Mom had her first treatment

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JMulkey
JMulkey Member Posts: 32
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
She got Taxol/Carbo on Thursday. We spent 2 1/2 hours in the emergency room today because her ascites has gotten so bad that she could not breath. They drained about 5000 ml out of her today. She's at least breathing better. Am so very worried about her. She's 78, with diabetes and is in Renal Failure. She breezed through her first treatment, no reaction to anything, except she has restless leg syndrome and the benedryl really bothered her, and the dexamethasone made her blood sugar spike to almost 500.

Any advice for us at all?

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  • leesag
    leesag Member Posts: 621 Member
    #2
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    One day at a time
    She'll feel much better with the ascites gone. Keep doing finger sticks and insulin to combat the effects of the steroids. I also had issues, now that I think about it, with my legs feeling wonky when I tried to sleep. I think the combination of ativan and celexa and chemo prevented it from keeping me up at night.

    Is she only getting dexamethasone during her infusion? If so, her sugars should return to normal before her next treatment, shouldn't they?

    Prayers winging your way!

    Leesa
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #3
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    Hi
    I had restless legs during chemo and was told it was the "anti-sickness" meds. It may be worth mentioning this to your chemo nurse and they can prescribe a different med. They always give you the cheapest meds and there are other meds you csn take.

    Hope this works.
    Tina
  • JMulkey
    JMulkey Member Posts: 32
    #4
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    Thanks for the replies :)
    Thanks for the replies :) We spent most of the weekend in the hospital. Mom started hurting really badly on Saturday, the ascites made her VERY short of breath, so we went to the hospital and they drained nearly 5000 ml from her abdomen. Then Sunday she got very sick, she was having extreme pain in her legs, the lortab made her sick to her stomach and the fenergen (sp?) they gave her came right back up, so we went to the ER again. They gave her anti nausea meds, and pain killers, and we got home last night at 2:00am. She did ok until about 2:30 this afternoon when she started throwing up again, and now has severe D. She had some chicken noodle soup at about 7:15 and so far has kept it down, she took her anti nausea med at about 6:45 and i think that helped a little. The Percoset is knocking her completely out, which scares the heck out of me, because she already has problems when sleeping with low oxygen levels. Her sugars have been a little high, a little over 200, but not out of sight. I worry about the not eating though. I think I'm taking her in to the onc's office in the morning for IV fluids and IV anti-nausea meds. The nurse there said I could do that.

    This is turning out to be very hard on her :( Am very worried.
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #5
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    JMulkey said:

    Thanks for the replies :)
    Thanks for the replies :) We spent most of the weekend in the hospital. Mom started hurting really badly on Saturday, the ascites made her VERY short of breath, so we went to the hospital and they drained nearly 5000 ml from her abdomen. Then Sunday she got very sick, she was having extreme pain in her legs, the lortab made her sick to her stomach and the fenergen (sp?) they gave her came right back up, so we went to the ER again. They gave her anti nausea meds, and pain killers, and we got home last night at 2:00am. She did ok until about 2:30 this afternoon when she started throwing up again, and now has severe D. She had some chicken noodle soup at about 7:15 and so far has kept it down, she took her anti nausea med at about 6:45 and i think that helped a little. The Percoset is knocking her completely out, which scares the heck out of me, because she already has problems when sleeping with low oxygen levels. Her sugars have been a little high, a little over 200, but not out of sight. I worry about the not eating though. I think I'm taking her in to the onc's office in the morning for IV fluids and IV anti-nausea meds. The nurse there said I could do that.

    This is turning out to be very hard on her :( Am very worried.

    Ask the doctor for Phenegran
    Ask the doctor for Phenegran suppositories. They work faster than the tabs and you bypass the whole vomiting issue. The anti-nausea meds will also make her sleepy, no matter which ones she takes or how they are administered.

    After a couple of treatments, the ascites should dissipate on its own. Until then, they can drain it as often as needed, although many doctors are reluctant to do it more than once a week.

    I had a lot of complications when I had my surgery, only one of which was uncontrollable vomiting. Even after they got it under control (which took two weeks) and let me come home, I could barely eat. Take it very slow, as far as solids, and concentrate on calories, as well as nutrition. Switch to whole milk. If she drinks tea or coffee with milk, use real cream. Maybe get some sugar free ice cream and see if she will drink a small milkshake.

    And please keep us posted. We share your worry and anxiety, especially the other caretakers, and those of us who have been caretakers, before Cancer took over our lives.

    Carlene
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #6
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    you may be amazed
    Gotta run catch a plane to take care of my mom, but I just wanted to tell you that you may be amazed at how well things turn out. My mother was diagnosed at age 78, too, and she turned 80 a few weeks ago. I never woulda' bet on it, but like I said, prepare to be amazed.

    More later, we're with you, girl.
  • JMulkey
    JMulkey Member Posts: 32
    #7
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    JMulkey said:

    Thanks for the replies :)
    Thanks for the replies :) We spent most of the weekend in the hospital. Mom started hurting really badly on Saturday, the ascites made her VERY short of breath, so we went to the hospital and they drained nearly 5000 ml from her abdomen. Then Sunday she got very sick, she was having extreme pain in her legs, the lortab made her sick to her stomach and the fenergen (sp?) they gave her came right back up, so we went to the ER again. They gave her anti nausea meds, and pain killers, and we got home last night at 2:00am. She did ok until about 2:30 this afternoon when she started throwing up again, and now has severe D. She had some chicken noodle soup at about 7:15 and so far has kept it down, she took her anti nausea med at about 6:45 and i think that helped a little. The Percoset is knocking her completely out, which scares the heck out of me, because she already has problems when sleeping with low oxygen levels. Her sugars have been a little high, a little over 200, but not out of sight. I worry about the not eating though. I think I'm taking her in to the onc's office in the morning for IV fluids and IV anti-nausea meds. The nurse there said I could do that.

    This is turning out to be very hard on her :( Am very worried.

    Thanks again.
    Thanks for the replies again. It helps to know that others have been through this. I've had cancer, mine was breast cancer. I went through chemo, but I wasn't nearly as sick as my mom has been, so I truly don't know what she's going through. We went and got IV fluids this morning and IV anti nausea, and they told her to keep taking the Zofran at home also. She's still quesy she says. She had a little chicken and noodles that I made this weekend and some ice cream this evening. (sugar free). And she's sleeping alot, but I guess that's to be expected. I've never seen my mom look so ill. She's so pale it truly is scary :( And I can tell she's already losing weight. She just looked 'smaller' this morning :(

    I'm making a big pot of vegetable soup tomorrow, hoping she can get some of it down. I wonder how long this nausea is going to last? The nurse at the onc's said the onc may give her less chemo next time because it made her so sick. '

    Right now I'm just hoping and praying there is a next time. Ladies, I am so very scared for her. I'm not sure how to get through this as a caretaker. I'm so very scared that she's going to overdose on something, or forget to take her meds, or be groggy and take too much, or a million other things :(
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #8
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    JMulkey said:

    Thanks again.
    Thanks for the replies again. It helps to know that others have been through this. I've had cancer, mine was breast cancer. I went through chemo, but I wasn't nearly as sick as my mom has been, so I truly don't know what she's going through. We went and got IV fluids this morning and IV anti nausea, and they told her to keep taking the Zofran at home also. She's still quesy she says. She had a little chicken and noodles that I made this weekend and some ice cream this evening. (sugar free). And she's sleeping alot, but I guess that's to be expected. I've never seen my mom look so ill. She's so pale it truly is scary :( And I can tell she's already losing weight. She just looked 'smaller' this morning :(

    I'm making a big pot of vegetable soup tomorrow, hoping she can get some of it down. I wonder how long this nausea is going to last? The nurse at the onc's said the onc may give her less chemo next time because it made her so sick. '

    Right now I'm just hoping and praying there is a next time. Ladies, I am so very scared for her. I'm not sure how to get through this as a caretaker. I'm so very scared that she's going to overdose on something, or forget to take her meds, or be groggy and take too much, or a million other things :(

    filling in caregiver blanks
    This forum is nothing short of wonderful, but I also get a lot of info and support in the caregivers forum (scroll down). Several times the people there have come through with answers to truly perplexing caregiver problems. Join us?

    My mother uses daily pill dispensers, one marked morning and one marked night. Once a week she fills them with the right pills, which at least keeps things organized.

    My mom is shrinking, too. She's on chemo for recurrence, but is having new symptoms and pain issues nonetheless. Yesterday she told me that if we can't get the pain under control, she's ready to give it up. We see a palliative care physician today, so hopefully we will get some help.

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