Kathryn_in_MN

Kathryn_in_MN said:

Rough cycle
Sorry for being MIA. Thanks everyone for your concern.

I have been having a really rough cycle of FOLFIRI and Avastin. The first one was pretty easy (as far as chemo goes), the second one harder, but doable. This third one kicked my butt. I'm not usually sick the first night on the pump, but I was. Total misery from Thursday night till last night. I have way too much saliva which makes me sick. I hate it. The worst thing is it just doesn't end. I'd forgotten how bad it was when I was pregnant and had hyperemisis. I had the excess saliva then too. Pregnancy and chemo induced nausea is so different than anything else. When you get a stomach bug and start having all the saliva pool up till you vomit, you feel relief afterwards. But on chemo - no relief. I just feel drained afterwards and it starts all over. I tried a patch to help with the nausea this time, but don't think it did anything. My miracle drug Emend (along with Decadron and Aloxi at infusion) just isn't cutting it this time. My energy level dropped to rock bottom Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. I slept 12 hours Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night, and had a nap each day. Today I am slowly returning to life. I am still dealing with a lot of nausea, and very low energy, but know I'll get better each day now. Part of my feeling crappy today I'm sure is from the Neulasta shot Sunday. I was very lucky to be able to stay home for the shot. Another cancer patient finished chemo early and had two shots leftover; same dosage as I need.

My eye did get back to normal - it took 15 days! I still have some hair, which I didn't expect at this point. Not a lot, but some.

I'm still a little worried about a possible PE. I woke up Saturday morning not being able to take a deep breath due to pain in my chest and also in my back, between my shoulder blades. I couldn't bend over without severe pain. It has gotten better, but is still there. I think I'm probably going to have to give in to another CT to check it out. This is different than my pain from my PE last winter - higher in the chest - and that one did not cause pain in my back. So I keep thinking maybe it is just something weird, and nothing to worry about since it isn't as bad as it was. I still haven't done my repeat thyroid uptake test, so I won't be able to do it if I get a CT. Guess I should give in and call my onc today. I wonder if they can just do a chest x-ray instead of CT?

I'm still in shock over the death of a friend on the Colon Club board. Dx'd stage III at age 31, finished FOLFOX and was told NED in September. But found out she wasn't in October. She was looking into options when she had some other troubles, developing DIC, which killed off her spleen and put her life in jeopardy, needing transfusions. I HATE cancer and what it does to so many that have a full life ahead of them. She was planning to marry her boyfriend but they never got the chance. From Stage III NED, to dead in a few weeks. So sad. And on a selfish level, it scares me a lot. I'm a little paralyzed today, thinking what if something like that happens to me now? I know the chances of cancer being the cause of my death is likely. But I still think that no matter what I've got at least 1-3 years left (shooting for 50). But to think I could develop a complication that takes me in a week... I'm scared and sad today.

I've got to get out and vote this afternoon. All of you in the US, get out and protect your freedom - VOTE!

Kathryn_in_MN said:

Rough cycle
Sorry for being MIA. Thanks everyone for your concern.

I have been having a really rough cycle of FOLFIRI and Avastin. The first one was pretty easy (as far as chemo goes), the second one harder, but doable. This third one kicked my butt. I'm not usually sick the first night on the pump, but I was. Total misery from Thursday night till last night. I have way too much saliva which makes me sick. I hate it. The worst thing is it just doesn't end. I'd forgotten how bad it was when I was pregnant and had hyperemisis. I had the excess saliva then too. Pregnancy and chemo induced nausea is so different than anything else. When you get a stomach bug and start having all the saliva pool up till you vomit, you feel relief afterwards. But on chemo - no relief. I just feel drained afterwards and it starts all over. I tried a patch to help with the nausea this time, but don't think it did anything. My miracle drug Emend (along with Decadron and Aloxi at infusion) just isn't cutting it this time. My energy level dropped to rock bottom Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. I slept 12 hours Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night, and had a nap each day. Today I am slowly returning to life. I am still dealing with a lot of nausea, and very low energy, but know I'll get better each day now. Part of my feeling crappy today I'm sure is from the Neulasta shot Sunday. I was very lucky to be able to stay home for the shot. Another cancer patient finished chemo early and had two shots leftover; same dosage as I need.

My eye did get back to normal - it took 15 days! I still have some hair, which I didn't expect at this point. Not a lot, but some.

I'm still a little worried about a possible PE. I woke up Saturday morning not being able to take a deep breath due to pain in my chest and also in my back, between my shoulder blades. I couldn't bend over without severe pain. It has gotten better, but is still there. I think I'm probably going to have to give in to another CT to check it out. This is different than my pain from my PE last winter - higher in the chest - and that one did not cause pain in my back. So I keep thinking maybe it is just something weird, and nothing to worry about since it isn't as bad as it was. I still haven't done my repeat thyroid uptake test, so I won't be able to do it if I get a CT. Guess I should give in and call my onc today. I wonder if they can just do a chest x-ray instead of CT?

I'm still in shock over the death of a friend on the Colon Club board. Dx'd stage III at age 31, finished FOLFOX and was told NED in September. But found out she wasn't in October. She was looking into options when she had some other troubles, developing DIC, which killed off her spleen and put her life in jeopardy, needing transfusions. I HATE cancer and what it does to so many that have a full life ahead of them. She was planning to marry her boyfriend but they never got the chance. From Stage III NED, to dead in a few weeks. So sad. And on a selfish level, it scares me a lot. I'm a little paralyzed today, thinking what if something like that happens to me now? I know the chances of cancer being the cause of my death is likely. But I still think that no matter what I've got at least 1-3 years left (shooting for 50). But to think I could develop a complication that takes me in a week... I'm scared and sad today.

I've got to get out and vote this afternoon. All of you in the US, get out and protect your freedom - VOTE!