids

i dosed with steroids as Chris did and assumed that was standard protocol.  I never had a reaction.  I'll be interested to see what others did.

Me too

I take 20mg with supper the evening before and 20mg with breakfast the day of chemo.  Hugs Nancy

TeddyandBears_Mom

unknown said:

Me too

I take 20mg with supper the evening before and 20mg with breakfast the day of chemo.  Hugs Nancy

Not Me

I never had steroids before the chemo treatment day. Only in the IV.

 

EZLiving66

I took a steroid pill the day

I took a steroid pill the day before chemo and an iv infusion the day of, followed by a pill for three days afterward.

Love,

Eldri

cindy0519

EZLiving66 said:

I took a steroid pill the day

I took a steroid pill the day before chemo and an iv infusion the day of, followed by a pill for three days afterward.

Love,

Eldri

I have previously only gotten

I have previously only gotten the steriod (Dexamethasone) in the IV as a premed and then I  take 2 4 MG tablets obn day one and day two after chemo.  I'm hoping that adding some additional steriod before the Carboplatin will be the key. 

Its interesting how different, yet again, everyones treatment is.

Hopeful162

Treatment steroids

Before treatment I only used the numbing medicine on the port site, nothing else. During treatment I was given the Dexamethizone, among lots of other meds, of course. Boy is that weird stuff. I felt very spacy and floaty, not really sleepy and could feel it within seconds of being started. (BTW, I also get some before CT scans as I am allergic to IV contrast solution.)

In any case, I never had any strange reaction to the carbo/taxol during infusion, for which I am thankful. They did tell me initially that I might have to stay overnight in the hospital if I did have a reaction, so I think you will be in good hands.

NoTimeForCancer

cindy0519 said:

Thanks everyone!

i am going to bit of Carbo desensitzing with Round #6. I wil take the steroid at home the day and night before (2 tablets once in the morning and once at night) they will also be doing the infusion over four hours rather than 30 minutes and I will be very well monitored in the hospital.  

I am not going to make any decision about doing a seventh cycle to get the remaining Carboplatin in unti after I see how cycle 6 goes   If i make it through reaction free i will then decide what to do about the missed Carboplatin       

Your support and comments help so much...thank you!!

 

 

Cindy, this steroids question

Cindy, this steroids question has made me go and look at my paperwork.  (Yes, I still have it)

I took 20 mg the night before chem

20 mg the morning of chemo

the 1st day after chemo it was 8 mg at 7 am and 8 mg at 12 noon

the 2nd day after chemo it was 8 mg at 7 am and 8 mg at 12 noon

the 3rd day after chemo it was 4 mg at 7 am  and 4 mg at 12 noon

the 4th day after chemo it was 4 mg at 7 am and 4 mg at 12 noon

Steroids are usually stepped down, so I understood that.  All pills were 4 mg so I had to take multiples to get the right mg.

Whew!  Thank goodness they spelled out in detail for me because reading the pill bottle was CRAZY!