Getting my 5th chemo today...

phrannie51
phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I'm a little nervous of the 5FU part of it, since last time it produced massive mouth sores, not to mention, my face swelled up and turned bright red oh AND I ended up needing a transfusion....took 3 weeks to recover, and now I'm back here getting ready to do it all over again.

Talked to the Oncologist this morning, and we're going to cut my 5FU by 20% in hopes of keeping the side effects down some...I lost too much weight with the mouth sores, but was up to 84.2 today...I don't want to lose any this next month either. Hope cutting it back a little works!

p

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    well wishes for you
    Hi Phrannie,

    The last dose kicked your butt, but now your body should (hopefully) be ready for it and with the reduction of the dose it will be that much more tolerable for you.

    Sound like you need to hide some extra calories in your drinks, we want you to keep as much weight on as possible.

    If I could I would drive the bus for you to miss all the pot holes and give you the smoothest ride possible. Like you did for me, I’ve put you in my pocket to help you over these last few hurdles.

    Best,

    Matt
  • Sam999
    Sam999 Member Posts: 319 Member
    #3
    CivilMatt said:

    well wishes for you
    Hi Phrannie,

    The last dose kicked your butt, but now your body should (hopefully) be ready for it and with the reduction of the dose it will be that much more tolerable for you.

    Sound like you need to hide some extra calories in your drinks, we want you to keep as much weight on as possible.

    If I could I would drive the bus for you to miss all the pot holes and give you the smoothest ride possible. Like you did for me, I’ve put you in my pocket to help you over these last few hurdles.

    Best,

    Matt

    Hi phrannie,
    Best wishes and
    Hi phrannie,

    Best wishes and prayers for you to get this go by as smoothly as possible. As Matt saiid, it might be not so bad this time as your body is already used to it a bit with first dose. Keep the spirits high, we all will go thru this and read end of tunnel.

    Sam
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #4
    CivilMatt said:

    well wishes for you
    Hi Phrannie,

    The last dose kicked your butt, but now your body should (hopefully) be ready for it and with the reduction of the dose it will be that much more tolerable for you.

    Sound like you need to hide some extra calories in your drinks, we want you to keep as much weight on as possible.

    If I could I would drive the bus for you to miss all the pot holes and give you the smoothest ride possible. Like you did for me, I’ve put you in my pocket to help you over these last few hurdles.

    Best,

    Matt

    Thinking of you
    Praying this tx is easier than the last for you. You have been through so much. My very 1st Cisplatin kicked my rear so ONC cut future doses in half but more frequently and it was much better. They gave me a pass on the final dose and I still came back NED. Hope the 20% cut does the trick for you. Prayers work...as I was typing this, got word my brother's scan at Mayo came back NED. He had two primaries lung and kidney both caught very early....kidney stones saved his life.
    Keep your weight up P....nutrition, hydration, nutrition........you know the routine.
  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    #5
    You are defintely in my
    You are defintely in my prayers today and in the days to come. I did not have the 5FU but the Cisplatin definitely kicked my butt on my last treatment and I haven't got it picked up yet. I had only lost 7 lbs until last week and now I am down 17 lbs. Trying to add more nutrition but it just doesn't seem to be working yet. I will keep trying and I know you will too. You are such an ispiration. Hopefully you will breeze right thru this one!
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #6
    look at it this way phrannie
    if you lose a little more weight you wont have a butt to kick. Sorry, the devil made me say that. Here is to doseage reduction. Some day I will post the picture my wife took of my face, as it was melting off from the erbitux. Looked at it this morning. Should have waited till Haloween.

    Pat
  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #7
    Thinking of you !
    Phrannie,
    You have come through so much, and your posts have helped us all through some trying times. So now dear Phrannie....feel our strenghth and know we are all with you while you go through the rest of it. All my warmest thoughts and wishes sent, Katie
  • NoDuck
    NoDuck Member Posts: 134
    #8
    Hit It With All Ya Got, Phrannie!
    My money's on you Girl!

    Prayers for strength to get you through this tough treatment.

    Deb
  • ditto1
    ditto1 Member Posts: 660
    #9
    they get the name 5FU, it just sounds like a very rude chemo. P51 its time, you have earned your resolve. Sorry you have to deal with more, but if anyone will come thru this you will. Im down to 8 Rads and 2 more Erbitux., tired yes, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But P51 you have been my inspiration from day one, dealing with the hardtimes you had at the beginning but you always posted when people were having troubles, you made us laugh, you held our hands when we cried, you shared survival plans, still have a bowl of Mircle Soup you brought to our attention and Diane made me. Your right you can taste it. So you know if not now you do, when you come reaching for us, I will be there to offer you hope, because you are the Queen of Hope, for so many of us and we all appreciate you. God Bless, and I will be passing a petition around starting tommorrow to change 5FU to 4LUV, hope everyone will sign it.
  • Ingrid K
    Ingrid K Member Posts: 813
    #10
    ditto1 said:

    they get the name 5FU, it just sounds like a very rude chemo. P51 its time, you have earned your resolve. Sorry you have to deal with more, but if anyone will come thru this you will. Im down to 8 Rads and 2 more Erbitux., tired yes, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But P51 you have been my inspiration from day one, dealing with the hardtimes you had at the beginning but you always posted when people were having troubles, you made us laugh, you held our hands when we cried, you shared survival plans, still have a bowl of Mircle Soup you brought to our attention and Diane made me. Your right you can taste it. So you know if not now you do, when you come reaching for us, I will be there to offer you hope, because you are the Queen of Hope, for so many of us and we all appreciate you. God Bless, and I will be passing a petition around starting tommorrow to change 5FU to 4LUV, hope everyone will sign it.

    Keep on going....a little bit longer.
    Phrannie, just a little more and you'll be done with all the treatments. Keep on going, one step at a time... You can do it ! Just one final big push...we are all behind you holding you up.

    Can't wait until you report that you are all done. Then you can really rest and work on getting better and stronger.

    And I agree with ditto1, let's start a name change campaign.
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #11
    You guys really do perk me up!!
    I did go thru fear on and off today, till the gave me benedryl...the I was off into lala land for most of the afternoon....but I woke up and read all you guys had written and thought...OF COURSE, I can do this....and if I have to get thru the same crap again, I can do that...afterall, the ulcers didn't last a month, they only lasted 3 weeks....Today I am fine...if it happens again, I'll know where I'm at, and will whish and swish with all that's available to me, and use my tube to eat and drink, and muddle thru once again...I did it once, I can do it again. Thank you Matt for tucking me into your pocket...hope you don't mind if I stay till Sunday :).

    LOLOLOLOL Ditto....5FU is a pretty rude name....makes a person wonder if that was a mistake, or a scientists idea of a joke. I'm all for changing the name to 4LUV...truly a very clever idea....LOL

    p
  • Laralyn
    Laralyn Member Posts: 532
    #12
    phrannie51 said:

    You guys really do perk me up!!
    I did go thru fear on and off today, till the gave me benedryl...the I was off into lala land for most of the afternoon....but I woke up and read all you guys had written and thought...OF COURSE, I can do this....and if I have to get thru the same crap again, I can do that...afterall, the ulcers didn't last a month, they only lasted 3 weeks....Today I am fine...if it happens again, I'll know where I'm at, and will whish and swish with all that's available to me, and use my tube to eat and drink, and muddle thru once again...I did it once, I can do it again. Thank you Matt for tucking me into your pocket...hope you don't mind if I stay till Sunday :).

    LOLOLOLOL Ditto....5FU is a pretty rude name....makes a person wonder if that was a mistake, or a scientists idea of a joke. I'm all for changing the name to 4LUV...truly a very clever idea....LOL

    p

    Caught this a little late...
    ...but since the side effects started last time a little later, I think I'm still in time! I'll be thinking of you over the next couple days, and hoping the reduction in strength diminishes any side effects. Either way, you can do this. You're this much closer to the finish line!
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #13
    Laralyn said:

    Caught this a little late...
    ...but since the side effects started last time a little later, I think I'm still in time! I'll be thinking of you over the next couple days, and hoping the reduction in strength diminishes any side effects. Either way, you can do this. You're this much closer to the finish line!

    Ditto and Phrannie
    5-FU is Fluorouracil, and has been used for some 40-years in C treatment. What it is for is to inhibit the growth of rapidly-forming/dividing cells, such as C are, and does it at the DNA level. "When elemental fluorine is reacted with uracil, 5-fluorouracil is produced. 5-Fluorouracil masquerades as uracil during the nucleic acid replication process. Because 5-fluorouracil is similar in shape to but does not perform the same chemistry as uracil, the drug inhibits RNA replication enzymes, thereby eliminating RNA synthesis and stopping the growth of cancerous cells."

    Not too much longer to go before the battle is over, Phrannie, and you will live the reality that old C has left the building! Keep your eyes on the end results of this battle you've been fighting, and know you're gonna live those results- still just a bump in the road that's been going-on awhile. I'm 3 1/4-years, now, and doing great. You're gonna get there.

    Believe

    kcass
  • yensid683
    yensid683 Member Posts: 349
    #14
    phrannie51 said:

    You guys really do perk me up!!
    I did go thru fear on and off today, till the gave me benedryl...the I was off into lala land for most of the afternoon....but I woke up and read all you guys had written and thought...OF COURSE, I can do this....and if I have to get thru the same crap again, I can do that...afterall, the ulcers didn't last a month, they only lasted 3 weeks....Today I am fine...if it happens again, I'll know where I'm at, and will whish and swish with all that's available to me, and use my tube to eat and drink, and muddle thru once again...I did it once, I can do it again. Thank you Matt for tucking me into your pocket...hope you don't mind if I stay till Sunday :).

    LOLOLOLOL Ditto....5FU is a pretty rude name....makes a person wonder if that was a mistake, or a scientists idea of a joke. I'm all for changing the name to 4LUV...truly a very clever idea....LOL

    p

    You can do it
    The days are long, but the weeks will fly by. I too had 5 FU (does sound nasty, doesn't it) and had the mouth sores as well. I found that I had to force myself to drink, and it was nasty, but I did it and it was a surprise to find that once you're well hydrated, your mouth is not as sore.

    You will do well Ms. Phrannie, We're all on your side.

    Peter
  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    #15
    I work in a hospital
    I work in a hospital pharmacy and used to mix chemotherapy drugs. I always thought 5FU was a bad enough name mixing it, but when you have to get it, it probably even sounds worse.
  • VanessaSLO
    VanessaSLO Member Posts: 283
    #16
    boardwalkgirl said:

    I work in a hospital
    I work in a hospital pharmacy and used to mix chemotherapy drugs. I always thought 5FU was a bad enough name mixing it, but when you have to get it, it probably even sounds worse.

    Hey Phrannie
    I'm a little late in posting this.. I was on vacation (yeey :)), but I have to tell you that you are such an inspiration to me, so I know you will get thru this like WINNER. Just a little more and you're out of it. You're doing just GREAT!!!
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #17
    VanessaSLO said:

    Hey Phrannie
    I'm a little late in posting this.. I was on vacation (yeey :)), but I have to tell you that you are such an inspiration to me, so I know you will get thru this like WINNER. Just a little more and you're out of it. You're doing just GREAT!!!

    ?? Missed this post ..
    Hi Phranie .....

    Sorry just now catching this post ?? If one thing I know about you is hour attitude is HUGE positive and for uner 100lbs I would not want to meet you in a dark ally if I was not your friend... :)

    Prayers this tx will go well and no mouth sores like the last one.

    Tim
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #18
    Tim6003 said:

    ?? Missed this post ..
    Hi Phranie .....

    Sorry just now catching this post ?? If one thing I know about you is hour attitude is HUGE positive and for uner 100lbs I would not want to meet you in a dark ally if I was not your friend... :)

    Prayers this tx will go well and no mouth sores like the last one.

    Tim

    5th chemo
    and the gold medal goes to P51! You are a true champion :-)

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