STARTING CHEMO AND RADS

better than not doing it.
good luck. If your experience is any thing like my husband's you will be surrounded by loving professionals who aim to save your life

We can hang in there together
My Dad is halfway through week 2 of a 6 week regiment. The first week was so very scary - we had no idea what to expect. But we made it through just fine. There are several others going through chemo and rads right now on this list. We will make it through together!

- Karrie

Big improvements
Although my 6 week regimen of chemo and radiation didn't get all the cancer, it did make for major improvements in my life. I can actually eat REAL FOOD. It did leave me with an esophageal ulcer, but I think that is healing. I feel about 75% of what I would feel if I were healthy, but that's enough to make me happy, and allow me to get on with life.

Unfortunately, a pre-operation CT scan showed possible metastasis, and a needle biopsy of the left adrenal turned out positive, so I'm back on chemo with the pump every two weeks. So we'll just have to see. Here's hoping you don't have anything anywhere else, so that surgery is possible for you. But I have to tell you, life is what you make of it, and you can be positive, or you can be miserable. It's up to you. Frankly, POSITIVE is the way to go.

This journey is scary, and it isn't one any normal person would take, but here we are. Do the stuff you gotta do, and keep on truckin'

Jerry
DX 10/12/11 Possible Stage IV
DX 12/16/11 as T4N1M0 Stage III
DX 2/15/12 as T4N1M1 FEHHHHH.. Back to Stage IV.

TerryV said:

Hang tough, Karrie!
Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you and your dad. Hope things continue to go well for him. I've been reading your other post

It does help to have a "group" going through at the same time. Gives you people at the same stage to bounce thoughts off of - and believe me, that helps tremendously!

Hugs to you all,

Terry

thanks for the hugs!
Hi Terry,

Thanks for the hugs. I jsut got back from spending 3 days with Dad in the VA hospital apartment. They are wonderful and give us anything we need - except internet access! LOL. Guess that's not a top priority, but it sure makes connecting on this forum difficult.

- Karrie

Karrie42 said:

Check in with everyone else in the midst of chemo/rads?
Hello again,

Thought maybe we could get a thread going for all of us who are currently going through chemo and rads...

I'll start: My Dad is 67 and being treated at both OHSU and the Portland VA (hospitals are connected and are working together on Dad's case.) He just finished week 2 of chemo/rads. He is getting radiation everyday and chemo (a combo of paxiltaxal and carboplatin) once a week on wednesdays. So far so good regarding side effects. The last few days he has noticed a big drop in energy and finds himself getting tired faster.

How is everyone else doing?

- Karrie

Hi KarrieMy husband, Bill,
Hi Karrie
My husband, Bill, is being treated at M D Anderson in Houston and is almost at the end of his 28 days radiation. 4 more days of 5FU pump and radiation, then hopefully we get to go home to Oklahoma for a few weeks.

He had 2 months of "induction" chemo every other week - carboplatin and taxol plus 2 days of 5FU via continuous pump. He did very well on that with few side effects (he is not a surgery candidate because of other health problems, which is why MDA did chemo prior to chemo/radiation). Then he started the radiation/chemo. Now he has carbo/taxol every other week and the 5FU 5 days a week via pump. He did ok the first few weeks. Then started getting bad mouth sores. They reduced the strength of the 5FU and that helped with the mouth sores. He also started feeling more pain (burn I guess) in his esophagus for which they prescribed a pain killing elixir. He has another elixir to take before eating to help him eat. This last week he has had much more difficulty drinking and eating. Started with difficulty drinking water which we have to work on as he does not want to get dehydrated as he really really wants the PICC line out when chemo finishes thursday. They say the pain and difficulty eating will get worse till about 2 weeks after the radiation is over. They had us meet with a nutritionist and one thing she and the chemo doc have emphasized is to try and take in a lot of protein as that helps the healing. They made lots of useful suggestions such as adding powdered milk to milk to increase the protein. This last week he is also much more tired and short of breath.

Great idea.

Freida
Wife of Bill, diagnosed 11/8/2011 T3N2Mx, not a surgery candidate