My gemzar-oxaliplatin experiences
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Kristin,
I must comment on the pimento cheese sandwich. I can vouch there is nothing like it. I don’t know how my mother made it, but I have tried but not as good. Could it be the cheese in California is not the same as in Tennessee. You really are making me miss that southern cooking.You said that you have a new port. I had a “power port” put in two weeks ago and I am about ready to see if I have any veins left to use. The needle going in feels like a blunt small nail. One second of pain and it is in. But removing it, has been bad. It’s like she can’t get it out. Marion suggested that I get another nurse to do it, but it is a one nurse office. Since next week is my off week, I am wondering if I should go back to the surgeon that put it in, or wait and talk to the doctor when I go for my next treatment.
So, I guess what I want to ask you, does the nurse deaden the skin before she inserts the needle and does the needle come out without you feeling it?
My doctor had mentioned gemzar/oxaliplatin, but said that genzar/cisplatin had less side effects, so decided to try it first. We can put up with side effects, if it will do the job it is intended to do.
I get so much from all of you sharing your experiences.
Best wishes,
TheresaHi Kathy,
My onco said the blurred vision is from one of the premeds and he didn’t want to change it (nor do I, because they seem to work well.) It goes away after 4-5 days. Until then I guess I’ll just mooch rides from friends. This time the stinging hands are worse but I can put up with that. And today I’m up and working at my desk (day 4) but I don’t know how long that will last. My saintly husband got the wi-fi set up so I can work in bed!
Now I just need to stay awake during an hour-long conference call with my project editors. (“Kristin, what do you think about that? Kristin? Uhhh, Kristin??” zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…)
Kristen,
Glad treatment #2 went good. Lunch sound delicious. It will be something to look forward to
Encouraging news from your onco!Are you taking any type of steroid as part of your premeds? I am and crash for a day or two every time. Very very tire, no motivation, blah attitude. It was day 3. Now it’s days 5 & 6.
Were your eyes blurry this time, or did it ever go away?
Hope you have a good week. It’s dark and will probably rain here. Good day to stay in bed.
Kathy
Hi All,
Treatment #2 was on Thursday– my blood counts were fine– and the lunch menu included a pimiento cheese sandwich, a southern specialty that has at least 50000000 calories in it. Perfect for cancer patients, but I’m not sure that’s what the cardiac patients should be getting!
This time I’m going to pay more attention to when the side effects (nausea/ fatigue) actually kick in, so that I don’t waste more of my week lying around than I have to. I actually noticed that the day after, I felt pretty OK, so I cleaned up the house a little, finished off some work I had on my desk (freelance writing), and caught up on business email.
Today (Sat.) I feel like I’ve been flattened by a rather large bus. One of those tour buses maybe. Back to bed!
I had an appt. with my onco right before treatment, and he said he thought the tumor that’s right under my skin felt a little smaller and softer. WOWWW! After one treatment? Cool!
Best wishes to all,
Kristin
Hi Kristin,
You are fortunate to be comfortable having your chemo so close to home. It would be easier for me, for sure. Just can’t be.
Glad the nausea medicines are working. I know there’s a lot of different medical opinions, but I have been told Zofran works better if taken before you get nauseated and Compazine works after you get nauseated. Everyone is different, though.
I’ll be following your experience with this chemo. Thanks for sharing it.
Kathy
Kristin….I too understand the difficulties you have had with making your decison of taken on chemotherapy. I expect to have good things come your way. And, Kristin, you sharing your experience is invaluable in two ways: it allows us to stay in tune with you and, it helps others understand and learn from you. This is what makes this board so special: it is all of you.
Best wishes and tons of hugs,
MarionLainy, that wasn’t fast food, that was real food from the hospital cafeteria (which is pretty darn good!) I told you, I’m spoiled in a small town.
Hugs to you and Teddy,
Kristin
Good Morning Kristin, your description of your big lunch didn’t just sound like Kentucky, it reminded me of KFC! I know that Chemo was a huge step for you and am praying for it to do it’s job well. Your attitude and lively spirit is the best and I am hoping you will keep that up and that better Chemo days are coming. Hopefully the doc will have some good answers for you along with solutions. I know you will keep us posted. Hugs coming your way.
Hi all,
Inspired by kathyb’s useful posts, I thought I would post about my experiences with this form of chemo, in case it’s useful for someone else.
I had my first treatment of gemox 10 days ago (the plan is every 14 days for 3 months, then scans, then continue for 3 more months if it’s working– fingers crossed!) I’m really fortunate to be able to have my chemo at the small-town hospital two blocks from my house, rather than an hour away in “the big city.”
The nurse accessed my brand-new port with no pain whatsoever, even though the thing is still bruised a lovely plum-color. The treatment started with 1/2 hour of pre-meds for nausea, then 1/2 hour of gemzar, then almost 3 hours of oxaliplatin (was supposed to be 2 hrs, but someone put too much water in the bag!!)
Whatever the heck was in the premeds made me feel better than I did when I walked in! During the infusion I ate a HUGE lunch, the biggest meal I’d had in months– a whole fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and green beans (hey, this is Kentucky, we don’t just do some flimsy little sandwich for lunch!)
When I got up from the chair, though, I already had blurred vision– looks like when they try to blank something out on a video with flickering squares. It comes and goes but isn’t safe for driving. SHOOT. That evening I also started on the cold sensitivity, which lasted 3-4 days.
Day#1 after, I felt pretty OK, though I took Zofran towards evening for nausea. Days #2, 3, 4 I felt like I’d been flattened. Too tired to lift my head up, too tired to read, too tired to think. Nausea meds worked OK. Can’t remember what I did– stared off into space all day? (We don’t have a TV.) The next day I was doing better and was able to start working again– I’m a freelance writer working at home.
I see my dr. on Tuesday, then go for the next treatment on Thurs. I’ll have to ask him if there’s anything they can do about the blurred vision because that’s beyond just a nuisance.
So– maybe this is more than people want to know, but I hope it’s useful to anyone else who’s going to do this regimen!
Blessings to everyone,
Kristin
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