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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Cancer / June 2004NY to FL Guy how did the First treatment go?
How did the first Chemo treatment go? Had my 7th of 12 today and not doing so hot. Im holding my breath and hoping everything went well for you. All the best. George >How did the first Chemo treatment go? Had my 7th of 12 today and not doing >so hot. Im holding my breath and hoping everything went well for you. All > >the best. > >George Hi George, I had the port put in, yesterday, at 8:00 am, and then walked across to the clinic for my first treatment, and, because I had to come back at 5:00 for a CT scan, the Oncologist decided to do the treatment today, instead of yesterday. When I woke up this morning, the spot with the port was so sore, and black-and-blue, that I was not able lift my hands above my head to change my shirt. Therefore, I had to call the nurse and ask if I could start tomorrow instead. The nurse, Desiree, called right back and said to please come in so she can check the port and also give me pain medication, but I said I could not think of getting in an automobile today, and that I am sure I will feel better tomorrow, and tomorrow would be a better day for me. I think she wants me to feel wanted :), and it works. They are probably told to be persistant. So I am starting tomorrow. The bad news yesterday was that I also had a spot on my liver (on the first CT scan in March), which I was not informed about until yesterday. So I was also very down last night. I think I will be around a while anyway. I just have to deal with this as it comes. I'm still dealing with the initial shock of the original diagnosis. I will let you know tomorrow how it goes. Thanks George, hope you are feeling good today. The chances are very good with the treatments. >> How did the first Chemo treatment go? Had my 7th of 12 today and not >> doing [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > with > the treatments. They are worried that something happened to the port, and want to make sure there is no infection. You have to be very careful, until the site heals up, the line from the port goes directly to the arteries leading to the heart. If you can't make it to the hospital today, make sure you take your temperature every two to three hours to make sure you are not running a fever. At the first sign of a fever get to the hospital, and have them check you out thoroughly. This isn't something you can trifle with. I was told about the lesions on my liver and lung after my first CAT scan, I remember it well, but I had to get the old John Wayne saying kicked into gear and I decided to concentrate on living, and not consider anything else. The thing that really hacked me off when I was told was that my NP told me and assumed that the Dr. had already informed me what was going on. Talk about getting whacked between the eyes with a sledge hammer.... Bad juju. My Dr. and I had a short and .... direct discussion about new discoveries and treatment options, and that I was to be in on all decisions, otherwise we would be having further, and not genteel working sessions. We finally came to an understanding that we could both live with. Today has been a down day for me, not tolerating it well this session, kind of like #3, but I know I'll feel better about three hours after they take the pump off tomorrow morning, and will continue to improve through the week and a half after. Chin up and I hope your treatment goes well tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed that you don't have to many side effects. All the best. George >They are worried that something happened to the port, and want to make sure >there is no infection. You have to be very careful, until the site heals [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > >George George, I meant to say before that I hope you feel better tomorrow. I have had bad days, even before treatment, but then I perk up again soon. I get dehydrated, and also was not sure about taking vitamins, until recently. Now I take a potassium, and also a vitamin, supplement (I don't think they are coated, so I am getting the nutrients, I hope) (Although i was wondering at one point if the vitamins and herbal supplements I took over the years caused this cancer.) I am feeling better tonight. I'm still sore, but I'm moving around. I'm following your progress, so thanks for keeping me posted. As yourself, and Holden, suggested, I am going to ask for a copy of the report I was reading, when they left me alone with the charts for a 1/2 hour. It wasn't a good idea to read them right before the procedure. But there were things I was unaware of, and felt very stupid. There are also some doctors who are not big people-persons, I have learned. Hope tomorrow is a better day for you. I will talk to you soon. Thanks for your help. NY to FL Guy Wrote: > George, > I meant to say before that I hope you feel better tomorrow. I have had bad [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > your > help. No worries about the good wishes, I could feel the good vibes. I get my pump off tomorrow and will be feeling better about 2 hours after it is disconnected - and get better over the next week and a half. I may be on hold for an extra week since I just snuck by on platelet count for this treatment. My Oncologist isn't a real warm and fuzzy people person either, and we have had to have two .... straightforward discussions about what to expect and how my treatment is managed. She did suggest that I drink Gatorade (I drink a supplement called Emer Gen C that has more of the electrolytes in it, about 3 bottles of Gatorade worth) and take plenty of Vitamin C. Kind of an unusual recommendation coming from a straight laced traditional Oncologist. If there is a nurse in your Oncologists office, preferably a survivor themselves, have them go over the reports with you. One saving grace of the group my Oncologist is a part of is that about half their staff are survivors, so they are willing to go the extra mile when you need it. Just a suggestion. BTW, one of the best nurses is a lady who really likes power tools and doing restoration projects on her house, I got her a gift certificate to Home Depot. now we chat every time I go into the office. Find out what they like and remember it isn't always chocolate and roses (chocolate came first because it works on me). Take care and I hope you treatment gores well, we are pulling for you. George > BTW, one of the best nurses is a lady who really likes power > tools and doing restoration projects on her house, I got her a gift > certificate to Home Depot. now we chat every time I go into the office. Yessss ! Now you're talking ! J >No worries about the good wishes, I could feel the good vibes. I get my >pump off tomorrow and will be feeling better about 2 hours after it is [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > >George George, I got home a little while ago. They sent me home with the pump. I'm feeling fine, just a little light-headed. I'm a little queazy but have an appetite and can't wait to eat. Nothing like I thought it would be. Everything seems worse than it is, until you go through it. They make the clinic very comfortable, with television and anything you want to read. I did some work while I was there. And they brought me food, which I didn't expect. I have to go tomorrow for a 2 hour drug, and then the pump again until Friday. Is the calcium and magnesium bag regular calcium and magnesium? It really is not bad so far. I met 2 young people, around my age (38), diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and were both given a short life expectancy, and they are still here a year later, and did not look sick at all. They both have it in a spot that was inoperable. I guess they are support for each other. Hope you are better today. It is not so bad, afterall. Thanks again George. > It really is not bad so far. I met 2 young people, around my age (38), > diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and were both given a short life expectancy, > and they are still here a year later, and did not look sick at all. They both > have it in a spot that was inoperable. I guess they are support for each other. I meant to ask more details about this. That's very good. Do you have more details as to what treatments they're having? Thanks, J >> It really is not bad so far. I met 2 young people, around my age (38), >> diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and were both given a short life [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Thanks, >J They were not there today. But, both of them mentioned yesterday that they are on their second round of treatments. It sounded like chemo, but they have also been through radiation to shrink the tumors. The doctors had to abort the first surgeries because of the spot, and decided to try to shrink the tumor. I asked a physicians assistant today about the pancreatic, and she said that it is a bad spot for surgery. One man said he was given 3 months. He told me he had symptoms for a very long time, but did not go to the doctor until he became jaundiced. I may not see them again. Who knows. I was on a different day because I was sore from the port, so I started a day later. > >> It really is not bad so far. I met 2 young people, around my age (38), > >> diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and were both given a short lifeexpectancy, [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I may not see them again. Who knows. I was on a different day because I was > sore from the port, so I started a day later. Thank you, J NY to FL Guy Wrote: > George, > I got home a little while ago. They sent me home with the pump. I'm feeling [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Hope you are better today. It is not so bad, afterall. Thanks again George. Good news about the first treatment, way to go!!! I can keep the ooggy feeling away by keeping something on my stomach most of the time through the day. I only get queazy when the stomach is empty. Our clinic is in the top of the hospital and offers a great view. They have some snacks and drinks for the patients, along with head gear for those who loose their hair (free). One of our breast cancer survivors sits and repairs any knitted caps that are deposited in a basket that they keep there for the purpose. As we are in for treatment on a rotating schedule, we get to talk about how we are doing and what we do in our real lives. It is a very interesting group to spend time with. The lady who repairs hats, or knits new ones if there aren't any to repair, suggested to us that each of us have a chemo hobby that would pass the time. I listen to music and work on a GIS (Geographic Information System) project that is low priority, but will be very useful to the company I work for when it is completed. The time there gives me time to reflect on how the project is put together and how to best build the interface people will use to get information from it. I sometimes do some video editing on my laptop also. Our power tool loving nurse suggested a wood shop for those who wished it, but the hospital put an end to that speculation right away (power tools and chemo - what a combination). It is always amazing to me that I meet people in treatment who make me appreciate the fact that I have so few problems and side effects. Of course they are thinking that they are fortunate for some other reason, and don't have some of the problems I have. We all agreed that we draw strength and understanding from one another, and that in a weird way most of look forward to treatment. I don't know what you mean by "the calcium and magnesium bag (being) regular calcium and magnesium", I take it you referring to the Emer Gen C I wrote about. They are little packets of flavored colloidal minerals and water soluble vitamins used to boost the immune system. I first started taking them to ward off cramps after a hard days work and took one to my Dr. on the off chance that it provided the stuff she was talking about Gatorade replacing in my system. I don't advocate taking it, it just works for me. I was just tired today and feeling much better, and I know tomorrow will be better yet. Thank you for your concern. I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow as well. Sounds like you have met the adversary, fear, and bested it. Chin up and keep on with the treatments. Cheers. George >Good news about the first treatment, way to go!!! I can keep the ooggy >feeling away by keeping something on my stomach most of the time through the [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > >George Hi George, The calcium magnesium bag took 20 minutes, I read the bag. The nurse said it is the standard calcium and magnesium you would get from food as nutrients. I was confused, thinking they were an additive or chemical to make the other drugs work better, and not the nutrients in the standard form. I feel okay. I was up until 4 am last night tossing and turning, and the nurse said this is probably from the steroid (which I did not know yesterday). She said tomorrow I will be wiped out. The pump is very annoying and I have to put under my pillow to the side. I felt like I was in the Matrix (from the movie) all night listening to it. I have a copy of the cat scan. The 2 spots on my liver in the first CT scan have grown dramatically for the second CT scan, and I am going for a biopsy on Monday. I also have something on my lungs, which may be scar tissue. Everything else was okay. Sounds like you use your time wisely, and that is good, because you will feel like you are accomplishing a full, active, day when you go to bed at night, and that makes for an optimistic spirit. I am going to start using my treadmill and also do light weight training. My gym membership is due, and I intend to pay for another year, but I also have a little set-up here of weights which can help me to keep going for a while. I'm sure it will lift my spirits, and be good for me. I'm not ready to go to any gym yet, with my various appendanges hanging off me. I'm sure we will both be feeling better tomorrow. Hang in there!! God Bless. <snip> >So I am starting tomorrow. The bad news yesterday was that I also had a spot on >my liver (on the first CT scan in March), which I was not informed about until >yesterday. So I was also very down last night. <more snip> Hi NY to FL Guy, Sorry to hear about the delayed bad news. One thing that I have tried to do that may help you and also prevent surprises in the future is to request a copy of all CT reports on each Dr visit following the scan. There's usually a lot of medical jargon but not so much as to prevent a pretty good understanding with some help from Google for definitions. Good luck and best wishes, Holden |
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