blood clots
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Just to add to Percy’s comments:
Adenocarcinomas of the pancreas and lung are associated with tendency to form blood clots (hypercoagulability)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trousseau_ … malignancyHugs,
MarionHI,
blood clot is common amoung cancer patients including this CCA, Lovenox twice daily or other low molecular weight heparin deviatives given subcutaneously or taking Coumadin daily by mouth with lab results(a much cheaper option) biweekly or monthly after stable INR is obtained, for life are other options.
The main purpose is to prevent DVT(blood clot in the legs) and pulmonary embolism(PE) which can be fatal .
God bless.My husband was diagnosised with cc 2 1/2 years ago and he too developed a DVT. His leg swelled up twice the norm size. We took him to a local hospital and they kept him for a few days and told him to go home and walk it off. His surgeon that he had for his CC heard of this and had us come back to the U of M and they went in and did a venogram. They cleaned some of the blockage out and within 2 days his leg was back to normal. There should be something they can do. He is now on Lovenox shot twice and day and always will be. Unfortantely this is a side effect of people who have tumors and have had cancer I have been told.
My mom’s leg is still very swollen and it is painful for her to walk. She takes 60mg of Lovenox via injection twice a day but it is not doing anything for her current clot. A week ago, the onc casually said, “We are doing everything we can for your leg and it might just stay like this.” My mom was like, “Forever? Like the rest of my life?” and he said, “Maybe”. That was hard for her to hear. She is tolerating the cancer and the treatment ok but the pain in her leg and the limited mobility are really negatively affecting her life. Does anyone have any experience with this, or can anyone recommend anything at all for us to try? It has been almost 2 weeks and it is not changing one bit.
Helen, I have been trying really hard to figure out how to deal with this as I feel overwhelmed and it is not even me going through it. One friend said to think of the journey like labor, when you are so present with the process, that all is timeless and you are truly in the moment. Another friend said to “be flowy”, like take the good days fully and enjoy them and do not worry about what’s around the next corner. My mom started her first round of chemo on Monday and has been doing well so far so instead of worrying abut what’s next, I am trying to be like “oh good, today has been good (minus the leg pain) so it was a good day”. I am keeping it really simple. Does that make sense?
By the way, I have been to Treasure Island a number of times. My mom and dad have a condo in St Pete Beach and go 3 x a year. They were scheduled to go in the meddle of April when my mom was diagnosed (on Friday APril 13th) so they had to postpone but she is chomping at the bit to go as soon as she possibly can.
Take care.
Melissa
Thanks so much for all of the positive feedback. Your welcoming messages are just what I needed! I am currently being treated at the Bay Pines, VA in Bay Pines, FL. They are AWESOME! The health care professionals pulled out all the stops to find out how a woman my Primary Care Physician used to call her, “healthiest patient” suddenly became so ill.
Once I received a diagnosis, I forwarded my medical records to the Mayo Clinic in MN. The Oncology staff advised that the treatment plan devised by the VA (Gemcitabine/Cisplatin) is precisely what they would do for me. Consequently, I decided that I would receive my treatment at the VA which is 8 minutes from my home. I believe that things will begin to get much better once I have a few more treatments. For the last 2 days I’ve actually felt better and so far I’ve only had 2 treatments, this is my off week. I believe part of my pain is due to the frequent number of out of town visitors that I have had lately. It truly does wear me out and I’ve decided that as much as I love my friends, when it’s time for me to shut it down…I do.
Again, thanks so much to all of you for your concern. Clearly, we all wish that we would never have the need for this board, but it’s quite a Blessing to have it!
Helen
Hi Helen,
Welcome to this site, but so sorry you had to find us. You weren’t diagnosed very long ago, and I think you could still be in a state of shock or depression over the whole thing. Who wouldn’t. You have every right to not be your happy, upbeat self. Once you have received more treatments and start feeling better, your mood may improve. I know it did with my daughter that has CC. She has become such a strong fighter. She has decided that every day is a gift and she wants to do all she can each day and not waste time. I say she is accomplishing that very well. I would question the pain, though. You may have to try a few different meds to find the one that works best for you. Also, if you are not completely happy with your treatments and care, I would definitely seek another opinion. I think having a great set of doctors and treatments that make you feel better are key. I know it is exhausting to even think about seeing other doctors or traveling a farther distance to see someone else. But, if you find the right facility for you, it makes all the difference. I hope things start to get better for you. I will pray for you to find happiness again. Take care Helen.
Love, -Pam
P.S. Helen, for sleeping you might was to get a Lamb’s wool Pad. They are very soft and come in different sizes.
Dear Helen, welcome to our extraordinary family but sorry you had to find us. I am wondering where you are being treated and if you have sought out another opinion? Not sure what you mean by chest blockage and if swollen there are things that can be done. I think we need a little more information like where is the CC and what does the ONC say when you tell him of the pain you are in? We are big believers in 2nd and 3rd opinions. I know we urge our members to be strong but you have an awful lot going on that needs some attention as the bottom line is your comfort. Its hard to fight CC when you are fighting so much pain that should not be. A little more info would be good but in the meantime I would let your ONC know how bad you are feeling. Please keep us posted as we truly care.
So sorry to hear about your mom’s troubles with blood clots. I discovered one in my leg a few weeks ago and was put on Fragment. The dosage changes with your weight and I would caution those who use these types of blood thinners to be sure to advise your health care team if you experience any changes in weight. I had to advise my team, who had overlooked the need to reduce my dosage.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am Helen from Treasure Island, Fl. I was a healthy and active 53 year old, who lived everyday in the now! I was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in late April. It was moving fast! I was able to start chemo and just completed my second session. Although it seems to be doing its’ job, I still feel so lousy. Breathing is difficult due to blockage in chest, my abdomen is so swollen and painful I can barely stand it and the skin on my back is so tender to the touch I can barely sleep at night…I have only been able to sleep in the upright position with lots of pillows.
I have tons of support from friends and family, but I’m afraid I’m becoming such a Gloomy Gus to be around….Each day is just like the last, each hour, each minute is so filled with pain I feel like I’m losing my mind. I am on a low dose of morphine for the pain, but I am trying to balance to meds versus my ability to maintain conscious thought. I try to look at each day as a gift, but sometimes, well…
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to really live in the moment and pull out the best of each of those moments? I am generally a very upbeat, positive person, but this thing really gets me down.
Thanks for allowing me to share.
HelenHi,
Most of the time when a patient stayed in the hospital for too long a period of time;and if he or she stays in bed all day long without moving around; deep vein thrombosis(DVT)–that in blood clot in the femoral vein in the legs will develop and resulted in pain. If untreated,the blood clots can travel through the veins and into the lungs and develop the condition known as pulmonary embolism(PE).It is a very serious medical condition that required immediate hospitalization. Heparin infuision,low molecular weight heparin like Lovenox or Arixtra can be started and followed by Coumadin a few day later.
Personal health status, medications included chemo agents and spending long hours in flights or ground transportation without moving around frequently(ie; every 2 hours or so) will increase the chance of DVT.
God bless.Melissa…Adenocarcinomas of gastric cancers are associated with tendency to form unpredictable blood clots (hypercoagulability.) You may look it up under: Trousseau Sign of Malignancy.
Melissa, we have seen it a few times on our site and as it is with your Mom, blood thinners are used for prevention of this clots.
Stay strong on this roller coaster ride of this disease and good luck on Wednesday.
Hugs,
MarionMy mom was admitted into the hospital almost two weeks ago when the PET scan showed a blood clot in her lung. She went on the blood thinning injections into her abdomen that she’ll probably need to do every day for the rest of her life. But when she went off of them for a day so she could get the biopsy, she got another blood clot but this time, in her leg. Today her leg hurt and she didn’t walk hardly at all, which is really extremely unusual for her. Are blood clots really common with cancer? She hasn’t even started chemo (that’s on Wednesday) but is already experiencing so many symptoms.
Thanks,
Melissa
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