What next?
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Bkat….is your Dad receiving steroids also? If so then he should have a bit more energy. I would address with the physician the slight anemia and the low iron, all which could contribute to your Dad’s lack of stamina. With neutropenia a white blood cell booster can be administered. Again, this is something only the physician can determine. Your Dad also is still recovering from surgery and needs to regain some strenghts. We supplemented my husband’s diet with Boost and other, high protein foods and Lainy speaks highly of Carnation Instant Breakfast. Tell your Dad that we are rooting for him.
All my best wishes,
MarionThanks again to all. I think he’s surprised to hear he has a cheering section in all of you!
Well, my dad has his first round of chemo (Gemzar) yesterday. Twenty-eight hours later, he hasn’t felt any side effects, ate a normal dinner, and slept most of the night, so I guess that’s a good start. His blood work is a bit off (elevated WBC, low RBC, slight anemia, and very low iron). Should I assume this to be normal with CC? I tried questioning the RN & lab tech on this and was given a vague answer about how this is just a baseline by which future tests will be compared and you really can’t tell anything by it. Which isn’t telling me a whole lot.
The one question my dad keeps asking is, if chemo works as it’s supposed to, will he get some of his strength back? Aside from the obvious concerns with this disease, I think it’s driving him nuts that he has very little stamina.
Bkat,
How wonderful it is to have a strong dad. Let him know that we are all pulling for him. My prayers are with you and your family. Sounds like Mom needs lots of extra care and support as well.
Bkat….I am glad to hear that your Dad is feeling better. His attitude of wanting to fight the disease reminds me of our Kris when she noted: that she will continue to fight because, she did not like the alternative. Cancer unfortunately touches not only touches the patient; it touches everyone involved. I so much understand your Mom and her anxiety. This is a difficult disease and she also needs some support.
Every so often we need to read this important message for caregivers:Bill of Right Support for caregivers
I have the right to take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the ability to take better care of my loved one.
I have the right to seek help from others even though my loved one may object. I know the limits of my endurance and strength.
I have the right to maintain parts of my own life that do not include the person I care for just as he/she was healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can do for this person. I have he right to do some things for myself.
I have the right to reject any attempt by my loved one to make me do things out of guilt or anger. (It doesn
Thanks for the support. He seemed a lot stronger yesterday so I think he’s making the right decision. My mom is having a tough time with his disease and what lies ahead for both of them, but my dad is determined to fight since it beats the other option. So his attitude is good. He says he’s accepted what may be down the road but in the meantime he’s going to try and keep this cancer at bay.
Bkat….Loosing control is one of the major issues we struggle with when diagnosed with a disease. Your Dad is trying to regain that control by wanting to fight this cancer with chemotherapy. Although, we don’t always agree with the choices made the true gift lays in the support we offer to our loved ones.
I am wishing for the most positive response to the treatment.
All my best,
MarionBkat, a plan is great news. Somehow when a plan is in place the fright turns to fight and everyone gets a little stronger. Hoping for your Dad to have smooth sailing with the chemo along with a good outcome!
Met with the oncologist today and she told my dad the pros & cons with chemo. She was very straight-forward and informative, which was good. So he is proceeding with gemcitabine to see how he handles it. If he does OK then she’ll add cisplatin, I believe. He wants to fight this as long as he is able, so we have a plan.
Hi,
Yes, the oncologist will give zofran and/or dexamethasone IVPB as pre-med for helping the nausea/vomiting. But I did have headache because of the high dose of Zofran; they cut the dose down but I just did not feel right in my head anyway, I felt my head was swollen;but that is how the Zofran works to control the nausea/vomiting .I did vomit after I drove home from the hospital of the later part of my 14 months Gemzar treatment. I did not have the vomiting problem when I started the Gemzar ;but I did have the headache (minor) and the swollen head feeling starting at the second or third dose.
And I did feel a little tired and that is why I always go to bed right away after my chemo treatment.(that is ,I took Benadryl 50mg and Ibuprofen 600mg right after I went home after Gemzar;if I vomited it out I will take another duplicated dose so I could go to sleep ,usually within 30-60min, and woke up 3-4hr after;then I felt much better; the whole thing last for a day or two and I would be back to normal again.)
But please remember I was 59 years old at that time and had diagnosis of intrahepatic CC stage II and started the Gemzar as the only treatment just 2 months after liver resection.
Please read the side effects forum about” suggestions for medication for nausea/vomiting.”to gain insights about the medications.
Again, you should also know that Gemzar chemo treatment is not for CURE;
It may work or it may not.
God bless.Bkat,
Sorry about ur Dad as I went thru the same thing with my Dad in July. His surgeon also came to us after just an hour too but Dad knew when he found out what time it was when he woke up.
My Dad just turned 78 in August and he bounced back after surgery we couldnt believe it. He has undergone 5 weeks of both chemo and radiation- 5 days a week and now they want to start him on the Gemzar.
I too would like to hear from the people that have gone thru this treatment and how they felt. I keep hearing horror stories about people having to have transfusions as their blood counts go dangerously low and I dont want Dad in and out of the hospital for the limited time we have with him.Thank you all for offering both perspective and comfort with this. Having strangers who have been through or are going through this come forth to share their stories does help in making an informed choice. He has an appointment soon to meet with the oncologist who would be administering the chemo so this will give me the opportunity to present some of the questions that will help him decide what is best for his life.
Like Peggyp’s father, my dad’s raison d’etre has been to make sure my mom is taken care of, as she has health issues of her own. She’s not doing too well with any of this and I believe one of his main goals is to get them moved into a retirement community quickly so there will be support and care for her when the time comes that he is no longer there. We are trying to keep the ball moving forward on this while simultaneously addressing the medical issues.
Pam, I empathize with what you went through. When my father first awoke from surgery he looked me in the eye and asked what the prognosis was. It was a tough moment.
PCL1029, can you elaborate on what you experienced with the chemo? I know the oncologist told my dad drugs take care of the nausea and the worst will be is that he will be “a little tired.” I don’t blame the doctor for trying to be encouraging and underplaying the chemo to some extent, but hearing from those who have been through the chemo, even if they did not have “side effects” is helpful. Like Marions addresses, the fact my dad is 81 years old comes into play but that it’s the patient’s overall health and not his numeric age that is the real determining factor. So much now depends on to what degree his health has been compromised.
And Lainy, thank you for you insight. Directly asking the oncologist just how much time chemo will buy might help determine when it is time to focus on steps beyond chemo.
I will update everyone after his next oncologist appointment.
Thank you all again.
Hi,
I am sorry to hear of your dad’s condition. My husband was on gemzar/cisplatin/avastin and also has intrahepatic CC. He had a resection a little over 3 years ago. The chemo makes him very tired and he is only 58 and otherwise in good health. If your dad is slow at recovering from his aborted surgery, and his primary physician sees his decline in health, the chemo may be too much for him. I agree with Lainy that quality of life far outweighs quantity. I lost my dad almost a year ago to a very aggressive melanoma. He was in his 80’s and chose not to do chemo as he had witnessed what my oldest sister went through 12 years ago when she died from metastatic breast cancer. My dad lived for 3 years without treatment; he was very strong-willed and my mom had altzheimers, so I think he wanted to stick around to make sure she was taken care of. Mom died last June and dad passed away in November. I know this is a hard choice for you to make so if your dad is up to discussing the options, I feel the choice should be his. My prayers are with you and your family, PeggyP
First, let me say how sorry I am that your dad has this cancer. My dad lost his battle almost a year ago at the age of 75. We were called in physicians’ room and were told the surgery had been aborted too. The cancer had spread to my dad’s pancreas. I’ll never forget having to tell my dad the news when he awoke. His recovery was very slow from the operation. He walked with a rolling scooter chair and was able to rebuild some strength. After a month or so he had a port put in for chemo. He tried two treatments of gemzar and it was brutal on him. The oncologist told him she thought it was time for hospice. He lived a few more months and some days were better for him than
others. We poured on the love and took exceptional care of him. It was so sad for us all. I know what you are going through. It is a very tough decision and
you are a good son for stepping up and helping your dad. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.Hi,
I will listen to the advice that “the one physician who have known your dad for over a dozen years” gives to your father. His Key word is “his reserve may be gone.”
Even if your father will like to try the chemo,he needs to wait for at least a couple months after surgery to let the surgical wound to heal and regain his strength.
I am 61 ,have intrahepatic CC for 30 months and was on Gemzar for 14 months and was no fun at all even I did not have any serious side effects from the chemo.
I STRONGLY agree with Lainy about choosing quality over quantity for her husband and they got five years of quality time.
God bless.Hello Bkat and welcome to our site. Your Dad has chosen the right person to advocate on his behalf. Your expressed thoughts of concern for his well being shines through loud and clear.
Gemcitabine (Trade Name: Gemzar) generally is tolerated well however, we have had a few exceptions on this site.
The topic of treating the elderly with chemotherapy has been presented at numerous medical conferences I have attended. The overall consensus is for the overall health of the patient to be the deciding factor rather, then the chronological age of the patient.
My husband
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