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16 years 6 months ago #8054 by emom
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See what I get for projecting??? I didn't get the treatment today. The oncologist felt we have to wait the full four weeks after the last combo. My cells and platelets were barely up to normal and he thought it would just be better to let my blood recover another week. So, another week off. Good for me in that I feel like I have a reprieve from purgatory....but....just till next week! Otherwise, I feel great!

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16 years 6 months ago #8033 by emom
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I loved your chemo journal and found myself going "oh, me too". I am so glad to find someone who could really verify some of the effects that the oncology team never told me about. I am starting my fifth cycle tomorrow and have cleared my calendar for about seven days. it takes me about that long to make it thru the cisplatin. The gemzar doesn't make me feel that bad, but it raises heck with my blood! I had to skip treatment last week because the platelets were too low. We've finally kept the whites up with neupogen, but then last week the platelts acted up! So here's hoping tomorrow is good on all fronts and I can get the treatment and get it over with!

I hope I am as lucky as you....I certainly expect to!!! I won't have it any other way!!!!! Can you tell I am a control freak????

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16 years 6 months ago #7937 by Zachary
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If you click on the "Standing on my head" part of my signature you can read my entire chemo journal, including the part about missing treatments. I lost not only all my hair (even my chest hair), but I only had to shave every few days--that part wasn't so bad. Yes, I had cisplatin and gemzar.

My abdominal swelling is entirely the fault of my wife's delicious cooking. The chemo had nothing to do with it.... :)

"Standing on my Head"---my chemo journal
T3a Grade 4 N+M0
RC at USC/Norris June 23, 2006 by Dr. John Stein

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16 years 6 months ago #7936 by emom
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Thanks, Zach! How long have you been off the chemo??? My hair started to fall out about the third treatment so I shaved it and then shaved it again about a month later...now it has stopped falling out and is growing back...did yours stop falling out while you were still going thru chemo???? Did you have the cisplatin/gemzar???
I have a lot of swelling in my right leg only and in my abdomen. It seems to get less with each cycle in the leg...I don't notice a lot of reduction in my abdomen. But my lymph nodes are only down about 2 cm from 8 cm so still at 6. I suspect that is why my abdomen is still swollen. I have geard that swelling is typical with this type of chemo...is that your experience???

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16 years 6 months ago #7917 by Zachary
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I was very concerned about this as well, since I missed several treatments due to blood tests that didn't quite make the cut.

My oncologist assured me that missed treatments are factored into the chemo equation.

By the way, as soon as the chemo ended I started feeling better almost immediately. Go thou and do likewise.

Zach

"Standing on my Head"---my chemo journal
T3a Grade 4 N+M0
RC at USC/Norris June 23, 2006 by Dr. John Stein

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16 years 6 months ago #7915 by emom
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Thanks to all of you. We are back from the services. I was due to have the third gemzar of my fourth cycle yesterday. I have been taking preventative amts of the neupogen. Well, the whites were okay but yesterday the platelets were too low to have the treatment. That is two treatments I have totally missed either for the low white cells or the low platelets. And two were cut to 50%...all gemzar. What do think about all these reduced or missed chemos...do they affect success of the chemo??? None have been made up. Next week I am scheduled to have the combo (1/4 )of my fifth cycle. I'll also see the oncologist. My oncologist told me that if I get to 60% reduction after the six cycles that would probably be about where they can get me. If it's over that, they might try another cycle or two to see if they can get me further.

My question is -do all of these missed and reduced treatments warrant additional cycles just because I haven't had the full 100% treatment??? Anyone experience this???

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