suzannegm
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Hi Lisa,
I’m on gemzar & cisplatin. I haven’t lost my hair to the point of being bald, but it is thinning. I don’t have bald spots or anything like that but the amount of hair that comes out in the shower and I can feel it is thinner when it’s dry tells me that I’m definately losing hair. I don’t think that by looking at me anyone could ever guess that I have this crazy cancer. Other than being a bit thin, I look normal. The one good thing is that my leg hair doesn’t grow back as fast so I don’t have to shave as often. We need to find the positive’s where we can!Hey Jeff,
You have the same initials as my brother. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I know you’ll be tough.Hi Sherri,
I’m on compazine almost everyday for mild nausea, and have not had any “sleepy” side effects. The cancer center where I am getting my chemo treatments is so proactive on nausea, they don’t even want me close to being severely nauseated, much less sick.They have given my compazine for mild nausea, and Emend for severe nausea. Emend is a very expensive pill, but well worth it. For in between nausea I have Zofran and Ativan. Ativan can also cause major drowsiness and relaxation. But it’s better than being nauseated. Hope this helps.
Hi Donna,
Sorry I did not see your post until today.
I am seeing Dr. Kaugh at Emory Winship Cancer Institute. I’m sorry to hear about your father. I know this is very hard for you.
My cancer has not affected my bile ducts yet. I’m working hard with chemo to try to keep that from happening.Where in Rome is he getting radiation treatments? Isn’t Tallapoosa in west GA? I’m in Canton. Let’s keep comparing notes. I know it would help me.
Hi Jim,
Welcome to this site. I was diagnosed in July of this year. I’m 43 years old and have no risk factors that would have lined me up in the crosshairs of this disease. My oncologist recommended systemic chemo in the event the cancer metastasized from somewhere else, but they can’t find where in my body it might/could have come from.
I have no jaundice and had failed liver resection surgery. My entire left lobe is one big tumor with a 1 cm tumor on my right lobe, which caused the failed liver resection.
I am currently on chemo drugs gemzar and cisplatin. Very few side effects, other than fatigue for the first couple of days after, with some drops in white blood cell count and red blood cell count. But I have been given drugs to boos both. Hopefully this gemzar/cisplatin combo will do the trick to shrink my tumors enough for another attempt at resection.I have found a lot of good information on this site, and I’m sure you will too. Hang in there.
It’s a good article, but I do not fit into any of the risk factors. Not one. Makes me wonder if i was misdiagnosed. But the docs can’t find any cancer anywhere else in me. Strange me I guess.
Hi Michelle,
I’m 43 and was diagnosed in July of this year. Mine also came out of nowhere. I don’t have any children so I can only imagine how tired you must be taking care of 2 young ones plus the chemo fatigue. I’m sorry I don’t have any remedies to offer you.
I have found this site a HUGE source of comfort and information. The people are all so supportive and caring.
My husband and I were completely devastated and overwhelmed by this whole thing. My oncologist put me on the anti-depressant Remeron (30mg), to help me sleep and stimulate my appetite. I would say and anti-depressant is a MUST when dealing with cancer. I hope you are on one or will be toot-sweet!
My chemo drugs are cisplatin and gemcitibine. I finished my second round today, one more to go and then another set of MRI/CT scans. I have not (so far) had to deal with any jaundice. Just the discomfort around my bra line because my liver is enlarged. I also had attempted liver resection in August, but it was not successful, too many tumors in the really wrong places. Don’t get me started on that particular discomfort (ha ha).
Hang in there and don’t give up!Hi Ron,
Glad to hear your platelets rebounded. Mine did the same and that was without me having to drink beetroot juice. I do drink gatorade G2 electrolyte drink. But I’m not sure that had anything to do with it. I think the plateles will rebound or not, in some cases. Of course we should all continue to do what we feel is the best thing for ourselves.
I’m sorry to hear about the progression of the cancer. I will have a total of 6 rounds of gemcitabine before I get a new CT & MRI.
Please stay hopeful! You may be down, but you aren’t out!I was in Japan 1968-1969, ages 6 mos. to 4 years old. We lived off base. Any chance I could have come in contact with fluke worms? How do I get tested for liver flukes? I don’t have any jaundice or tumors in my bile ducts, but have been diagnosed with CC. I’m frustrated that it seems to have come from nowhere. I would like to be able to find the cause of this thing.
Good morning to you,
I understand about feeling blue. Allow yourself a day here and there. But hang in there.
I have a Power Port placed in my upper right shoulder for “plugging in” to get chemo. The initial procedure to place it (after placement) was about 4 days of feeling like I had been hit by a truck, but after that it was business as usual. I haven’t had any problems (knock wood again).
It also seemed like for me chemo would never start. I felt that once it started I was actively doing something to change my life back to “before”. You know what I mean? The surgery was such a huge disappointment for me, I didn’t think I would be able to get past it. But this site has been a big help in so many ways.
Also I have had such a good experience getting chemo, because of the people that work at the cancer center where mine is administered. They are positive and helpful, will answer any question without making me feel silly, and have given me such a FANTASTIC blend of drugs for nausea. That’s when I felt more in control, when chemo started. I hope the same for you.
If you would like to know my combination of at home nausea meds, let me know. Talk to you soon!Hi Violarob – that’s as good of an explanation as I have been able to find. Thank you. The internet is confusing to me on this issue. I think I will ask to have both AFP and CA19-9 ran, just for good measure, in addition to comparing with the scans over time. Right now my CA19-9 is 134, which seems high but I guess we’ll see over the next few months if that’s high for me or what. Thanks again for the explanation.
Hi Ron – Wow 7 straight weeks on!? That would mess up anyone’s chemistry, real fast. I’m 2 weeks on, 1 week off, gemzar (gemcitibine) & cisplatin. I’ve had 2 infusions so far, and my platelets are at 91. This coming Friday I’m supposed to go for my double infusion day. I was told if platelets aren’t at 100 by then, all they will do is reduce the amount of chemo drugs I am given by 10%.
I have no idea if there is anything at home we can do to pump up our platelets. Maybe you can ask them to reduce instead of completely stopping yours. I’ll keep up with this because I might be in the boat with you come Friday. Good luck.Hello Kleonard,
I am 43 years old and was diagnosed July 2008. I also had a failed resection, it was in August 2008. I am currently on chemo with gemzar & cisplantin for a total of 6 infusions, for now. Infusion number 3 starts this Friday. After the 6 infusions I will get another MRI & CT to compare with my baselines. If there is shrinkage I will keep going with chemo as long as my body will let me, and as long as the chemo keeps working. Once the tumors are small enough, to be determined by my doctor, then it will be time for radiation to get the tumors even smaller. I am hoping to try for another resection at that point. It’s been a tough 2 months recovering from that surgery, and quite honestly part of me will dread the recovery again, but if that’s what it takes then that’s what I’ll do. But so far chemo has not been too harsh. Moderate nausea, definate fatigue in the few days after treatment, no hair loss. My doctor did not put a limit on the chemo treatments, just “as long as it keeps working” and “as long as I can take it”. I have not had any jaundice (knock wood). I think I am one of the few that has not, at least not yet. In the beginning I spoke with my oncologist about several different radiation options, but think I will need to wait until the time comes to know what will be best in that area. Just keep all your options open, and good luck from me to you.
