My chemo experience Gezmar/Cisplatin
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Hi, All,
I haven’t been on the board lately, for I have been on vacation. Had a good time and I felt good. Before I left, I did have a blood test and I wrote that it was really high CA-19 was 9880 and the CEA test was up to 7.2. I, also, had another MRI which showed that the cancer seem to be growing. For some reason, the doctor is concerned about where I had the radiation. This is what the oncologist told me when I talked to him today. Sooooooooooooooooo, more chemo will start, again. I guess I shouldn’t complain for I haven’t had any treatments since the 1st of November.
I am waiting for the nurse to call me to let me know when I will start.
I think I will be having Gemzar/Cisplatin.
Marni, when I had chemo last Fall, they lowered my dose so that the while blood cells would not fall too low. The first time, they fell, I was given the Neopugen shots.
Kathy, you mentioned about getting the shot in the stomach. They gave me the shots in the arm. I did fine with the first two shots, but on the 3rd day, that shot was a killer. I had back spasms that kept me awake all night. But my white blood cells and platlets went up, so I was able to start chemo, again.
Best wishes,
TheresaHi Kathy,
What great news from your MRI scan, thanks for sharing it here! I hope the good news keeps on rolling for you and that all goes well for you next Wednesday.
Best wishes,
Gavin
Kathy…I can’t answer your questions, but I just had to answer your post and send to you: two thumbs up.
Best wishes,
MarionNow it’s low platelet count – and GREAT news!
To our surprise my platelet count dropped to 36 (36,000). It has to be over 100 to have chemo. I will have a blood test locally on Monday to see if chemo can happen next Wed. (Hope my white count will still be ok). The doctor said I do not need to worry about bleeding out at this point, but if I got into an accident or cut myself I would be in trouble. I’ve only had 2 1/2 cycles. Anyone have advice/experience with this?
Also, no massages at this point
I have a gift certificate that will have to wait.GREAT news!
MRI showed no new tumors and that old Klatskin tumor is still the same. (I think it’s dead). Everything is stable
Kathy,
I so glad the WBC is back up! My mom is facing the same situation. When she starts chemo again, she will also be on a lower dosage of gemzar (25% decrease I think) to prevent the WBC from getting too low again. I do sometimes wonder though, why she can’t stay on the same dosage but do the shots? I guess the doctor know’s why he is doing what he is doing!
Anyway, I’m glad your treatment is back on track. Best wishes!
Marni
White blood count finally was up last Friday. Tomorrow (Monday) I will have chemo again. They are going to lower my dose of Gemzar by 20%. Cisplatin will stay the same.
Kathy,
Good luck to you on your WBC coming back up. I had a low WBC too and a shot (probably Neupogen – I remember it began with a N) helped it from recurring, but it was left to come back up on its own first. I don’t know why that was, but subsequent infusions were followed by a shot in the muscle.
Here’s hoping that you have better news soon about your counts.
Linda
Kathy…I am crossing my fingers for your white blood count to come up. I assume that your oncologist is talking about Neupogen in order to bring up your counts. It happens quite often. In fact, kimmie had spoken about it in her post yesterday. You might want to read up on it. It is quite informative.
Good wishes are coming your way
MarionHad lab work done locally today as I was suppose to have chemo this Wed. Last Wed my WBC was 3. and my Neutrophils was 1.22. My oncologyst said it was borderline, but since I was high risk for infection they did not want me to have chemo. Last week he said the Neutrophils was what he was most concerned about but thought it should be on its way up (it had been two weeks since chemo). Today my WBC is 2.9. and my Neutophils is .52. (Under .5 you are at a sever risk for infection).
This brought me down for a short bit. The plan is to have more lab work locally on Wed. and then if the Neutophils is up to 1.5. (or maybe even 1.4) I could have chemo on Thurs or Friday of this week. If not, then it’s another blood test on Friday. If it doesn’t come up he did mention something about shots.
If I’m going to do this chemo thing, I want to do it and not have delays! If I truly believe God is in control of my treatment plan, I probably should not be stressing about this; but instead thanking Him. Sometimes those detours in the road that irritate us so much are keeping us safe from a bigger problem had we been able to go straight ahead.
Kathy
Kathy,
I am glad you found a way to work the system to your benefit. Sometimes insurance companies make no sense!Kris
Thanks Linda and Nancy, I really appreciate your input. My oncologist and I talked briefly about the shot. I was very apprehensive about a shot in the stomach. Guess I shouldn’t be.
A note about the Emend. My insurance has been very good about paying, but I did discover (after my third chemo) that they denied paying for the EMEND pill I’m given while at chemo. This is a $275 bill every time. I get the two EMEND pills I take afterwards I at the pharmacy and they are paid for with a co-pay. The pharmacist told me it comes in a 3-pack (with the same co-pay) and I should ask the doctor for a prescription for the 3-pack, taking the first at my chemo appt. so I won’t be charged the $275 at chemo. Someone told me this is backwards of most insurance policies. I don’t know, but I have the 3 pack now.
Hi Kathy
Just to add a thought about the low WBC. Halfway through my chemo my WBC started to drop also not enough so I could not have chemo. As soon as that happened my oncologist prescribed Neupogen single injectables which generates bone marrow to produce more WBC. I administer the shots myself as of this point I only need 2 so I have chemo on Mon and Tues then I will give 1 injection on Wed and 1 more on Friday then have bloodwork on Monday to check it all out. I have been doing this since May it has been extremely successful since I have not had to interrupt my chemo schedule I actually got to reduce the shot to 1 time a week for a couple of times but am now back to 2 times. It is so easy to give to yourself I use my lower abdomen plenty of fat to pinch there. I also have been taking Emend and feel it is pretty much a miracle drug since I have never had any nausea and did not have to use my back up Zofran or Compazine at all. Wishing u all the best and my thoughts and prayers will be with you.
NancyHi Kathy,
I was given infused Emend just before a chemo infusion and then took a pill form for 2 days every morning after infusion day along with Decadron and Zofran (at 9 am and 5 pm). I took the Decadron for 3 days (2 x a day), the Zofran for 4 days (2 x a day). I was also given Compazine “just in case” the Zofran and Dec. weren’t completely sufficient. I never needed the Compazine.
I also had a low white blood count my 2nd treatment, but the 2nd week into it. It wasn’t noticed though until I came back after my week off for blood tests to start my 3rd treatment. I was given a shot in the muscle after each infusion to make sure the white blood count didn’t get too low. I don’t remember the name of the drug, but it forced your bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. It worked, but it caused muscle aches as they said your body doesn’t like having to over-produce like that.
Good luck on subsequent treatments, and hope that the nausea meds do their stuff to help you.
Linda
My second cycle was to start today. Chemo was postponed because my white blood count was too low. That really surprised me (and the doctor, but he says everyone is different) to have that problem so soon.
Since I am at risk for infection with two previous incidences, the doctor said if I was to get an infection with my white blood count low, I would not have as good of chance to fight it off.
About my previous nausea. He said it seems the EMEND is working good as it is suppose to take care of nausea a few days after you stop taking it. On the last two chemo treatments I have gotten sick on day 5. He told me to take Zofran first thing in the morning on day 5, maybe 6 and 7; and if I get nauseated, take compazine. He thinks Zofran works best before you get nauseated and copazine works best when you are nauseated. But then again, everyone is different.
The plan is to go to my local doctor on Monday and have lab work done. If everything looks ok, we will be going back to Mayo on Wed. for chemo.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Linda.
They give me Emend, Kytril and Dexamethasone on chemo day. I take the Emend for the next two days and the steriod (Dexamethasone) for three days afterward. They seem to work until day 5. I have compazine and zofran on hand. From last fall’s chemo, the Zofran doesn’t work and compazine worked on and off. They say you should take them before you get nauseated, but I don’t want to take them if not needed. If you’ve taken these, at what point do you? It took three days of not feeling great for me to get back to “normal” this last time.
Kathy
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