SharKats

Hello Diane, It's nice to "meet" - I just wish it could have been under better circumstances - like bumping into you at the mall during a super sale. This is a wonderful, caring and supportive group of people. I am currently battling recurrent extensive sclc and I can't tell you how much the encouragement and kindness I receive from these people mean to me. You will feel the same. God bless you!

Thanks very much to everyone that replied. And Doc Joe, I am glad you feel these are both good cancer fighting drugs and that using them in tandum is a good idea. I posted this question because I just don't want to die from taking these two chemos and was interested in knowing if anyone else had rec'd this particular "cocktail". Thanks again!

Mayfrog - Welcome Don!! So very glad you're here. Our earlier phone conversation meant a lot to me and gave me more resolve and determination, which I so needed. I'll be there at 10 AM, for my "pre-chmo teaching lesson" - whatever that means with a smile on my face. (Well, hopefully a smile on my face). The folks here are fantastic - their kindness, empathy and support often keep people going who are ready to quit, don't feel they they have the strength to go on fighting, or people suffering unbearable grief from the loss of a loved one. Your humor will be appreciated; I read where laughter is very, very good for cancer patients. It stimulates something in our brain (even our poor chemo stricken brains) that causes laughter to be in our favor. Anyway, WELCOME!!! PS. Becky, now I have to go put on either a longer top or some shorts - nudist colony............................

Thank you Karen - that's great news about your husband ! I hope he finishes treatment soon and you can get started on all the family fun you've been planning. They says you should always have something to look forward to - that it keeps you going. And Addie, thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Encouragement and support - what do cancer patients do without those crucial ingredients to help them through such a daunting and frightening illness as cancer? PS. Addie - I know you double-posted just so you could show off those 2 gorgeous dogs of yours twice.

Docjoe, Thank you for providing this info, that was very kind of you. I still have chemo brain left over from Jan - end of April so I didn't really comprehend all of it. So........... I just have one more question, would you let them administer this combo you you if you have recurrent sclc??

Glad to hear your Mom is doing better. It's very scary when you feel as if you can't get a decent breath. I also had more difficulty swallowing liquids than solids during/after radiation. I still occasionally have a problem and will have to give it a minute before the brain says it's ok to swallow. Wishing your Mom the best,

Well, I did a Google search and found some info on Camptosar - it is used for cancers of colon and rectum that have metastised. (spelling?) So why am I getting it? I went to the lung cancer section of the NCI web site - no mention of Camptosar/Taxol being used to treat recurrent small cell lung cancer. I called, the cancer specialist rep was unable to locate any mention of Camptosar (irinotecan) used in conjunction with Taxol. That made me feel somewhat less incompetent - even her boss couldn't find anything. I was in such a befuddled state Thursday when I got the news I forgot to ask any info about these 2 drugs - how much success they'd had - how long had this particular combo been used in smcl, etc. Hopefully I can find out some info Monday before this treatment starts Tuesday.

Thank you, more than I can say, for all of your comforting words and support. You're an incredible group of people who take their time to encourage some very discouraged people. As Tiny Tim would say: God bless us one and all. Thanks again!

I would defnitely have the black spot checked out as soon as possible. I'd like to know what they find - if you feel up to posting about it. Prayers and Blessings for your Dad

If this has been discussed before, please, I do apologize but I just wanted to hear how other people reacted to this combination of chemo? It really scares me.

Thank you everyone. I guess like someone said, it takes a few days to regroup. I feel like I went through the radiation for nothing - it sure didn't get rid of the tumor or keep it from beginning to grow again within 2-1/2 months. Hardly worth 5 weeks of radiation treatments. Joe, did you really mean that - or are you trying to encourage me and make me feel better? I hope you all are right and the fighting spirit and optimism does return because it's certainly not going to do any good to be pessimistic. (I can't spell as I'm sure you've noticed by now).

Well, as we all know, when we have scans and the onc wants to see us ASAP, it's not going to be good news. There are 4 "lesions" in my brain and the tumor on my right lung is growing again. Next Tuesday I begin my first round of Camptosar and Taxol. They said to plan on about 6 hours. I have to take Depo pills 2 days prior, 1 day prior, 12 hrs then 4 hrs then 1 hr prior to the chemo. Also will take good ole Zofram. I guess after 2 rounds they do scans and if no shrinkage you get to decide whether to continue - but I don't think there's much use in continuting if you haven't had any positive results after 2 rounds. I'll have to go back and check - I know some people that post here have had the 2nd tier small cell chemo. Or if you feel you just can't handle the chemo you can stop - and it evidently goes pretty fast from there. I am very frightened, sad and totally non-optimistic. I wasn't like this the first time around. I like to think I'm a fighter but maybe I used it all up the first time. Thanks again for your kind responses.

Thank you so much everyone. My appointment is at 3:00 CST. I'm glad my husband is going with me. My one sister is going to try to sneak off from work and join us. I think she likes to hear what my onc here in NW Houston says so she can run things by my 2nd opinion onc's nurse at Baylor College of Medicine. You are all so kind - I'm doing my best to think positive thoughts but also prepare for some really bad news. It's a delicate balance. Hugs, Shar

Had lung, abdomen and brain scans yesterday. Rec'd a phone call first thing this AM from my onc's nurse - they want me in the office ASAP to discuss some "changes" they found in my scan. Well, I guess all of us here know here that doesn't make for good news. So I'm asking you to keep me in your prayers. I've survived 9 months and that was a surprise to them so maybe that's all the time I was meant to have. Thanks everone. Shar

You would probably be at the banning stage. It's fun to laugh sometimes and post a silly thread or two. But you will "see" me refer to CRAFT moments often.

You're close Di - very, very close!

You're right!! I had forgotten about that!! Thank you so much for the reminder; I hate to post innacurate or non-applicable info.

Di Those are senior moments - not CRS's. I've also heard them referred to as CRAFT moments. Guess what that stands for???

Just passing along what my 2nd opinion onc told me. (He's the current acting chief of oncology of Baylor College of Medicine at the Medical Center in Houston). He said if it were him he would NOT do it and he did not recommend it for me. Since I have smlc and started out with superior vena cava and a huge tumor blocking my right airway, he feels when/if the cancer returned it will be tumor regrowth in my lung. He told me he did not feel the risks were worth the reward. He is highly respected and one of the onc's at my Cancer Center had him for a professor and she thinks he is absolutely wonderful. So..........

I'm going to start a thread about how many people's memories, cognitive abilities were altered by chemo? I swear my brain doesn't fire on all cylinders any longer and my memory - oh gosh, my memory. I only remembered it because of the facial flushing and hot feeling. I felt like I had a sunburn for the first time in many years. I didn't even need blush.

Hi Betty, I started feeling bad about 2 weeks after completing radiation; having trouble breathing, etc. Went to onc, she said radiation induced pneumonitis, gave me antibiotics and steriods. One week later felt worse. Went back and another onc sent me straight to the hospital. Had another bronoscopsy(?), various tests, etc. They found some form of TB and put me in isolation and started me on "TB meds" which sent my BP plummeting to the point I had to have sodium chloride IV to bring it up. (I'm a high BP person and have been for 24 years - I use to take 4 different meds to keep it in normal range). I was all set to go home when I got a 103 temp and they said I wasn't going anywhere. I ended up being there 2 weeks and left with a diagnosis of asthma, COPD and mild emphysema along with a lung infection, Micro-bacterial Avian something or other. It's a common contaminent that only affects people with bad lungs which I have. It also requires a year's worth of antibiotics to which I am allergic so we're just gonna watch and see if I have any problems - maybe I won't have to deal with it at all. Anyway, you definitely need to see your onc so he can closely monitor you until you're feeling better. I only had 25 radiation treatments - you had 6 more! Sure hope you are feeling much better very soon!!

Di, I love those photos of your cats!

They may be giving you steriods right before chemo and that causes a red face. I mentioned it when they started by 2nd round and the onc nurse told me that in addition to the anti-nausea meds they were also giving me a nice dose of steriod to help the anti-nausea meds work better. You might ask them if you're receiving the same. Mine went away within 24 hours.

Hello! Just wanted to say a quick hello to all you nice people. I just finished a 2 week hospital stay and am just feeling up to going through emails, etc. I finished my dreaded radiation 7/7/04 - and was doing fine, throat was healing when bam, had problems breathing, etc. My onc saw me for 2 minutes and said I had radiation-induced pneumonitis and put me on Levaqauin and steriods. I got worse - went back. Saw a different onc and he sent me straight to hospital, wouldn't even let me go home first even though I whined. I ended up with asthma, COPD, mild emphysema and some weird a-typical strain of TB - they're still waiting to find out the "DNA" of the bug. I now get to add an "infection disease doctor" to my list of specialists. For some reason, after fighting high BP for 24 years, my bp went so low they had to give me sodium chloride to bring it up a little so they took me off all my BP meds. That was (and is) weird. I've noticed my BP coming up since I got home so I'll probably be back on my meds again soon. I had another bronscopy(?) which showed the 4 little "growths" on my right lung that had been there since day one were not maligent. (I can't spell). I didn't think they were since everything else shrunk w/chemo but they wanted to make sure. Lung cat scan showed NED - so if I can get some wind back, I'll feel pretty darn lucky. The shortness of breath is very frustrating as I can't do or talk much. Those TB meds they had me on messed up my red and white cell counts so maybe that's causing some of the SOB. It sure takes a while to catch up with everyone and everything after being gone for so long - I am so happy to see so many of the same people here, posting and giving their continued support and caring. (I cried a lot about Mo though). God bless each and everyone of you - and I hope to stay out of the hospital and get back to my normal schedule.

Thank you so much for your responses. My onc wants me to now have catcan w/contrast and another regular chest x=-ray. She did ask me on my first visit about feeling so bad if I wanted to go to the hospital. Of course I said no. I have finished the Levaquin and the steriods but I don't see any improvement. I had dreaded having radiation = but.................... I'm worried about the fibrosus. All the info I've read said it developed weeks sometimes months after. Mine visited in 3 days. Thanks again, this is very nerve-wracking and I know all of you know that feeling.