Elevated LFT & Malaise

Discussion Board Forums General Discussion Elevated LFT & Malaise

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • #30050
    duke0929
    Member

    dlm, …thank you so much for your response, im feeling a little bit more encouraged by the positive results your husband is having… i hope my wife has the same outcome…..sending well wishes and prayers out to you both for continued positive outcomes thank you ….Marion thank you also for your well wishes……ron

    #30051
    dlm2010
    Member

    Ron,
    My husband was diagnosed in Aug. 2008, unresectable in Sept. 2008, began 6 weeks of daily radiation in Nov. 2008 with 2 weeks on Xeloda and 1 week off. He completed 6 rounds of Xeloda -2 pills in the morning and 2 pills in the evening. He got along great and finished treatment at the end of May. The only side effects he had was hand and foot syndrome. He said it felt like his hands were very slick and dry and it was hard to hang on to things. His feet were very dry and our oncologist recommended Bag Balm (you can get it at WalGreens), to rub on his feet. He did say during the time he was on chemo certain foods did not taste good and had a “metal” taste. We used plastic utensils during this time to help with that symptom. He is now being monitored with imaging tests and blood tests. So far the tumor has shrunk and is not showing up on the tests. His latest CT-19 (tumor marker blood test) showed he was at 14. He previously had been at 650. We are very encouraged with the results from radiation and Xeloda. The treatment of Xeloda was recommended to us by the oncologists at Johns Hopkins and KU Medical Center.

    #30052
    marions
    Moderator

    Hi Ron….it is always great to hear from you. Sorry to hear about the Sir-sphere not being possible for your wife. There are many postings regarding Xeloda. Until others have a chance to respond to you it might help to read up on some of the previous threads.
    I am sending my best wishes your to you and your wife.
    Marion

    #30054
    duke0929
    Member

    hi, first let me apologize for not being on the web site… first it was computer problems and the rest of the time it was taking care of my wife…between procedures and test i do not know where the time went…back and forth from doctors and hospitals, its been a real grind on her but she is holding up very well, thank god…..she was due to have the second procedure of SIR-SPERES radiation but after the mapping they decided that she was not a candidate because of leakage of radiation…funny how she was a candidate for the left side of the liver but not the right…needless to say we were disappointed…so after conferring with all the doctors they have come up chemo pills and maybe external radiation….they put her on XELODA, two pills twice a day for one week and then one week off….has anyone had this type of chemo, i would appreciate anyones imput on this type of treatment, and how well it worked….as always i wish everyone well…..ron

    #30053
    lisa
    Spectator

    Dearest Irene,
    I retired April 30th when I realized that the exhaustion was taking a toll on my health and I was not longer able to give 100% at work. I went on disability and I’m having a very difficult time making ends meet. Of course, I still have kids I’m supporting so that doesn’t help. If it was just me, I’d probably be ok.

    As far as Social Security – apply the day you retire. You can do it online. I was approved with no hassles or even an interview. The problem is that you have to wait 6 months for SSD. It doesn’t really do me much good, though, because any money I receive from SS will be deducted from my disability paycheck. So if I get $2000 a month from disability, then get $500 from SSD, I have to report it so it is coordinated so I still only get $2000. My disability check would be reduced to $1500.

    The totally unfair thing is that it applies to my daughter’s Social Security payment, too, so her SSD will also reduce my disability check so I still get $2000 a month. I wanted to save that money for her college, but noooo

    Take care and God bless,
    Lisa

    #30055
    irenea
    Member

    HI Lisa,

    You too — I think about how you and our Sophie are doing all the time.

    I know what you mean about the fatigue. I only function well when I can incorporate frequent breaks — not so well tolerated in the work world. Have come to realize i no longer have energy to work a full work week — when I do, it plays havoc with my exhausted system and something goes wrong.

    Not a lot of options. Am looking at retirement/disability plan through my work. Looks like I qualify. Social Security is the bigger worry — they tell me I can’t be working at all and cannnot apply even in anticipation of stopping work. And they say even if I get approved SS can take 90 days or more — so the mystery is how exactly does one live until approval is finally given.

    Anyway — please take good care and know my thoughts are with you.

    -Irenea

    #30056
    lisa
    Spectator

    Hi Irene,
    Good to hear from you. Me too on most of your symptoms, although I don’t know about the AST and ALT. Any exertion brings extreme fatigue. I just want to rest.

    #2466
    irenea
    Member

    Hi All —

    It’s Irene again — a regular visitor though not as good at writing here as I ought to be.

    Just to quickly provide background: CC found in summer of 08 incidentally. Failed surgery 9/08. No symptoms except for a general fatigue which has worsened considerably in last year. Have had chronic stomach issues (diarreah/constipation) my whole life so hard to know what is a result of CC.

    Have had a nasty bout of flu-like symptoms for about 2 months now. Was treated with three courses of antibiotic and prednisone — each time I would be feeling better and get sick again. Currenty having some breathing issues (have had respiratory issues for many years but not so acutely — the humidity this year seems to be making it worse as well). Right now am extremely fatigued, vaguely nauseous, and have what feels like stomach pain in lower right quadrant. (Best way to describe pain is that it feels like someone punched me.) ALso of note: for the first time AST and ALT are elevated, at 43 and 51 respectively (the doc keeps saying MILDLY elevated but I am not sure what it actually goes up to.) Also tremendous overall bodyache, especially in shoulders, neck, and back.

    So the million dollar question: does all this sound familiar? Am I hitting advanced stages of this awful disease? DoI have a weird flu?

    ALso of note: there was a concern that I’d developed c-diff after all those antibiotics, but test was negative.

    I do have Type II diabetes as well.

    I know none of us have crystal balls — just wondering if these symptoms seem to fit the patterns.

    Thanks, all.

    Courage.
    Irene

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