SIRT - Not the cakewalk I was expecting...

Steve444
Steve444 Member Posts: 105 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

I finally made it to my appointment with the real radiation spheres for half of my liver.  My groin is purple and bruised from the practice runs, which I expected to be the worst of it.  i've never had issues with contrast before, but this time I immediately became hot and red over my whole body, had difficulty breathing and it hurt.  Hives appeared on half of my face before they gave me IV Benedryl.  It cut down most of the symptoms, but here I am 8 hours later, spending my night in the hospital still with burning pain in the gut and chest.  None of the meds are helping, including the Morphine they eventually gave me.

Hoping to ignore it enough to fall asleep for a while.  If anyone has experienced anything like this and has suggestions, I'm all ears.  :)

Sorry for whining, just trying to keep my mind off of the burning pain and difficulty breathing for a couple minutes.

Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #2
    Whining? You're not whining!

    You are hurting and sometimes just saying it, or typing it brings a moment of..... I don't want to say relief, because thats not the word, but it brings some satisfaction. 

    You have every right to post and let us know what is happening, that way we can pray or send good vibes or ju ju (whatever floats your boat) you way. 

    I am so sorry that this is happening to you. I will pray for comfort and sleep for tonight. 

    Sue - Truibrit

  • Easyflip
    Easyflip Member Posts: 588 Member
    #3
    Sorry

    about the allergic reaction. Cold always feels good, ice pack wrapped in a towel? I know you feel lousy but it's worth it to irradiate that damn cancer! Good luck and hang in there!

    Easyflip/Richard

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,428 Member
    #4
    You Are Not Whining At All

    Do not even think that.  

    As trubrit said, vibes, ju-ju and all the rest for you to get past this part.

    Keep posting, we are all here for you.

  • John212
    John212 Member Posts: 116 Member
    #5
    Yikes!

    That's a nasty reaction. I had a similar, though milder, reaction to oxaliplatin during treatment #7 of 12 and it's scary. I'm glad you got immediate care and I hope it all fades away soon.

  • sflgirl
    sflgirl Member Posts: 220 Member
    #6
    You are never whining

    Youre going through a brutal treatment.  I think you're brave.

    All the best.

  • Steve444
    Steve444 Member Posts: 105 Member
    #7
    Thanks everyone

    The worst of the pain finally subsided at 4am, though I still have tightness in the chest, pain around my liver (to be expected I suppose since the radiation is eating it away and Alt/Ast are 3x what they usually are).  Now the pain is back in my stomach again, but may just be a combination of indigestion from hospital food and the need to go to the bathroom, but the several doses of morphine saying no way buddy.  Just got home from the hospital and hope to feel better soon.

    Last night I started thinking that there's no way I'm going back in for the second half to be treated, but I know better (my wife wouldn't let me quit <g>).  She's insistent on getting 29 more years out of me.

  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    #8
    You are not whining. I am

    You are not whining. I am sorry you had that reaction. I am surprised you didn't for the mapping proceedure since I am sure that is the same contrast as the actual proceedure. BTW I am 99% sure that is a different contrast than what they use for a CT scan. Each type of scan has it's own contrast. I.E. CT scan is iodine, PET scan is radioactive gloucose, MRI is a liquid metal which I can't remember the name. They did a CT scan followed by a nuclear scan for SIRT mapping and proceedure with me. I am pretty sure that was more of a dye than a contrast.

  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    #9
    Steve444 said:

    Thanks everyone

    The worst of the pain finally subsided at 4am, though I still have tightness in the chest, pain around my liver (to be expected I suppose since the radiation is eating it away and Alt/Ast are 3x what they usually are).  Now the pain is back in my stomach again, but may just be a combination of indigestion from hospital food and the need to go to the bathroom, but the several doses of morphine saying no way buddy.  Just got home from the hospital and hope to feel better soon.

    Last night I started thinking that there's no way I'm going back in for the second half to be treated, but I know better (my wife wouldn't let me quit <g>).  She's insistent on getting 29 more years out of me.

    I am glad you are home. You

    I am glad you are home. You will go back even without your wife pushing you. I can't tell you how many treatments, proceedures, surgeries I said I wouldn't do again but when faced with no other better alternative I went right back to do it again and BTW after almost 10 years of this crap my main motivation to endure more suffering is my wife.

  • Steve444
    Steve444 Member Posts: 105 Member
    #10
    janderson1964 said:

    You are not whining. I am

    You are not whining. I am sorry you had that reaction. I am surprised you didn't for the mapping proceedure since I am sure that is the same contrast as the actual proceedure. BTW I am 99% sure that is a different contrast than what they use for a CT scan. Each type of scan has it's own contrast. I.E. CT scan is iodine, PET scan is radioactive gloucose, MRI is a liquid metal which I can't remember the name. They did a CT scan followed by a nuclear scan for SIRT mapping and proceedure with me. I am pretty sure that was more of a dye than a contrast.

    you're right

    I'm sure I'd go back on my own (it was a lounge in check comment), but I also do this so she doesn't suffer, plus I kinda(more than kinda) like being around with her too.  :)

    Thanks for bringing up the differences in the contrasts/dye.  I do recall them calling this a dye and it makes sense they're all different.  I did have a similar reaction for the mapping procedure, but it went away in a couple minutes vs 16 hours.  Did the spheres work well for you or just give you a break from growth for a bit?

  • sflgirl
    sflgirl Member Posts: 220 Member
    #11
    You are never whining

    Youre going through a brutal treatment.  I think you're brave.

    All the best.

  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    #12
    Steve444 said:

    you're right

    I'm sure I'd go back on my own (it was a lounge in check comment), but I also do this so she doesn't suffer, plus I kinda(more than kinda) like being around with her too.  :)

    Thanks for bringing up the differences in the contrasts/dye.  I do recall them calling this a dye and it makes sense they're all different.  I did have a similar reaction for the mapping procedure, but it went away in a couple minutes vs 16 hours.  Did the spheres work well for you or just give you a break from growth for a bit?

    The spheres worked well. I

    The spheres worked well. I had one large 7.4 cm tumor which shrunk steadily for five months and was still shrinking. At five months it was about 3cm so I had the remaining ablated in December 2014. So far so good.

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