MJ Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 hi everyone, i was wondering how long it took before you noticed hair loss. my mom is half done with her treatments. she has lost a lot of weight during the last few weeks. any suggestions with that? geoff recommended prosure, and i ordered a case yesterday (thanks again, geoff). my mom's sleeping most of the time (which i heard was common --> fatigue), but she says that she has no pain, just a little dizziness (can't tell if it is from the brain mets, steroids, or due to the loss of weight though). also, i was wondering for those that have taken/are taking iressa -- how long did it take to see results? my mom's been on it for almost two weeks now, and her onco said that results usually show within a month or so. the lovely face rash just started to make its appearance this week though. any suggestions to help with that? and for those that had trouble with iressa (i know that your mom, andrea, did and becky) -- how long did it take for those symptoms to show up? thanks all in advance for your knowledge. i'd be lost without it! God bless, mj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAnn Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 mj, Although I can't help you with the wbr questions, hopefully I can help you w/the Iressa questions. My dr. did a ct scan 2 months after I started Iressa and it already showed some slight improvement at that time. I'm getting ready to have my 2nd ct scan since starting Iressa in May and am hoping for the same good news. There is an ointment that my dr. prescribed in case I got the bad rash, (which I luckily have not) that is supposed to really help. Talk to your onc. about this as I can't remember the name of it....sorry . Hoping your mom has minimal side effects from the Iressa and it works for her. TAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJAS Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 Steve's hair, which had just started coming back, all fell out one day (except for the two small spots on the back of his head - still working on that rattail!) probably during the first 1/3 of his WBR. The fatigue was overwhelming during most of the treatment - much more so than with his previous chemo and radiation. Face rash started a couple of weeks after the Iressa and is now making its way to his chest (1 1/2 months of tx), but he got some soap from the acupuncturist (who is also a PhD in Chinese medicine) which seems to help. It's not gone, but much better than it was. Sorry, don't have a clue what it is, but it's pretty drying. Things probably will be getting harder the closer to the end of WBR, but just tell your mom to keep focused on the fact that she's almost through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 MJ was wondering how long it took before you noticed hair loss. my mom is half done with her treatments. ///////////////// My wife had a whole head of hair and eyebrows throughout WBR. It all suddenly fell out in just a few days time starting a week or so after completing WBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted September 2, 2004 Author Share Posted September 2, 2004 hi everyone, thanks for the info. i know that my mom will lose her hair due to the treatments, but i was just wondering what to expect. bill and joyce - how are your spouses doing now that the wbr treatment is over? i have heard from joyce a few times. also, i was wondering how long the docs waited to have another ct and/or mri of the brain after treatments. thanks once again. God bless, mj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 MJ bill and joyce - how are your spouses doing now that the wbr treatment is over? i have heard from joyce a few times. also, i was wondering how long the docs waited to have another ct and/or mri of the brain after treatments. //////////////////// My wife just had CT scans of her brain, chest, abdomen & pelvis. MRIs of the brain and spine were done in late June and will be repeated later this month. Her current bright spot is the brain and spine. Based on the June MRI results and these latest CT scan results there is net improvement in her brain and spine thanks to the spine surgeries, radiation of the spine and WBR. Unfortunately, her lung results are worse than May. She now has " numerous " nodules in BOTH lungs. In May the right lung was clear. The abdomen / pelvis results were basicly unchanged from May EXCEPT there is now a spot on her liver. Unfortunately, they can't get a good look at it as it's partially blocked by one of the metal plates in her spine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tariqari Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 what is wbr? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnyde Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 whole brain radiation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlrose Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 Wayne's hair fell out after 7-8 WBR treatments. He finished June 17th and his hair still has not grown back. I've heard that some people never get their hair back. It wouldn't be so bad since he's a man except for the large scar he has from his brain surgery. (I don't think it's that bad) He feels like he would offend people if he didn't wear a cap in public. As a result, he doesn't go anyplace that he can't wear a cap, such as church, fancy restaurants, etc. He was very tired during his treatments and the last 2 weeks of WBR he was also having lung radiation. He was never in bed and was always able to drive himself to his treatments. The main complaint he has now is that he thinks his taste buds were damaged with the radiation and now most everything he eats has no taste or a bad taste. As a result, even though he was able to gain about 4-6 lbs. during raditation, since he's finished the treatments, he has lost about 15 lbs. Roanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 rlrose He finished June 17th ... The main complaint he has now is that he thinks his taste buds were damaged with the radiation and now most everything he eats has no taste or a bad taste. ////////////////// My wife experienced diminshed or loss of taste during the latter part of her WBR treatment. The radiation oncologist assured her that this symptom was common and transitory. Sure enough, within a few days after completing her WBR / spine radiation her taste returned to normal. You should get this checked out further if this symptom is still present since completing WBR on June 17th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJAS Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 Hi Gang, Sorry it took me so long to get back to the computer (working ugly hours and then have to fight two teenagers for computer time ) Steve is doing well right now on the Iressa. Fatigue is still an issue, but not sure how much is from the Iressa, or if its just that he lost so much ground with the WBR. His first MRI was about 2 mo. after completion of WBR. Steve also had a flare up of systemic cancer after the WBR (he had been clear going into WBR) so had to go back into another chemo two weeks after the MRI. He never seemed to have the taste problem with the WBR. As for return of the hair, well ----. It's been six months and there is just getting to be visible hair, except for his cute little "rattail" which actually is probably an inch long! It survived WBR, wouldn't seem right to cut it now . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.