Search Results for '5fu'
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Search Results
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Topic: This sucks!!!
I haven’t posted for a while, but I am so frustrated and overwhelmed feeling that I have to vent. SO it’s been 5 weeks since my MIL was disgnosed with inoperable stage 4 CC. She just finished her 2nd round of oxi/5fu. She takes percocet every 4 hours and is on a fentanyl patch because her pain is so bad. She also hasn’t eaten solid food for almost 5 weeks ( except for 1/2 a bowl of cereal 2 days ago) She says that she just can’t eat…just sounds too awful to put food in her mouth.
This waiting game just sucks!!! I HATE IT!!! I just want some answers and I feel that the oncologists we have met just sugar coat everything. I know that we have to be positive…I am trying, but I am a nurse and also realist and I just don’t think things are looking good. I absolutely HATE being the “medical” person in this situation. Please don’t think I am this dark cloud. I DO believe in miracles. I AM the “HALF-FULL” person!!!
I know that denial is the first stage of grief, but I feel like my husbands’ family just needs to be a little more realistic.
They bought $500 tickets to see Barbra Streisand in a month from now, but didn’t get her a box where she can possibly bring a wheelchair. She can’t sit up longer than 5 minutes right now because of the pain, but they expect her to sit through an entire concert? When I mentioned getting her a reclining wheelchair for the concert- my father n law looked like he wanted to rip my eyeballs out. Once again- I’m the “negative one” in the family. I just want her to be able to enjoy herself. I told him that if I had a broken leg and wanted to go to a concert that I would go in a wheelchair too. What’s the difference? She is sick! This is just so hard. SO HARD!
Do they wait until the 8 weeks is up to do another CT? Did anyone ever have a doctor say the chemo was working or not workng before the whole regime was over? I am rambling and I am so sorry. I know there are no exact answers and I don’t really expect them…just had to vent
Thanks for listening,
LindsyHi Bob and Nancy,
Praying for little to no side effects . I have taken the Oxilplatin and 5FU, which is infusion form of Xeloda and the side effects weren’t bad at all. I was tired a lot and didn’t have a great appetite, some nausea but nothing a little anti-nausea medicine couldn’t handle. My hair thinned but I did not lose it. I thought Cleveland traffic was bad…I’m betting it is nothing compared to LA. Good luck with second opinion.
LisaIn reply to: Hello
Hey all
Mum’s scans have come back and the oncologist has confirmed no obstruction. I guess this is good news.
Anyway, due to the amount of weight mum has lost, the oncologist has prescribed steroids/cortisone. As I work and find it difficult to be present with her at all appointments, I do not know why she has been prescribed this medication. I take it that it might give her more of an apetite??? They have also reduced the amount of 5FU due to the sores on her lips and ulcers in her mouth and on her tongue.
Both mum and dad are Greek and find it difficult to understand fully. I will be taking her to her next appointment on Monday. I will keep you all posted.
Cheers
IliasIn reply to: Introduction – Tina R.
Hi Tina,
I justed wanted to welcome you to this site. I am very sorry you have been diagnosed with CC, but you have found the best place to be. My daughter, Lauren, age 26 has CC. She has been through the Gem/Cis and had 5FU with it. If you have any questions about that chemo, I may be able to help. You say you are inoperable, but that can change. Lauren had very significant shrinkage while on the chemo you are on now. I hope you continue to let us know how you are doing, share your feelings, and ask any questions you may have. We are all here to help. Good luck to you.
-Pam
Hi, Bob and Nancy
My husband was 1 month and a half on Xeloda and couldn’t handle it. He was getting very strong cramps in his stomach and since those are pills, he was keep reducing his dose. It is convenient to have chemo as a pill, but it also gives patient control on to take or not to take it and for us it didn’t work out. It seems that this drug in IV form (5FU) had less side effect for him, at least initially.
But everybody has different experience with it, so hopefully yours would be better! Good luck!
AllaBob and Nancy-I also took XELODA for 5 months while wating for my transplant, I don’t exactly remember the miligrams but I do remember 8 pills twice daily. I had no major side effects, I was tired but not “stay in your bed tired”. I also had finished IV chemo, radiation, and 5FU pump chemo, so there were a lot of reasons to be tired!! I am sure Kris will speak up soon, because she has managed to get every side effects possible!!.
I was so blessed to not have needed a second opinion, but being a caretaker for my mom for 14 years, I know how a second opinion saved her life twice!! I have always felt a second opinion only validates your first opinion or opens new doors, it is a win-win situation.
Lots of prayers-CathyIn reply to: Hello
Hey all,
Mum is going in for scans today. She is in a lot of pain around the stomach region and the oncologist seems to think there may be a blockage or obstruction. I am not too sure what all this means, but I guess we will find out later today.
In addition to that, I think the side affects of 5FU are kicking in. Her lips are dry and occasionally bleed.
I also wanted to ask whether anybody suffers from thick saliva. Mum continously says she has thick saliva.
Anyway, will keep you posted.
Cheers
IliasTopic: Hello
Hey all,
My name is Ilias, I live in Melbourne, Australia and my mother who just recently turned 70 was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer July 13 2012 (Friday 13th). Mum had a whipples on 21 July 2012 and recovered quite well. She was in hospital for about 4 weeks and then readmitted for a further 2 weeks due to an ecoli infection.
Before she was diagnosed, I thought cancer was cancer. However, reading and researching this cancer shocked me and the rest of my family. The doctor said it was a cancer you didn’t want to get, but looking at the scans she was most likely a candidate for surgery. The doctor outlined most patients when diagnosed are too advanced and surgery was not an option.
Long story short, she had her appointment with Dr Zimet (oncologist) of Epworth in Richmond. He was happy with her recovery and told us that he had a plan and hope for recovery. He told us that her case was investigated for some weeks before they came up with a conclusion that the cancer was bile duct cancer. He said it was still bad, but not as bad as pancreatic cancer. We were told her staging was stage iib. The cancer had spread to the pancreas and some nearby lymph nodes.
His plan was to put her on 5FU daily through a picc??? and offer radiation through Dr Pat Bowden at Epworth for 6 weeks. He then said she would go on a course of gemzar after the 5FU.
Before coming to work this morning, I stopped by my mums to see how she was. She has started her treatment and is heading into her 3rd week. The treatment seems to be hitting her really hard. The doctors and nurses told us that the 5FU is gentle and the radiation would be the main factor contributing to the fatigue and nausea.
As I am writing this, my hands are shaking and I am finding it hard to breathe. I cannot clear my mind of this day and night. I do find comfort through my wife, children, father and this forum. I don’t want to exclude anybody from this post, but I would love to hear from those patients and caregivers who are in a similar situation.
Cheers and love to all.
Ilias
In reply to: Update on my mother
Hi, I wanted to first thank all of you who have taken your time to give me such wonderful advice. And now, I will update you all on what happened.
We had a meeting with my mother’s medical doctor, the onc who was working with my mother’s onc, the pallative care team, and 2 social workers. The meeting was to make sure that my mother knew what was going on with her, and how she was feeling. They wanted to make sure that she understood what was she going through. And any questions we had, they answered it to us.
The last CT scan that mom had was in August 2012. The Onc had told us that the first round of chemo ( gemzar) had worked, then seemed to stop working. He mentioned that he saw another growth near her kidney area, and that is when he recommended the 2 options of either gemzar with cisplan, or the 5FU. His suggestion was 5FU because of my mom’s age & condition.Back to the meeting: we were informed that not only did her cancer spread to her kidney area, but also her ovaries and stomach lining. Because it had spread out, the fluid is constantly forming. They are also giving her 2 different antibiotics for her infection. Her blood pressure is still low, and they do not want to TAP her because her pressure will get lower.
When asked by the medical team, what she will like to do, she says that she wants to get the fluid out first, and see if she can get chemo. The doctors have been giving her LASIX through the IV, and slowly the fluid is coming out. For my mom, she told them that quality of life cannot be attained by just being in bed and getting her symptoms taken cared of. The pain medicine that she is given makes her sleepy, but doesn’t keep her asleep. She wakes up abruptly, gasping for air. The nurses are constantly checking her lungs, and they say it is fine. When asked, my mother says that she feels pain in her chest. The doctors have said that due to her infection and low blood pressure, her heart is beating very rapidly, and is overworking….
I see my mother in pain, but I do know why she chooses to keep fighting. It’s because she doesn’t want to have any regrets. At the end of the day, she wants to say ” at least I tried…”As of hospice: the social workers will have to check and see if our insurance covers hospice care. My mother wants to be at home, and they will try to set it up with hospice to take care of her at home.
My family now is starting to prepare other things as of now. Things that I wish my parents would of taken cared of before anyone was sick. But, it must be done. My parents never had a proxy, so that was done. They both never discussed how they would like to be buried, or if they wanted to be cremated. That is being taken cared of now for my mom. And now, my dad is letting us know of his wishes for himself.
For my mother, she wants to take things one step at a time. Get the fluid out, and see if she can get treatment. If not, then she knows what the next step is. The doctors let us know that this chemo treatment is the last option for her.
I will ask the doctors about the option of taking chemo in pill form! If she is eligible for that, it would be fantastic for her! Thank you for advice, PCL1029! I will keep you in my prayers!
In reply to: Seeking info about Prognosis
Hi,Sheedy76,
I believe that your Dad had extra hepatic bile duct cancer( ECCA) if the surgeon believed the liver is not involved this time.
The ECCA had metastasized to the intestine ,therefore systemic chemotherapy like FOLFOX 6 or FOLFOX7 ,GEMOX, GEM/CIS OR FOLFIRINOX or GEM/5FU regimens of chemotherapy are the choice of treatment as well as clinical trials if offer.
Chemotherapy result is different from patient to patient, in general , it works up to the point when drug resistance occur or the side effects are intolerable . Then they switch to other regimen and continue the fight. Chemotherapy works but it is a long and winding road ahead for sure with no guarantee .
I am a patient like your father who have this disease for the past 39 months.
I hope the Grace of our Lord ,Jesus Christ, will extend His hand ,like He does to me, for your father.
God bless.Topic: Hello
I wanted to reach out to everyone on this site! I have been following the postings on and off. I was diagnosed July of 2011 with CC at Emory in Atlanta where I have been receiving my care. I had 5 rounds of Gem/Cis, followed by a resection in December, then 3 more rounds after surgery. I was able to return to work for a few months, then had lung nodules which changed so I had a VATS with resection of those nodules that were visible. The nodules were CC mets, so after a month and a repeat scan which showed a new tumor in the liver ire started Gem/Cis. I just returned from MDACC and an appt with Dr. Javle! What a wonderful doctor he is! I was referred to him by my oncologist at Emory. So, now I will be starting 5FU/Oxal/Iriinotecan called FOLFIRINOX and then will return to see Dr. Javle in 2 months. I have not seen any postings about this particular chemo regimen, so any info is helpful! He stated that he has had a 50% success rate with this. He is also going to have my tissue genetically tested so we can look at targeted therapies. He commented that it seems that CC may have to be treated as a chronic disease and this would involve maintenance chemo. I am 50 and in quite good physical condition with a wonderful support system. I have a strong faith in God and feel that that is vitally important to have when facing life in general but especially with a cancer diagnosis! I know that God is in control of my life and right now I am to fight this with His help! I have appreciated reading the stories posted here and wanted to introduce myself as part of this amazing group of people both fighting this and those who have gone before us!
In reply to: Gemzar/Cisplatin – experience/what to expect??
Hello,
My hair thinned but I did not lose it on Gem/Cis or 5FU. The chemo made me tired and a little nauseated but nothing too bad.
Good luck
LisaIn reply to: Frustrated- need advice
Daughterinlaw-Welcome and sorry you had to find us. Lainy was right you sound like an amazing DIL and you need another opinion. I am a CC survivor 3 years and 4 months cnacer free. You can read my story at http://www.catherinedunnagan.com under the telegraph section. Your onc is very interesting, may be a little to casual. Oncologist was right about chemo treatments our chemo side effects are not as severe (hate to say mild) as some chemo. I expected the “Life time movie” expierence, but it involved no hair loss, nasuea, all managed with 3 different anti-nasuea meds and tiredness all managed with extra rest. Everybody is diiferent so it could be harder on some. My chemo drugs were gemcidabeane, 5FU and XELODA, I also did radiation.I also was Stage IV and inoperable, but my HOPE was a transplant.
Lots of prayers and HOPE -CathyIn reply to: my mom
Hi,
Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications, and the risk is even higher if there is a known history of heart diseases.–from uptodate.com.5fu,cisplatin both have cardiotoxicity, so does gemcitabine.
God bless.In reply to: Update on my mother
Hi friends. Today was supposed to be my mother’s first day of 5fu but we had to bring her into the emergency room because her stomach was giving her pain and she almost fell while using the restroom.
The doctors drew out some fluid in her stomach to test for infection. No word yet, but we are hoping everything will be ok. My mother seems to feel at ease being here, so that is good. Will update you all later. Thanks.
