My brother's petscan results

rose20
rose20 Member Posts: 258
edited October 2011 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Petscan shows a lot more shrinkage of the tumor...no cancer showed up anywhere else in his body!!
So Jr continues with his chemo and in 2 months will be retested.
Before they give him his chemo they first IV drip benadryl, (has anyone else had this done)and then they Iv drip meds for nausea and then the chemo.
While he was taking in the benadryl he had some kind of reaction and started coughing and couldn't stop, I don't know exactly what they did but they did give him something I guess to counteract that and he began to feel better and was able to continue.
The doctor is well pleased...
so this is good news for those of you who are inoperable like my brother.
NEVER give up!!
Remember my brother was only given a few months to live at first diagnosis and here it has been over a year and as far as the tumor it keeps shrinking which I know is great news but yet I keep wondering what about the rest of him...he still can barely eat and losing weight that he can't afford to lose.
But his tests always comes back great, all his blood work, they told him his heart is great his liver, lungs.
I am thankful but yet concerned at how much weight he is losing.
Frustrating, but I guess we concentrate on the good and that is the tumor is shrinking and there are no signs of activity anywhere else in the body!!

Comments

  • TerryV
    TerryV Member Posts: 887
    #2
    Prayers work!
    Blessings on you both, Rose! I'm glad for your good news!

    Terry
    wife to Nick
    dx Stage 3, May 19, 2011
    THE, Sept 8, 2011
  • fredswilma
    fredswilma Member Posts: 185
    #3
    Hi Rose
    It is so good to
    Hi Rose
    It is so good to hear some good news, I think it is fantastic that the tumor has shrunk and no new cancers have shown up. With regards to weight loss which is frightening as we all know, he will need his strength in the upcoming months, is he taking any shakes e.g. whey protein, my husband has 1 or 2 of these a day which I mix with ice-cream and berries just to help him maintain his weight also fish oil capsules which Sherri put me onto, you are probably well in front of me here but sometimes its good to remember the basics.
    My husband also has an IV anti-histamine (don't think thats spelt right)prior to his chemo, apparently that is to reduce the risk of a re-action to the Chemo, Mark is on Taxol at the moment a much kinder Chemo drug than the feast he was on prior to Christmas, they generally only give IV anti-histamine's on the first two rounds of Chemo and if no re-action they will give them orally, unfortunately for Mark he had a re-action really frightening his blood pressure went through the roof and he felt like he couldn,t breath so he will always have to have the IV and also the rate at which they put the Taxol in had to be reduced. Will be thinking of you both and I, like you, are celebrating that we have been given this extra time, we too were told to think in months so having past the one year mark, well just fantastic.
    Ann
  • cher76
    cher76 Member Posts: 292
    #4
    Good News!
    Rose,
    So glad to hear the good news for your brother. What chemo is he presently on? When Rickie has chemo they always give him benadryl through the IV. they also give an anti nausea drug and a steroid. Orally he take liquid tylenol as well. All this is suppost to combat the side effects, but all it seems to do is put him to sleep for the 4 hours he is there! But better to sleep through it I guess than suffer through the side effects! Rickie also just cannot seem to gain weight. Even with his feeding tube and eating meals, he just cannot seem to take in the volume he needs to to gain weight. He has a big breakfast spread several hours and then not much for lunch as he is still too full. He has been eating better at dinner time, just depends on what he wants me to cook. The usual, one day something works and the next day it's out the window (or in the trash I should say)! If he feels that he didn't eat enough for the day then he will take a can late in the evening around 11pm. I need to try the fish oil, however when I asked the nutritionist about it she said that there was nothing to that. I will have to prick open the capsules as he does not think he can swallow them. Then I an concerned that it will make whatever I put it in taste bad. I tried some flaxseed oil in a smoothie, and I could not even drink it, so I didn't dare serve it to him! So if anyone has any ideas let me know. I have been trying to calorie count what he eats, but when you spit up several times during a meal, how do you count that. So Rose I understand your frustration completely.
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie, dx stage IV EC, Oct. 2010
  • NikiMo
    NikiMo Member Posts: 342
    #5
    fredswilma said:

    Hi Rose
    It is so good to
    Hi Rose
    It is so good to hear some good news, I think it is fantastic that the tumor has shrunk and no new cancers have shown up. With regards to weight loss which is frightening as we all know, he will need his strength in the upcoming months, is he taking any shakes e.g. whey protein, my husband has 1 or 2 of these a day which I mix with ice-cream and berries just to help him maintain his weight also fish oil capsules which Sherri put me onto, you are probably well in front of me here but sometimes its good to remember the basics.
    My husband also has an IV anti-histamine (don't think thats spelt right)prior to his chemo, apparently that is to reduce the risk of a re-action to the Chemo, Mark is on Taxol at the moment a much kinder Chemo drug than the feast he was on prior to Christmas, they generally only give IV anti-histamine's on the first two rounds of Chemo and if no re-action they will give them orally, unfortunately for Mark he had a re-action really frightening his blood pressure went through the roof and he felt like he couldn,t breath so he will always have to have the IV and also the rate at which they put the Taxol in had to be reduced. Will be thinking of you both and I, like you, are celebrating that we have been given this extra time, we too were told to think in months so having past the one year mark, well just fantastic.
    Ann

    I thought I recently saw a report advising against fish oil
    HI Ann,

    Just wanted to mention that I believe I recently saw a report that came out advising against using fish oil during chemotherapy. It had something to do with fatty acid production and the fish oil making the chemotherapy less effective. I know there are always two sides to every story, but I wanted to mention this. I am sure you can google it, I think it was a dutch research team that published the study.

    Niki
  • NikiMo
    NikiMo Member Posts: 342
    #6
    Power of prayer!
    HI Rose,

    I am so pleased to hear about your brother's pet scan. I can't help but think that our collective prayers are doing something here. We have had a good week so far for our surgical candidates, and now this news. I will continue to pray for your brother and all EC patients.

    My husband used muscle milk to try and keep the pounds on, he said it was the least offensive of the protein shakes.

    Best wishes,

    Niki
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #7
    cher76 said:

    Good News!
    Rose,
    So glad to hear the good news for your brother. What chemo is he presently on? When Rickie has chemo they always give him benadryl through the IV. they also give an anti nausea drug and a steroid. Orally he take liquid tylenol as well. All this is suppost to combat the side effects, but all it seems to do is put him to sleep for the 4 hours he is there! But better to sleep through it I guess than suffer through the side effects! Rickie also just cannot seem to gain weight. Even with his feeding tube and eating meals, he just cannot seem to take in the volume he needs to to gain weight. He has a big breakfast spread several hours and then not much for lunch as he is still too full. He has been eating better at dinner time, just depends on what he wants me to cook. The usual, one day something works and the next day it's out the window (or in the trash I should say)! If he feels that he didn't eat enough for the day then he will take a can late in the evening around 11pm. I need to try the fish oil, however when I asked the nutritionist about it she said that there was nothing to that. I will have to prick open the capsules as he does not think he can swallow them. Then I an concerned that it will make whatever I put it in taste bad. I tried some flaxseed oil in a smoothie, and I could not even drink it, so I didn't dare serve it to him! So if anyone has any ideas let me know. I have been trying to calorie count what he eats, but when you spit up several times during a meal, how do you count that. So Rose I understand your frustration completely.
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie, dx stage IV EC, Oct. 2010

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • rose20
    rose20 Member Posts: 258
    #8
    cher76 said:

    Good News!
    Rose,
    So glad to hear the good news for your brother. What chemo is he presently on? When Rickie has chemo they always give him benadryl through the IV. they also give an anti nausea drug and a steroid. Orally he take liquid tylenol as well. All this is suppost to combat the side effects, but all it seems to do is put him to sleep for the 4 hours he is there! But better to sleep through it I guess than suffer through the side effects! Rickie also just cannot seem to gain weight. Even with his feeding tube and eating meals, he just cannot seem to take in the volume he needs to to gain weight. He has a big breakfast spread several hours and then not much for lunch as he is still too full. He has been eating better at dinner time, just depends on what he wants me to cook. The usual, one day something works and the next day it's out the window (or in the trash I should say)! If he feels that he didn't eat enough for the day then he will take a can late in the evening around 11pm. I need to try the fish oil, however when I asked the nutritionist about it she said that there was nothing to that. I will have to prick open the capsules as he does not think he can swallow them. Then I an concerned that it will make whatever I put it in taste bad. I tried some flaxseed oil in a smoothie, and I could not even drink it, so I didn't dare serve it to him! So if anyone has any ideas let me know. I have been trying to calorie count what he eats, but when you spit up several times during a meal, how do you count that. So Rose I understand your frustration completely.
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie, dx stage IV EC, Oct. 2010

    Thank you all!
    Hello Cheryl, the last I heard my brother is on taxotere and they have him on a lower dosage, they took him off the other chemos he was on.
    My sister-in-law Kathy is doing everything she can for him, blending soups, making protein drinks.
    There is a drink by BOOST that they gave him in the hospital that she has to order by mail that he can tolerate. This is mainly what he lives on.
    Very seldom he will say he ate some mashed potatoes with gravy, and this is only a few bites.
    Sometimes he gets down creamed soups.
    I just thought if the tumor is shrinking, they said from the last test it was 12cm and now it is 2cm, that he would be able to swallow and eat.
    I am wondering if the stent is the culprit in his inability to eat.
    But at this stage it wouldn't be wise to remove it as its been in there for over a year now.
    But then again it could all be from chemo and meds he is on.
    My brother is praying that the next scan will show no evidence of this cancer!
    And yes, I agree Niki, this week has been full of good reports for those of you who had the surgeries and now the good report on my brother.
    God hears our prayers and He sees our hearts.
    His word tells us, "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications."
    We will continue to pray for all on this site.
  • NikiMo
    NikiMo Member Posts: 342
    #9
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    For your review
    Sherri,

    Here is the article I am talking about. I am sure fish oils are fine a fews weeks after chemo.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14882108

    I am going to post this to the board so all the folks can read for themselves.

    Niki
  • megmacmd
    megmacmd Member Posts: 85
    #10
    losing weight
    Iam 56 years old iniatly stage 111 then 4a ihave been doing flofox for 6months lucovorin,5fu,cisplation every 2-3weeks 12 treatments so far I have worked throughout I sometimetimes fell tired butI have lost 45 lb and have no appetite I have to force myselfself to eat mostly bananas yougurt soups sweet potatoes do love fresh crabmeat we get here in virginia easy to digest Find what makes him happy to eat and easy to digest simple is best even baked apple My scan was shrinkage my biopsy no cancer in my esophagus I just went with chemo no surgery or radiation. I was given 6 moths am in semiremission as it can apways come back but the chemo and lesionin my esophgus gives me no appetite so I must plan dinners out to eat socially and enjoy a meal and I take vitamins aswell Chemo takes away your appetite even desire to eat because I was all about eating lost 45 lbs off all my hypertentsion meds and bordrerline diabetic offf those as well so a blessing in disguise goood luck just go with what feels right meg mcintyre
  • adube
    adube Member Posts: 63
    #11
    Yay!
    Yay for positive scan! You give us Stage IV kids some hope, y'know. Thank you for sharing. Like the others, I would totally recommend the protein/whey powder. You can put it in just about everything (shakes/smoothies, cereal, pancakes, whatever he can eat really). The one my dad is using has 60g of protein per serving! Or maybe you could consider a feeding tube until he gets his strength up? I don't know much about them, because we're still in early stages of chemo treatment, but there's tons of info on here--- just a thought.

    Best of luck, and congrats to your bro,
    Alissa (daughter of Mike, IV)
  • preacherchad
    preacherchad Member Posts: 60
    #12
    Great News
    Rose;

    It is great to hear wonderful news. I am so happy for you and your brother. I know the weight loss is scary, but, you will find some very helpful information from others on this site to help him maintain his weight.
    We rejoice with you during this time of awesome news. We will keep praying for you both.


    chad

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