chemo today

grandma047 · January 2005

I did really well. Was there 7 hrs though. They had trouble with my infusaport first. It had clotted. They used medicine and I had to wait a half hour and they flushed it, still clotted so they did it again and it worked. Then nausea medicine and sugar water injected. Then oxaliplatin and leucovorin IV into my port for 2 hrs. Then 5-FU given in my port. Then I was sent home, for Home Health Care to come out and hook up my 5-FU in the continuous pump through the port. I have that 22 hrs constant and then go back to chemo doctor and they will do the leucovorin only through the 2 hours in the port and 5-FU inserted in port and pump refilled. I will tehn do 22 hours again and home health will come out Saturday afternoon and disconnect. Home Health says I will be considered home bound for the whole time I'm hooked up and unhooked, as long as I'm on chemo. I'll be darn if I sit in this house after I'm unhooked. What they don't know can't hurt them. I hope I still feel good enough to do that. Got a little nauseousous today, but not real bad. Was really tired. Only things so far. I know, I know, it's only the first day, but I can hope can't I???? Love you all. Will try and keep you updated. Oh, also, they don't know if I'm stage 3 or 4 now. They said they can't see clearly on the CT because of previous radiation and scarring from all the surgeries I have. He said if he finds out that I am stage 4 they can add, I think Avastin(??) Not really sure, but he said he'd add one more drug. Does all this sound about right to you guys? You are so informative.
Love and prayers, Judy(grandma047)

fedester · January 2005

hi judy,
that's great 1st treatment went well. and your dr seems on the ball. you keep the faith and do your best. keep us posted.
all the best
bruce

rejoyous · January 2005

Wow, Judy, you sound GREAT! You're really doing this! I'm really proud of your strong spirit.

Here are a few suggestions I've found helpful in doing my chemo, which sounds quite similar to yours. I know I've probably mentioned most of these before, but sometimes it helps to have them all in one place.

l. I use a mouthwash called Biotene several times a day. First I brush my teeth, then I use Biotene both to gargle and swish around in my mouth, each for about 30 seconds. I don't know whether this is why I've had such good luck with avoiding mouth sores, but it can't hurt.

2. I think I told you about the tasteless, colorless amino acid powder called L-Glutamine. One teaspoon in a glass of water three times a day. My friend's oncologist sugggested this to help ease neuropathy.

3. I take one Zofran pill for my nausea every 8 hours while I"m on the chemo and pump. I also have started (on the 10th treatment, but maybe I should have started sooner) supplementing the Zofran with Compazine, another anti-nausea drug. I take it before I go to the hospital for my treatment and again after I'm unhooked from the pump. The zofran is so expensive, even though my insurance pays for it, it makes sense to me to supplement it with something cheaper.

4. I walk as much as I can. I always walk right after they let me out of the hospital, and this is with my pump. It definitely is tiring but it always cheers me up. These days I go to the mall and walk for an hour. (It's too cold to walk outside.) Then I go home and sleep--the walk definitely takes it out of me!

I wish you continued good luck with this. You're doing great!

kangatoo · January 2005

rejoyous said:
Wow, Judy, you sound GREAT! You're really doing this! I'm really proud of your strong spirit.

Here are a few suggestions I've found helpful in doing my chemo, which sounds quite similar to yours. I know I've probably mentioned most of these before, but sometimes it helps to have them all in one place.

l. I use a mouthwash called Biotene several times a day. First I brush my teeth, then I use Biotene both to gargle and swish around in my mouth, each for about 30 seconds. I don't know whether this is why I've had such good luck with avoiding mouth sores, but it can't hurt.

2. I think I told you about the tasteless, colorless amino acid powder called L-Glutamine. One teaspoon in a glass of water three times a day. My friend's oncologist sugggested this to help ease neuropathy.

3. I take one Zofran pill for my nausea every 8 hours while I"m on the chemo and pump. I also have started (on the 10th treatment, but maybe I should have started sooner) supplementing the Zofran with Compazine, another anti-nausea drug. I take it before I go to the hospital for my treatment and again after I'm unhooked from the pump. The zofran is so expensive, even though my insurance pays for it, it makes sense to me to supplement it with something cheaper.

4. I walk as much as I can. I always walk right after they let me out of the hospital, and this is with my pump. It definitely is tiring but it always cheers me up. These days I go to the mall and walk for an hour. (It's too cold to walk outside.) Then I go home and sleep--the walk definitely takes it out of me!

I wish you continued good luck with this. You're doing great!

Hiya Judy...hey...do what your body dictates to you. If you feel fine then enjoy the day...just don't overdo things. Your last email you told me of your concerns about how much time this will give you. JUDY!!!!!!You know only too well how many on this board keep hitting back and treading on the demon!!!You can too sweetie so keep battlin on babe. You have had so hard a time of it Judy-----but you keep telling us of your achievements. We are proud of you Judy. You sound better than you have for quite some time...keep jumping those hurdles.
All our luv, kanga n Jen

bsrules · January 2005

Judy,

Hello There!!! I was glad to read your post. I am sorry that I didn't reply sooner but with the weather we have been having here I have been busy digging out. I will finiah tomorrow.

Your treatment regiment sounds about right. Bob had the same treatments. He did really well with this one. He was really tired but when he was able to get around to fight through the tiredness he was able to get out the do what he wanted to do. What is you time frame inbetween treatments. Bob's was 2 weeks. He didn't feel to bad as far as being tired until the middle of the second day and then for a few days after he was disconnected. He then was able to go out the work as he wanted to do. Just make sure you drink as much as you can!!!! This will flush the drugs out of your systems as his nurses said. The Oxiplatin ( spelling ) will make you sensitive to the cold, you might get some numbness in your fingers and toes, also possibly a metalic taste so I found out with Bob that if I cooked in glass ware and used plastic ware to eat with that help him out a lot. When you can try to exercise even if it is just walking around inside or outside depending on the weather. I don't want to sound like I know what I am talking about all I am saying is that is what I found out about this particular type of chemo with Bob. Everyone else might be able to give you a better idea about them as they would have gone throug them themselves. You might make out better. But Bob did have good results with these drugs.

I am hanging in there just trying to get through another quite evening and a very long weekend coming up. I am just trying to take one day at a time.

Hang in there and know that I am praying for you and all your family!!!!! I am so proud of you!!!! You are a very strong person and I am trying to use your strength to get through the loneliness.

Talk to you soon!!!!

Keep us posted!!!!

Love,

Sue

livin · January 2005

Hi Judy hope you are doing well with the chemo. Your regime(sP) sounds like mine except I am stuck in the hospital for 3 days go in on Wednesday out on Friday. My port was clogged(sp can't spell nothing-smile) today they put in something called t.p.a to unclogg had to wait a half hour also. They even tried lowering my head lower than my heart to get it unclogged. Only thing worked was the T.P.A. I wish I could come home instead of staying in the hospital 3 boring days. I be rushing them to give my chemo so I can get out. The longer they wait to start it the later at nite I get out. I do expericence the tireness so far no nausea I also get Zofran and Decardron I believe. I do get the tingling from the Oxplat. but it subsides as days go by. So far tolerating chemo fairly well Thank God. Just the Tireness. Hang in there. Livin

chemo today

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