louise
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Hi Zupton,
Pretty effective cocktail for me, hope it is for you also. They had hoped the Gem/Cis combo would shrink my tumor enough to do surgery, but it shrank the tumor to the point that it didn’t show up on the scan at the end of six cycles. Of course, cc was not done with me yet, but I am again in remission and I’ve fought the good fight for over 2 years now. Yes, I’ve been told that my life expectancy is short, but I don’t usually believe that. I try to live life to the fullest, keeping active and working full-time. I have some pretty good incentives (and helpers) in my family. I have 2 boys still in high school and the senior has a serious relationship with his girlfriend. My earlier goal was to be around at least long enough to see these two join my older 4 in being high school grads. Now, I want to be around long enough to see the 17-year old finish college and get married! So, hang on for the ride of your life as you fight this battle and plan your future!
Louise
PS, Kris, I’ve never bought high heels. Can’t stand the feel and need the benefits of a comfortable fit.
Amy, I don’t have answers for you since I’m in about the same boat. My Mom passed just over 2 weeks ago in Franklin, Indiana, and I must have been running on adrenalin for a few days. When the decisions had been made and the mourners headed back to “normal” lives, I experienced a let-down, great sadness, and exhaustion. Then the real work set in. We are now trying to redefine “normal” and adjust to the fact that we have a hole in our lives. I know that it will take time, but life doesn’t want to wait. I think my brothers, sisters, and I have been with each other physically or on the phone more in the last 2 weeks than in any other 2-week period in recent history. But even together, there is still a hole where Mom was such a big part of all our lives. My children, without saying a word, remind me to keep looking to the future while remembering the best of the past. Despite my sadness in letting go, I believe I will see Mom again in a better place where neither of us will suffer from this disease or any other.
May you find peace moment by moment and may your child(ren) bring you comfort as they remind you that life goes on, simply by being themselves.
God bless you!
LouiseVal,
Where are you from and what Plymouth are you talking about? I live in Northern Indiana, and there is a town called Plymouth less than an hour away, but we’re probably nowhere close to you in miles. This site helps me believe that “it’s a small world after all.”Here is the recipe I mentioned:
Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
Mix and boil one minute.
Stir in:
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
3 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla.
Mix well. Drop on wax paper or on cookie sheet and chill.I usually use the microwave, but the container needs to be big so that the liquids do not boil over. I add the peanut butter before the minute of boiling is over, so it is less likely to boil over and the peanut butter gets softer and easier to mix through.
Sometimes, I use brown sugar instead of white and leave out the cocoa to give a different flavor, closer to butterscotch or maple. Might need a little more cooking time so that it is not too sticky.
Probably not a good plan if sugar is a problem, or if the butter/peanut butter is too hard on the body. But it is a treat when available. I’ve even been known to make a batch and freeze them so that they last me longer (with 6 kids, a batch in the kitchen doesn’t usually last very long).
I do enjoy your style of writing!Louise
Val, You didn’t say, but often, the antibiotics kill off good bacteria in the digestive system along with (hopefully) the bad, so if you have experienced constipation as a result of all those antibiotics, you might want to check out a health food store for multidophilus or a similar means of reintroducing good microorganisms in your body. My fun but sure cure for constipation is the no-bake chocolate, oatmeal, peanut butter cookies. They work fairly quickly, but the effect is not long-lasting, so my son will make up a big batch for me, which we nibble on for a week or more as needed. If you want the recipe, let me know.
One of my frustrations has been which doctor to call when something comes up. Is it related to the cancer or the treatment? How would I know? And of course, sometimes, we are dealing with finding a cure for the previous “cure.”
Your ramblings are like a breath of fresh air, light and breezy. Keep them coming!
LouiseYou might want to check at the nurse’s station if dogs are allowed to visit. There are many fine companions who visit patients in a variety of situations, bringing comfort to those who need it. For many people, a visit from a pet can be as therapeutic as a visit from their kids, or more helpful than another pill.
Louise
Ed,
Do you believe you only have a few more months? What you believe can influence the results you get. Are you living each day to the fullest, ignoring the diagnosis or have you reduced the things you attempt because of a loss of hope? My mom was 86 when she was diagnosed in November of 2006, and she chose to let the cancer take its course. Her oncologist didn’t think she would last a year, but she continued living as she had been. When the oncologist saw her this summer, he was surprised, to say the least. She passed away Aug. 29 of this year, nearly 3 years after diagnosis without surgery, radiation, or active chemo. Until the last few months, she really didn’t have much pain from it, either.
I share her story to emphasise that doctors do NOT have all the answers. Most of us on this site have had to look deep within to determine what we are made of. I have been aggressive in fighting my cancer, and I am currently in remission and working full time. I wonder sometimes if attitude and faith could be the cure that seems so elusive.I wish you well!
LouiseAgain, my thanks to all who care. Tuesday would have been Mom and Dad’s anniversary, so there is acomfort in beleiving that they are dancing together in heaven. We’ve been reminded that life goes on. Our 17-year old son bought a ring for his girlfriend last week. She’s only 16, so her parents insisted (thank God) that this is only a promise/friendship ring, it cannot be an engagement ring. They say that they have no intentions of getting married before they are close to graduating from college. Now, if Keith were as confident of his career choice as he seems to be of his relationship with Katie, I think I would have fewer worries. Much to pray about, and I will pray about it.
LouiseHi, Viola,
I don’t know what the Cis numbers mean, but the Gem is given on day 1 and day 8 of a 21-day cycle. In my case, Mondays were my usual day for chemo, so I would have the Cis and Gem both on one Monday, the Gemzar alone on the next Monday, and then the next Monday would be no chemo. Each 3 weeks was thus called a cycle, and it took a little over 6 months to do 8 cycles because we delayed the next cycle a couple of times (once because of my work load and once because I was in hospital fighting infections). I believe in both chemicals, the mg/m2 section refers to the quantity of medication and the size of bag for the solution to be in.
I never did see my prescription written out like that, so you must be asking lots of good questions to know that already.
LouiseAmy,
Typically, when hospice is involved, they have access to all the medical records from the referring doctor, and they will answer all the questions from all the family in terms you can understand. If you don’t understand, just keep telling them so, and they will keep trying. At least, that was the case for both of my parents. Are you by any chance working with Vista Home Care? They worked with my Mom (Carolyn Klotz) in Johnson County, IN, which isn’t far from you. Wish I knew what else to say that might help, but you already know that this is unpredictable stuff. At least, you have my sympathy and prayers.
LouiseHi, Viola,
Welcome to our site. No apologies needed, the content is more important than how you say it, though humor always seems to help. I had the Gemzar/Cisplatin combination and it worked for me. The medications to minimize nausea were necessary, but usually worked. The combination does have a tendency to cause women to enter menopause if they have not already completed that, though. I did not have anything to help combat the hot flashes and chills that were probably due to the menopause more than anything else. So my side effects for the first series (8 cycles) were much more obvious than the second time around, about a year later. The oxiplatin and cisplatin both have a platinum component, so they are similar. I am not sure of the differences, though, and have not had the oxiplatin at all. Currently, I am in remission and hoping to stay that way. Please keep us posted on your Mom, and visit as often as you need to, whether to ask questions, share frustrations or successes, or just to visit.
LouiseI’m interested in the return of energy! I’m not crazy about steroids, but vitamins and tylenol I can certainly understand. Steroids affected my blood sugar, so I think I’ll have to ask my doctor about that. My story takes time to tell, dx in May 07, currently in remission, energy seems to fluctuate. Most recent reason is probably related to my Mom’s passing away just over a week ago. Can you tell me how you got started on this regime, and what all you take, how often, etc?
Would appreciate it, THANKS!
LouiseThank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Mom’s passing was no surprise. At the age of 88, she had fought cancer for about 3 years when her oncologist had not thought she would last 1. She was so ready to go and was showing signs of its nearness for a month already. In fact, when she fell a month before she passed, hospice thought she only had about 2 weeks, but that’s my Momma. She and I had a lot in common, from lots of kids and a couple of miscarriages each, gall bladder removed, jejunostomy, children rasied in our faith who choose a different path, cancers in the same family, … Knowing it was coming and even time to happen doesn’t change the fact that this has hit me hard. I must have been running on adrenaline from Saturday through the funeral and not even aware of it, but on the way home, I started experiencing the let-down. I’ve been really tired and sad despite knowing the relief that Mom has no more pain and is probably now dancing with Daddy at the biggest party/reunion ever. The sadness isn’t so much for her as it is that I will miss her and the dynamics between my brothers and sisters and me must again adjust. And taking time to grieve in the midst of full-time job, parenting, and leading a busy life is also not an easy fit.
Last fall, when my oncologist admitted that she doesn’t think I’ll survive five years, Tom and I did some preplanning. We bought a cemetary plot and ordered our headstone. While we were out of town for Mom’s funeral, our headstone was put into place. It is so nice to see. We again marvel at God’s timing. I’ve probably rambled enough, as I need to get ready for work. I’ll be taching accounting at 9am, and life goes on.
LouiseLalupes,
Kris has given you a starting point of the facts that can be foundational to hope. All of us on this site waver at times between hope and fear, but hope usually beats the fear. Where doctors have been concerned, I have been fortunate and blessed, but the foundation for my hope has been my faith. If you don’t have a pastor or minister, you might want to look for one. Once you get past the initial fear (which might return for visiting rights), learn all you can and you may become part of the specialist team working on your sister’s behalf. Even if the doctors won’t talk to you initially, they won’t exclude you from visits with your sister if she clearly wants you there. To me (and I believe to many others as well), the unknown is always more scary that the known. When we don’t know, we always imagine so many terrors. But with education, we can learn to cope and even combat some of the fears. As we fight, we build our own hope, too. Please visit this site as often as you need. We might even feel like part of the family. Yes, when I was diagnosed, I went on the web and looked for everything I could find about this disease. For some unknown reason, I did not find this site. All the other things I found on the internet were depressing, and I gave up on the search through the internet. But since I found this site (with help from my oncologist), the web has seemed a much friendlier and educational support system. Everyone here is free to vent, share ups and downs, faith and hope, whatever questions you want, no subject is taboo.
I need to be on my way to school. Not a good idea for the teacher to be late on the first day!
Peace be with you!
Louise
