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I may have already asked this question, but couldn't find it in my page, if I did.
How many CT scans and PET scans have you had? In researching what's in store for me with this clinical trial, they list 25 CT scans, 3 PET scans, and other "tests" as needed. The information says that if a person completes the trial and has all of the scans they will receive 10X the amount of radiation that a radiation…
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Decision Point | Lung Damage
Chong can no longer walk more than a few paces without losing her breathe, heart racing, and getting completely exhausted. Medicine is not helping, so we decided to go on hospice care. The drugs alow her to sleep but at what a cost -- she is high all the time on them.
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Oh No | Lung Damage
Palliative chemo was no longer relieving the breathing problems so we attempted to get the left side pleural effusion drained. However, there was very little fluid build up on the left side. The lung function has been affected by cancer (although there is no sign of cancer in the lungs) or from the chemo. Full time oxygen…
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Side Effects | Shortness of breath
Chong had pleural effusions in both lungs, the fluid contained cancer. They put a drain on the right side but none on the left. Palliative chemo prevented fluid build up on the right side, but it was difficult to tell what was going on on the left. The chemo no longer was working to help with the breathing,
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Drug or Chemo Therapy | Chemotherapy
After realizing that Chong's cancer had metastasized, they switched to palliative chemo to help her breathe. It worked perhaps the first time, but by the second round her breathing was not much better.
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Oh No | Cancer has spread/Metastasized
While determining if Chong was ready for surgery to remove the tumor, she developed a pleural effusion first in the right lung and then the left. The fluid contained cancer cells. They inserted a drain to the right side allowing us to drain the fluid from home.
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Drug or Chemo Therapy | Chemotherapy
Chong was diagnosed with stage 2 stomach cancer. The plan was 6 rounds of FolFox, one month to recover, surgery to remove the tumor, and then six more rounds to complete treatment. Chong completed the first six rounds of chemo.
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Procedure or Surgery | A needle biopsy to see how the initial base is for the tumor after the first
I've had three needle biopsies throughout this 32 years of fighting cancer. The first two were painful but tolerable, this one was basically the same. The only difference was this doctor gave me a few injections of lidocaine first to numb the tumor before sticking the large hollow core needle into it to get the tissue…
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Procedure or Surgery | Implant chemotherapy port
This was the third port I've had put in throughout the 32 years of dealing with cancer. The first one quit working after about 6 months and it had to be replaced. I kept that port for 18 years after treatment was finished because I didn't want to give it up. Finally, after I gave in and let them take it out, I was…
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Do you remember the night before your first chemo session?
I don't remember the night before my first one 32 years ago, but I remember vividly the day of, in fact the seconds that it took for the chemo cocktail to run from the bag down to my veins. I watched that red color come down and was scared to death about what would happen when it hit me. I remember it being cold and…
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Clinical Trial | I started a clinical trial with Keytruda Combined with ADU-S100 to see how the adde
This is the trial that I am on: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/search/v?id=NCI-2019-04759
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Drug or Chemo Therapy | Immunotherapy - Clinical Trial
I started Keytruda immunotherapy today, and a clinical trial with a drug called ADU-S100 combination. The keytruda went in without any problems, and the ADU-S100 injection was a little painful to have a needle stuck into the tumor in my neck. Overall, not too bad. As of this writing, at 830 PM I have no significant side…
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Oh No | Cancer is back/Recurred
Well ... maybe the cancer is back ... maybe it is not. For the first time since I was diagnosed in 2012, there is a new spot in my right lung. It is still small - 3 mm, lower right node. My oncologist says that spots sometimes show up in that area of the lungs that are not malignant. I could just be fighting an infection…
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Side Effects | Chemo brain
Was still bad even 8 weeks after radiation and 4 months after chemo. I started playing xbox Golf with my son and my chemo brain started to improve within 2 weeks...and felt real good after 3 months. It seems that all the hand coordination, timing, processing for game playing really help sharpen my thinking. Who knew!
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Side Effects | Insomnia and trouble regulating body temperature
This is a result of the hormone blocker Anastrozole. After trying motrim pm, melatonin (20mg), some Rx...I have settled in tylenol pm. I am still awaken several time a night with slight neuropathy, but at least I get some sleep.
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Do you ever get tired of hearing people tell you how strong you are and how proud they are of you fo
I mean, what choice do we have? It's either take it, fight it, and try to get through it, or lay down and die. I appreciate the support of my friends and family, but telling me "I'm so strong" doesn't really help. I guess I'm just being too sensitive?
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How are you doing with keeping hope alive throughout your cancer diagnosis?
Our blog post today has some tips about how to keep hope alive and in the front of mind, and why it's so important to have it. Take a look at the article here>> https://bit.ly/3hSCnqr and then, please share!! We ALL need more HOPE!
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I have a doctor who will dance around the bad news and find a way to spill it by sprinkling roses ov
Do you have a doctor like this or does yours lay it all out there good, bad, and ugly? It's annoying that he won't just get to the point, but on the other hand I'm not sure how I would take the blunt truth. What do you think is the best way?
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Daiichi Sankyo Phase 1 Study of DS-1062a
My wife is about to start treatments in this study for her Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma lung cancer. Anyone else in the study who can contribute experiences / comments?
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Drug or Chemo Therapy | Chemotherapy
Had my first and second chemotherapy, 5/13 & 5/27, with Taxol. Bone and muscle pain which did not respond to OTC medication. Was prescribed Norco which caused extreme itchiness during the second round of Taxol. Have stopped chemotherapy temporarily so that I can have cracked teeth extracted and take care of itchiness of…
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Faslodex injections side effects
I’m getting faslodex injections as a hormone blocker. Recently I’ve been getting itchy spots all over my body that start with small bumps or nothing at all. It’s driving me crazy. Has anyone experienced this as a side effect and if so what did you do about it.
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My doctor has kind of shyed away from telling me exactly what my stage is
He has asked me to not concentrate on a number and said it really doesn't make any difference what it is anyway, they are going to treat me with the most aggressive, the best combination of drugs and procedures that are available. So, I bought into that thinking, but still, there's this little mouse nibbling on me telling…
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You Can't Put a Price On A Life - This Just In.....Yes You Can
In my case, the costs are approaching 500k since the first of the year, 2020 up to June 2020. And the costs continue to rise. My blog post today is about the continuing rising costs of healthcare. Take a look at the article here>> https://bit.ly/2YC9uG3
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Has your doctor suggested any "non-pharmacological" methods of pain control?
Like acupuncture, meditation, or exercise? Since the opioid crisis hit, some cancer patients are having trouble getting the pain relief they need. Here is an article about one method of pain relief without pain meds. Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE, on the Need for Non-Pharmacological Pain Management in Cancer Survivors June 19, 2020…
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Decision Point | to treat or not to
we were given the choice...."prolong the inevitable , quality of life, maybe new treatments in 5 years...if she lasts that long
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keytruda
how long before it takes effect? I was given my first dose a week ago and am wondering if I am too far gone. Any info would be helpful
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Someone asked me if it was worth it to go through a surgery to have a port put in.
I'm sure there will be lots of others that will agree. But my answer is a GIANT YES!! Yesterday's surgery was as simple as they get. The worst part of the whole deal was getting up early to drive 3 hours to the facility and have it done. The pre-op was simple. The worst part of that? Getting stuck in the arm one LAST time…
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how to deal with stress, anger and guilt as a caregiver
I feel angry about being a caregiver and that causes stress and quilt in me. i feel guilty as my mother has always been my rock, my safe port, and has always been there for me. I am so worried that somehow i will miss up the picc line with flushing, or cause an infection in her pleural catheter site, with the drains i do,…
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pain
good morning all, I am a 8 years cancer survivor dealing with pain. this pain doctor / clinic is just another money making scheme. for those of us that need the medicine we have to jump through hoops. yet I see all the time people are hospitalized from overdosing on fentanyl and heroin or meth. so they categorize Percocet…
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angry out bursts
I have found myself over reacting to really small things. I used to just let things roll off my back, now i find myself, having angry outbursts, and at times not realizing what i just said. it is as my ability to screen my thoughts has gone amuck,
