I am still constipated but do manage one " Excavation" weekly. It's either like Niagra Falls or an Elephant came thru my bathroom. I sometime think this is the thing that causes me the most worries. What we need is poop proof pain pills. LOL

For the constipated in the group - I have to share... Try taking live refridgerated probiotics - I buy a 60 pill bottle for $20 and take 1 a day. They keep a person VERY REGULAR!!! Ask your doctor first - of course but I swear they are awesome!

Hi,
I have been doing really well both Monday and Tuesday. I really think it was the steroids that put me there, but I don't know. I will mention it to the MO.

I walked a good deal yesterday, and that was beneficial to me, in terms of attitude and getting the plumbing going. I am leaving early for my afternoon appointment today and plan to do the same thing.

I am eating ok right now, I am not on any pain meds, and was not last week either. At MD Anderson, they have booklets they give you that go over all the allowed and not allowed over the counter remedies, etc. Like the teacher I am (hate to mention that for you that might not like teachers, I used to think I would never be one, but my subject is music so a little different) I have tried to stick to that. Of course they don't mention every possible med or remedy one might try. I have an opportunity to ask about some of that today.

I appreciate everyone's concern and realize there will be other trying times like last weekend. You really did help me just knowing you were out there.

Thanks, friends.
Anne

Hi Anne

Just a note on the walking: Last year when I was looking for statistics to scare the crap out of Alex who was struggling with quitting smoking, I came across an article by Dr A Chen who reported in his trial the 5 year survival rate of those who continued to smoke through radiation was less than half that of those who gave it away (I'm getting to the point, don't worry).

According to Dr Chen, radiation requires good oxygenation to produce the free radicals which target cancer cells. Walking ensures good oyygenation. This means walking helps radiation to kill cancer!! Link to article below.

Isn't it nice to know you can actually do something to help your treatment? Alex also walked at least 1km every day to pick up or drop off the car to my work and it became an important thing for him to maintain his sense of purpose, since eating and working was a dim memory. It has become part of his daily routine to meet me for coffee, regardless of his car needs (until tomorrow when he restarts work after nearly 12 months - hooray).

Re the steroids: I have never been sure if they were given to stop a reaction (like an allergic reaction) or as an anti-nauseant as they do both. Either way, I am sure the doctors can substitute something else. When Alex went through his triple therapy chemo alone, he took steroids the day before and continued for 2 days after (oral and IV). When he was doing chemo/radiation, he was given it IV only on the day. This makes me think it was for reactions during chemo and for nausea during chemo/radiation. I could be completely off base though ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100427171847.htm

Karen,
Thanks for a great post. It is empowering to think we could actually be doing something to make our treatment work better!
You are right about walking giving us purpose--and control. It makes us feel better about ourselves.

Thanks for the thoughts on the steroids. I will be discussing them with the doctor Friday.
Anne

Dear Anne: I am sorry to hear all this. I start radiation and chemo (cisplatin) next week. Today I met with a nurse to go over the side effects and everything your saying is what she told me would happen. We can do this, though; we can do this. Hang in there. -Michelle

Ativan is not powerful enough to quell the nausea from Cisplatin. They have SSRI type anti-nausea drugs (such as Zofran or Emend) that switch off the nausea center in the brain (well, most of the time anyway). Cisplatin also does a number on the GI tract, in general, so industrial strength antacids will be required as well, Famatodine (Pepcid AC), etc.

When I was getting Cisplatin I was nauseated most of the time until just before the next infusion and then it was exponentially worse. We all respond differently, however, so your experience might not be as bad.

You MUST drink lots of water daily during chemotherapy to protect your kidneys from damage, 2 liters/day I believe. Stay hydrated - it will also help mitigate the constipation issues.

As you are finding out this is no walk in the park but you can get through this - take it one day at a time.

Jim - TOO much information ;-)

Gary and I had the 3 big bag method of Cisplatin as it used to be the ONLY delivery method and I also had nausea that wouldn't quit but some are now being given 6 smaller weekly doses and most have not reported uncontrollable nausea issues. Bear in mind that there are NO studies indicating if this method is as effective as the "gold standard" 3 big bag method.

Hi Anne,

Thinking of you. Happy to read the good report from 2 days ago.

I'm trying to get home from Utah and that may be a little difficult due to the East Coast snow storm yesterday.

Keep the good news coming.

Jerry,
It has been a fairly easy week. I am taking Nexium, Ativan (limited amount), and I will have another cisplatin treatment tomorrow. They will give me steroids (maybe & probably) again,
and Zofran IV. This really does minimize nausea although I will surely be wired again. I also have at home prescriptions of Zofran and their MD Anderson cocktail of ativan, benadryl, and haldol, which really did work with the Zofran already in my system.

I guess I may be lucky in having cisplatin in smaller doses for 6 weeks, had not thought of it that way before. I talked with a year out patient who had the 3 dose method for a longer infusion time, so I know they use both methods. Perhaps it depends upon the patient's particular situation? He told me he did not have surgery first, which I did. Our situations differed in other ways as well. I do not know who had a more advantageous one, they were just different.

This is hard stuff, making decisions on doctors and their proposed treatments, but once you've made those decisions, hopefully you trust them, which I do. I know the docs here discuss their treatment plans with each other before they come to the final one.

Anne