Disappointed *sighs*

leelee2012
leelee2012 Member Posts: 17
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Very disappointed. We decided to seek chemo treatment locally so that we don't have to travel an hour away every day the other oncologist. The local oncologist recommended placement of the port and then do 5 days of chemo with radiation.  Good thing I'm working closely with a caseworker for our health insurance. Monday, hubby's supposed to get his port put in and start chemo and radiation. We got the call after hours from our case worker that the the chemo order was rejected due to experimental and it was not standard. WTH!! Are you kidding me? We thought this was the standard way. Uggghhh...i'm so frustrated.  I don't want to wait another week for treatment. I called the hospital to cancel his sugery appt for the port placement. Monday, we are having a BIG BIG talk again.  This time we'll do the xeloda oral pills as recommended in the first place.

Comments

  • Dyanclark
    Dyanclark Member Posts: 296
    #2
    Chemo & Radiation

    I have never heard of doing Chemo & Radiation at the same time.   I mean ya radiation & Xeloda, but not drip of Oxy & Avastin at same time as radiation.  I am not an expert so pose the question on this board.  Has anyone  had both chemo drip and radiation at same time. 

     

  • Coppercent
    Coppercent Member Posts: 158
    #3
    Dyanclark said:

    Chemo & Radiation

    I have never heard of doing Chemo & Radiation at the same time.   I mean ya radiation & Xeloda, but not drip of Oxy & Avastin at same time as radiation.  I am not an expert so pose the question on this board.  Has anyone  had both chemo drip and radiation at same time. 

     

    Chemo/radiation

    For my chemo/radiation I was offered the option of either 5FU or Xeloda.  I chose xeloda for the convenience.  If I would have went with 5FU I would have had to carry a pump 5 days a week and make extra trips to have the pump connected and disconnected.  The 5FU was actually cheaper then the Xeloda.  

  • leelee2012
    leelee2012 Member Posts: 17
    #4
    Coppercent said:

    Chemo/radiation

    For my chemo/radiation I was offered the option of either 5FU or Xeloda.  I chose xeloda for the convenience.  If I would have went with 5FU I would have had to carry a pump 5 days a week and make extra trips to have the pump connected and disconnected.  The 5FU was actually cheaper then the Xeloda.  

    Xeloda More Expensive

    The Xeloda is definitley more costly than the old school pump. I'm so frustrated with what is standard and what is clinical. We made them aware that our insurance does not cover any type of clinical. Glad we checked things out before moving forward. Why can't everyone work together to make this go smoothly. I just hate having to wait another week!

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #5
    Dyanclark said:

    Chemo & Radiation

    I have never heard of doing Chemo & Radiation at the same time.   I mean ya radiation & Xeloda, but not drip of Oxy & Avastin at same time as radiation.  I am not an expert so pose the question on this board.  Has anyone  had both chemo drip and radiation at same time. 

     

    Killing two birds with one stone

    I too will be doing chemo/radiation once I get this 4 1/2 months of chemo treatment over with. 

    I don't think I could stand to be hooked up to the pump all week. The thought makes me sick. 

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #6
    How frustrating

    I am so sorry to hear that you are being treated this way. Waiting is definitely the worst part at this point of the journey.

    I have to travel over 300 miles for treatment, but luckily go in once every two weeks. When I get the chemo/radiation I will have to live in the big city though, as its a five day treatment for five or six weeks.

    Travelling is hard at the best of times, but the winter weather sucks.

    I hope something can be worked out soon, and the treatments get started. You'll all feel so much better when you know something is being done.

    Also, I'd think seriously about not cancelling the port op. I can't imagine having one placed and then getting it accessed immedietely. I had mine in for a month before it was accessed and it had had time to heal and settle into place. Just a thought. 

    Good luck! 

  • Maxiecat
    Maxiecat Member Posts: 544 Member
    #7
    Trubrit said:

    How frustrating

    I am so sorry to hear that you are being treated this way. Waiting is definitely the worst part at this point of the journey.

    I have to travel over 300 miles for treatment, but luckily go in once every two weeks. When I get the chemo/radiation I will have to live in the big city though, as its a five day treatment for five or six weeks.

    Travelling is hard at the best of times, but the winter weather sucks.

    I hope something can be worked out soon, and the treatments get started. You'll all feel so much better when you know something is being done.

    Also, I'd think seriously about not cancelling the port op. I can't imagine having one placed and then getting it accessed immedietely. I had mine in for a month before it was accessed and it had had time to heal and settle into place. Just a thought. 

    Good luck! 

    I had my port placed on

    I had my port placed on Friday afternoon and started chemo on Tuesday.... No issues.  Thlisle stuff they put me on to numb the port site worked really well.

     

    Alex

  • Coloncancerblows
    Coloncancerblows Member Posts: 296 Member
    #8
    Maxiecat said:

    I had my port placed on

    I had my port placed on Friday afternoon and started chemo on Tuesday.... No issues.  Thlisle stuff they put me on to numb the port site worked really well.

     

    Alex

    I had my port put it on

    I had my port put it on Monday and started chemo on Wednesday.  Also, no issues.  Good luck to you.  I know it is very frustrating indeed.

  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #9
    Dyanclark said:

    Chemo & Radiation

    I have never heard of doing Chemo & Radiation at the same time.   I mean ya radiation & Xeloda, but not drip of Oxy & Avastin at same time as radiation.  I am not an expert so pose the question on this board.  Has anyone  had both chemo drip and radiation at same time. 

     

    Dyanclark

    I was dxed with colon cancer in Dec. '99. The month of February and into March I had 5 weeks of radiation concurrent with a chemo pump giving me 

    1 1/4 cc per hour of 5 FU 24/7.  In may I had the resection with an ileostomy.  In June I had the Ileostomy  reversed. 2010 was quite a year! 

    Colonoscopy in May 2011 showed me NED.  Been that way ever since, living normal? life.

  • Dyanclark
    Dyanclark Member Posts: 296
    #10
    danker said:

    Dyanclark

    I was dxed with colon cancer in Dec. '99. The month of February and into March I had 5 weeks of radiation concurrent with a chemo pump giving me 

    1 1/4 cc per hour of 5 FU 24/7.  In may I had the resection with an ileostomy.  In June I had the Ileostomy  reversed. 2010 was quite a year! 

    Colonoscopy in May 2011 showed me NED.  Been that way ever since, living normal? life.

    Thanks

    Thanks for the information.  I did not know both were done together.   fantastic you are doing goodSmile.  Our bodies are a lot stronger then we think.

  • leelee2012
    leelee2012 Member Posts: 17
    #11
    Radiation Started

    Well, our plans did not go the way we planned it.  We did however get my husband started with Radiation today.  As far as insurance, the billings dept is working with our insurance people to have someone else review it. Apparently, the one that rejected our treatment doesn't have a really good record with the Oncologist that we see.  We are keeping our fingers crossed. If this all pans out, then he will have to get his port put in then start chemo. It's just frustrating with the delay.  Just give us the pills to take if the port and chemo aren't going to be approved.  *sighs* I'm feeling so worked up right now.  Hubby seems to be feeling good after his first radiation. He probably won't feel the side effects closer towards the end the doc said. 

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