Update on my husband Mike

[cherylh]

Hello Everyone,

I haven't updated everyone in a while so thought I had better get to it. First of all, we had a very nice Thanksgiving. My daughter Jennifer and her husband Eric were here visiting from Denver, the weather was good and Mike was having a GOOD week. So all in all it was a very good week.

On Thursday, November 30th, Mike had his third chemo treatment which was his first treatment in Hannibal, MO. I thought everything went well. Mike and I both really like Dr. Bari, the facility was very nice and so were the nurses. They had his chemo port accessed with in 30 seconds. (The last chemo in Columbia, MO they tried for over an hour and never did access the port so they had to put an IV in his arm for the chemo.) Mike is very tired, has alot of aches and pains and he is still having trouble with the blood clot that showed up last month. The after effects of the chemo have been much more sever this time, including the nausea. They added a new drug called Zometa to help guard against bone deterioration due to the cancer and the chemo treatments. He also ended up with a rash this time so maybe we will have to do without the Zometa. Anyway, considering how bad he feels at times, I think he has a good outlook on things and a good attitude. Dr. Bari has been more encouraging than the Dr.s in Columbia and he was able to talk to some encouraging people during chemo Thursday. If all goes well his next treatment will be December 21. Sometime after that treatment he will have another scan to see how things are going.

As always, I am so glad I found this web site.

Cheryl

[cindi o'h]

Hi Cheryl,

Glad that your Thanksgiving was a good one and that Mike is chugging along with his treatments. It isn't uncommon for people to get just a little more "wore out" with each add'l treatment... (hate to be a spoil sport, just so you know why he seems to feeling a bit cruddier.)

Thanks for the update. Will be saying prayers that you will have more good days ahead of you and no more interferences with treatments.

Cindi o'h

[marym]

Happy the Holiday worked out well for all. Chemo can get a little progressively worse - but nausea chouls easily be treated with a pill. I got in the habit of taking a pill day 3 in the morning. Then I never got to nausea. Tiredness can only be remedied by rest - and the compazine that I took for the nausea, makes you sleep, so it worked out well.

I also take Zometa and on occaision find it causes achiness. Not always though. It is supposed be good for the bones and the ache demonstartes it's working.

Hope you can find the right mix to make even the chemo time comfortable.

Mary

[Welthy]

Hi Cheryl,

Thanks for the update and sorry it's getting bumpier for Mike. Tony was also on that combo for 8 cycles and the others are right, it does tend to wear you down more each time, but it does a GOOD job killing the cancer.

I don't know what Mike is taking for nausea, but make sure he's on something stronger than compazine if he is feeling that cruddy. Call the Doc. There is Kytril and also something that starts with a Z for nausea. Tony hasn't had problems with nausea, but he takes his first dose about 6 hours after the "goodie bag" with the steroids, benedryl, and kytril at the Onc's office. He continues taking the compazine for 3 days.

Again so sorry he's in the midst of chemoland, but glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. I so treasure those "good times".

Welthy

[Don Wood]

I noticed that the next chemo is Dec. 21. You may want to defer that until after Christmas so he feels better at Christmas. We did that each time Lucie's next chemo was just before a holiday. A few more days shouldn't make a big difference, and he might enjoy the holidays better. We found that you have to remind doctors about this -- they don't automatically think about it. Don

[Suzie Q]

There is Kytril and also something that starts with a Z for nausea.

Could it be Zofran?