rowena32
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I drove myself to chemo today (140 miles round trip) and did just fine. After last week, I told my husband, I knew I could make it, so he need not go.
Everything went fine with the chemo treatment. The needle going in isn’t too bad. Like Tom (Kentucky Jack) told me to take a deep breath and let it out and the needle was in. But, removing the needle today was just as bad, if not worse than last time. I don’t know what is going on, but it’s not good. The aching is gone in about 15 minutes, but it is still sore tonight.
Marion, it is a one nurse office, so there is not another nurse. I could go to the hospital to have it done, and that would add another 30 miles to my trip. It is very convenient to have it done at the doctor’s office as I have an appointment with him every three weeks. I see him before I start the chemo or during the chemo treatment.
If I change the location of the chemo, it is going to be awkward. I was hoping it would be better today, but it was worse. I am off next week.I am still fighting losing weight. I just have it in my head that sugar feeds cancer and fats are not good for it either. I am still eating lots of vegetables and fruits, fish, and some chicken, but very little beef. I eat my oatmeal every morning and whole grain bread with almond butter. Once or twice a week I eat whole grain pasta.
Best wishes,
TheresaWell, it has been over a week to get back on the board. I had chemo last week in my port. Not too bad. It is still tender and when it was time to take the needle out, the nurse said she would have to press on it to remove the needle. Wouldn’t you think the needle would just slide out without any pressure. There’s only one nurse in this office and I don’t think she is experienced in giving chemo. (They just started giving chemo in the office, two months, ago.) I have been very tired, so haven’t spent very much time on the net.
But, I am doing much better this week and had my blood test today. Even though the white blood cells are below the range, I’m to have chemo tomorrow.
Marion, the nurse sprayed the port area with something before giving me the chemo, so maybe it was something to numb it.
I’ll let you know how tomorrow goes.
TheresaMarions, no one said anything about leaving any tape on, so I thought it was part of the bandage so I took all the tape off. The port doesn’t move, it is just so sore to touch.
The nurse called this afternoon and said the blood test looked fine so be there tomorrow at 10:00 for chemo.
I had to take a pain pill during the night, because behind the port (my back) was hurting so much that I couldn’t go back to sleep. My left arm was also hurting, so the first thing I thought of was a heart attack, but I think everything was related to the port, for I finally got back to sleep and when I woke up this morning all the pain was gone.
I will see the doctor tomorrow, so I will see what he says.
Best wishes,
TheresaHi, Kathy,
So sorry that you had such a hard time with your Neulasta shot. I can relate as I had Napogen shots the first time I had chemo. The first two went fine but the third one was a killer. Like you, I could not lay down nor sit for very long and was awake all night. I took a Tylenol PM and it did not faze it. Close to morning, I took a Vicodin that finally eased the pain. It felt like electric shocks going up and down my back and legs. It scared me for I did not know this could be a side effect from the shots. And, of course, it was on the week-end.
Hopefully, I will have my third chemo treatment on Wednesday. It was postponed one week because of low white blood cells and then last Wednesday, I had a port put in. The nurse thought that I should have chemo the next day, but the surgeon had talked to the doctor and wanted me to wait a week. I am so glad he did for it was so sore, I could not touch it, let along having a needle inserted. It is still sore, so I am really anxious about it this week. The nurse seems to think that she should be calling the shots. It’s a one nurse office, and I don’t want to get on her bad side, but she thinks she is in charge.
I hope I didn’t make a mistake getting a port but my veins were giving out.
Since the port, I have noticed a difference in my deep breathing and that my back is sore.Kathy, I hope you are feeling better. Hope your chemo this week will be a good one. We will have to compare notes
Does anyone have any pointers for me with the port. I read that someone used Emla(?) cream before chemo. Sure hope I did the right thing by getting the port.
Best wishes to you all.
TheresaHi, All,
I have been a little depressed after I got the results from the blood tests on Wednesday. The CA-19 and CEA test both went up. The CA-19 is up to 21,374, and that is after two chemo treatments. I don’t know how high it can go and what is going to stop it!!!
Marion, a friend of mine told me that they were talking about ALN-VSP on the Mike Huckabee show on FOX on August 31. I think it is more for the tumors than for the bile duct cancer. That will be one of the questions, I will have for my doctor nest week when I see him.
Another question will be about the sore spots I am getting on my veins. I have a sore lump on each arm. I, also, have an appointment next week to see a surgeon about getting a port. My veins cannot take much more.
Let’s all enjoy the week-end.
Best wishes,
TheresaHi, Linda,
Just thought I would check the Board before I went to bed to see what was new. So sorry, to hear that you are going to be in the market looking for a new doctor. But, you sure don’t need the one that you have now. It takes so much time to find a new one, sending records, waiting for phone calls, etc., but in the end, it will be worth it. Maybe, you could look up, Kathy B. and see who she goes to at Mayo and contact him. Or, look up Mayo at the top of this page and do a search.Has anyone heard of ALN-VSP???????
Kristin, will you be taking supplements along with your chemo? When I started taking chemo, again, I was told not to take antioxidents for it would interfere with the chemo. Last time, I was told it was okay to drink a “green drink” with the antioxidents. So, I would like to know what you are doing. I don’t think most doctors know enough about the different supplements.
What chemo will you be having this time?Theresa
Copodad,
I am taking LiverForce which consist of about 8 different mushrooms and trametes versicolor is one of them. I asked my naturopathic doctor about taking it after I read it on Andie’s list. She added it to the supplements I was taking, BUT she has had me to cut down on it while getting chemo. I am only to take it on my off week of chemo. It is so hard to know what to do, but it is nice that the ones on this board are so willing to share their experiences.Best wishes,
TheresaHi, Marions,
I tried the fish oil with my oatmeal and that didn’t work, so I bought the capsule which is much easier to take. But in order to use up the liquid form that I still have, I put it in orange juice every other day and that has helped.
As for my weight, I am just holding my own, but still haven’t gained any. I really appreciate all the good suggestions that have been given to me. I have added to my diet some dairy products. And, also, smoothies with ice cream. Before, my weight came from the desserts and carbohydrates that I ate. It seems like I am eating all the time, so I should start putting on more weight.
Best wishes,
TheresaHi, Kathy,
I hope things goes as planned tomorrow. Like others on the board, I had to skip my chemo today because of the low white blood cells. I was a little surprised that since I had just started chemo the week before that they didn’t just go ahead and give me a lower dose instead of putting it off for another week. I thought I would get the results from the CA-19 test today, but when I called they told me it was not ordered this time. The doctors have always ordered one to be done each time, but the nurse faxed in a new order and did not order one. I will make sure it is on the order when I get another one next week. I have never been told about watching the neutrophils, but I see that it is low, too. I learn so much more from this board than I do from the nurses and doctors. No one has ever told me to drink a lot of water the day before and the day of chemo. I have to make myself drink water so I will pay particular attention, especially those days.I sure wish there was some pill that we could take to get the WBC up without the hassle of the shots, but I guess that would make it too easy.
Good luck, tomorrow.
TheresaThanks, KentuckyJack,
I started taking fish oil with flaxseed oil last week because I needed the beneficial fats that I don’t seem to be getting. I have a hard time getting it down, but I make it. I thought that maybe the liquid would be better, but I may get the capsules next time. I will ask the doctor tomorrow about taking shark liver oil, along with the other one. If both are too much, I will experiment and see which one works better, Thanks, for passing this on to me,Linda, so sorry to hear that you are under so much stress. It is too bad that you can not take a leave of absence from work, but it is great that your employer is so understanding.
I sent you an e-mail last week. Did you get it?
TheresaThanks, for your comments. When I was first diagnosed with the cancer, I read “Anti Cancer by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber who had had cancer, and he is the one who stressed that sugar feeds cancer. I have read it other places, but like you said, it’s hard to know what to believe. And, too, I went from November to May showing no growth and eating very little sugar and white bread, and no white potatoes. And in the back of my head, I wondered if it was partly due to my diet. But, too, it has started to grow, again, and my diet was the same, so it’s been hard to change my way of eating, to gain weight.
I appreciate all of the information that everyone has given me.
Does anyone know how to keep the white blood cells from being so low?
That is anything besides the neupogen shots?
TheresaCindi,
So glad to hear that the drink is helping Richard.
I need to gain weight, but because I have read that sugar feeds cancer, I watch how much sugar is in what I eat. I can take Ensure and I don’t thinkthe taste is too bad, but it is high in sugar. How much sugar is in Enlive?
TheresaThanks, Sylvia,
That is what my doctors have, also, said, for me to eat everything. I have started to add some fat to my diet such as some ice cream and cottage cheese. I even had a hamburger yesterday. It’s surprising that with all the weight that I have lost, my energy level is still up. I know you are right that I will need the weight; it is going to be a long session with chemo this time. I only had 6 treatments the last time; one day a week for six weeks and this time it is going to be 16 treatments – one day a week for two weeks and then off one week which means if my white blood cells stay up, it will be over a twenty-four week period.
TheresaThank you, all, for your suggestions. It looks like I am going to have to add “fats” to what I eat. I have been trying to follow Dr. Andrew Weil’s and the book, “Anti-Cancer” suggestions on what to eat and not eat. I do take a protein powder drink that has 17 grams of protein, but I need more. Gavin and Dale, I checked out the web-sites and will try some of the suggestions.
It sounds like eating to put the weight on and keeping it on might be more important right now, than trying to starve the cancer.
Guess tomorrow, I will start eating the “good stuff”, again, and not feel guilty about enjoying the ice cream, chips, etc.
I knew that is I asked, this board would have the answer.Best wishes to each of you,
Theresa
