| Blog for a Cure - A community of cancer survivors supporting each other. | Log in |
|
|
sue123's Cancer BlogNovember 8, 2008
does anyone know anything about Gaile? I havent seen her here and am worried about her.
Here we are at the end of another week. This one went a bit slower for me as I didn’t feel very well after my treatment for 2 days. When you feel good you forget all about how you had felt before while being on chemo therapy. I am lucky that there are these treatments for me, but sometimes they can really beat you up. I stayed on the couch for 2 days and I am (still) slightly feeling side effects at the moment. Go away side effects! If anyone out there has any help for me following a type2 diabetes diet please let me know. I recently had to go on some medication to help with my sugar levels, even though I follow the diet perfectly! I do have ’steroid induced’ type2 so I suppose this might be a major reason that I am having problems…? It looks as though winter in slowly moving in even though we had 70′ and higher this week for a few days! Today it is gloomy–cloudy–sprinkling rain–a good day to just sit back and read a good book or catch up on some needed sleep. I joined facebook this week with my relatives. I had never heard of it! What a great way to catch up with family and friends, without having to email! If interested just go to facebook.com and check it out. I am off now to finish up dinner–smells good simmering in the oven.. Be well my friends.. time is flying.. It is fall and all the beautiful leaves are colorful and dropping on the ground. Fall is so pretty here, but it does remind us all what follows. Yup, that white stuff. Amanda and I had lunch and went shopping this week. I had a really great time with my favorite daughter in law! We shopped at Kohl’s, one of my favorite places to go. I just had to buy a few things for her to wear with her belly finally popping out! She looks so good pregnant! Did I tell you all that she is having a girl?? Yup, we are getting our girl! We are all elated! Her name is Isabella! I can’t wait to see our very first granddaughter! I had a nice little break off chemo and now I am back on. I had my second treatment this week. I go every week for it. I am doing pretty well on this one. Hope this holds true as time goes on. Chemo does make me very fatigued though and I hate that. As the week goes on I start getting my energy back and then it is time for another treatment… Oh and Bill and I even went to Pa. to visit relatives! It was a perfect weekend visiting with my cousins and their families and my favorite Aunt! We hadn’t been there in a very long time because of my treatments and me not being able to go that far from home–but with my chemo break we were also able to do this which made me very, very happy! Our boys and Amanda will be here for breakfast on Sunday. Brett and Amanda bring their little doggie with them. His name is Jango, and Jango thinks this is his second home! He has so much fun playing with everyone and going for short walks in our backyard! Jango is a tiny yorkie and ummm…something else but I forgot, but he is adorable! My friends and I went to another luncheon since I have been on here, and afterwards we all went to TJMaxx and shopped. I was feeling well because I was on my chemo break. We had fun, fun! I love my friends and spending time with them when I can! Nothing like going out to eat and then shopping together! Heheee Be well all…and drop a line here… I put 2 post’s up…top one is more current. Sue Sue, Sue, type 2 is a hard one especially with the steroid I am in the same boat. It helps eating high protein diet the day of and after. I also believe my acupuncture treatments help stress and lack of sleep all play into it, and the acupuncture really helps with that. My sugar is only high the day after my treatments I have been a dietetic for years now even before I had the cancer. Keep some raw almonds around and have a handful through out your day. The fat in the almonds helps even out the sugars.. Let me know how that works for you. thx Cheryl and Joyce for your help. I do munch on nuts during the day too, and it does curve my carb cravings! I havent had even a piece of bread in 2 months, and no sugars or other carbs. Levels are still running 150-165 after 2 hour fastings. I guess I am going to have to go on 2 pills a day instead of one to help me more. I am taking Metformin. Thx again!
October 1, 2008
Has anyone been on Eritux? If so can you tell me about your experience—symtoms, results, how long on it etc? Were you on it alone or with a chemo therapy drug too? Id appreciate it, my Dr. wants me to go on it…Thx, Sue Sue I haven’t been on that drug but I will check around to see if there is anyone who has… Hi Sue; No I haven’t heard of it either but I always find going to GOOGLE will take you to sites where people blog their thoughts on varying drugs. Sue: here is a site to go to regarding the drug you were talking about http://erbitux.com/erbitux/erb/home/index.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&channelId=-88553 I hope this helps ..If I find any other information I will post it. Good luck Sue, I am always thinking of you in your battle. You are one brave and wonderful gal. Sue; Here is another website. http://health.nytimes.com/gst/health/healthsearch.html?term=erbitux&x=12&y=14# Weezie Hi Sue, I am new to this blog. However, I have read many of the blogs over the past year and I appreciate everyones posts. It really helped me in hard times. My husband has stage 4 colon cancer with mets to the liver diagnosed Oct. 2007. His first chemo treatment was Erbitux, Oxalyplatin and Xeloda for 8 weeks. The plan was for 3-4 months but this regiment worked great on getting rid of the cancer. My husband got a rash (like pimples) all over his face and chest. We got cream from the doctor to control the rash. Some say if you get the rash that it’s a good sign. The Erbitux really shrunk his tumor so that he could do surgery sooner. My husband was to take Erbitux again after surgery but was tested for the K ras gene to see if Erbitux would still work but tumor mutated. So the erbitux won’t work for us any longer. My husband felt like Erbitux did the most to rid cancer compare to the others. Read about all the side effects but it can really work well. Good Luck! I have heard of that stuff it comes imclone and costs 30000 thousand dollars a month It is the company that got Martha Stewart in trouble. testing again I’ve learned my lesson to sign in. The last time I wrote a novel, I lost the whole thing. Anyway, I took Erbitux w/ the Oxciliplatin and 5FU from Dec to June ‘08 (6 mos of hell) for my stage 3 c colon cancer diagnosis. I have my 1 yr colonoscopy recheck in a few weeks. Trying not to think about it. I had qualified for a drug study which one ‘arm’ included the erbitux. Usually it’s only covered for metastatic cancers. I was included in the trial because my sigmoid colon tumor fit the bill by 1 cm. Way to go tumor! yay! (ha ha) And so if your Dr says let’s start this, I would not say no. Onc. felt it would give me an extra 10-15% boost on my survival rate. WHOO HOO! (but it least it’s SOMETHING) Now I’d get the basic steroid and antinausea drug first, then the Erbitux by itself for the 30-40 min (in the beginning, I’d have to wait 1 hr in between…agony to have “more time” to sit at the “cancer center”) but then they realized that no one was having an allergic reaction after their 1st dose. I rememeber back (and I did make notes, but one couldn’t pay me to revisit that book right now…if not ever) to the evening or 2 after my 1st and 2nd dose and I called my Dr crying because I felt like I had a bad sunburn on my face and lips. The hotness feeling continued, but waxed and waned. The white pimple like spots started to crop up like wildfire on my nose and there was no stopping it. Then my chin, then my cheeks, and all over my face. I tried Clindomycin (sp? which was too drying), Triminacolone cream (beware, steriod cream takes redness away but is like fertilizer to acne), Elidel (studies have shown can cause cancer! ha! and cream seemed to only feel soothing), and then the Derm. gave me something for Rosacia. The rash was localized to my face. I am 35 and never had acne. So that was fun. Now I have blotchy scaring and it’s just going away, 4 mos. post chemo. The weirdest part about Erbitux was the curling of the eyelashes, eyebrows looked thicker, and not sure if it was from the chemo knocking out my fertity at the time or from the steroid face cream, but I developed fine hairs on my cheeks. It’s gone now. (not really noticable though) My eyelashes are still funky when applying mascara. Most of them would grow super long but straight. My eye dr had to pull some out as they’d start to grow towards my eyes. On one occassion towards the end of chemo, I must have pulled (w/ tweezers) about 15 defunct eyelashes per eye. Strange. I’ll check in more often, especially after my colonoscopy. I am rarely on this board (busy w/ 3 little ones) and I must run now! PS—major symptom w/ chemo was and is the neuropathy (fingers, hands, feet, ankles) i wrote in on this a few weeks ago i also want a t-shirt (especially a SURVIVOR one) any idea on where to find this? thanks Sue I will ask my Dr. about Eritux right now I am on Taxatere 3 weeks on 1 week off. Good luck with your treatment. Your in my prayers Hi Sue,
|
|
|
Sue,
Gaile posted a comment to Kellye on November 7, 2008. Why don’t you try leaving a comment to Gaile on the last post she did.
Hugs,
Joyce In NC
Sue—
I just checked out your blog for the first time. You haven’t posted in awhile and I hope that you are doing okay. I joined this forum in November after undergoing treatment for anal cancer. I have had several friends who have had colon cancer, so I am interested in the blogs from your group too.
I wanted to tell you that that is one great looking ‘63 Vette! I know it’s a ‘63 because I am very much into the C2’s and have done my homework! My husband and I own a ‘67 convertible and it’s our baby.
From one “Vette girl” to another, here’s hoping that you are feeling well. Take care.
Martha