No chemo for me again this week

[JudeD59]

Went in for my appt today. Doc asked how I felt about trying Folfox one more time but at a lowered dose and then if my side effects were as severe, we would go to 5FU only for the last six treatments. I agreed to try it. I was still running a slight fever when I got to his office but he said as long as it didn't go above 101, it was okay. I asked about coming in on Friday to have my pump removed instead of having a home nurse remove it and getting fluids at that time. He said that was an excellent idea and he wanted me scheduled for fluids next Tuesday and Thursday as well. So I set all that up with the scheduling department and then went in for my infusion.

It took them about a half hour to get blood. Wouldn't come out so they shot heparin in, still wouldn't come out, shot in some other drug and finally got good blood draw. Came back a few minutes later to say my WBC is still 2.5 and they weren't going to give me chemo today. Going to try again next Wednesday and see if count is improved by then.

Oh well.

Judy

[cathy123]

So sorry Judy. Have you been feeling better (other than the fever?). i hope next week is better for you. I am sure it is tempting to just say forget it. Meanwhile find something fun to do this week.

[Sams wife]

WbC means no immune system. Right?
RBC means you need to get blood?

I was about to reply to your fever post. Hubby has a 99 fever at least 2 days a week. We have antibiotics here just in case. Doc said it would happen on weekend or night time. We need some here. I hope your doc is on top of it. Hubby's just on 5 FU tho. No experience or wisdom here.

I think you should do something fun too. Just not in a really public place.
My Christmas tree isn't up yet so maybe we can do that for fun? Hope you get some rest being hydrated. Hopefully they keep you coming in for it.

[Rstarrg]

Thinking about you Ms Judy!

[Lydia666]

I'm glad you are getting a break , Judy! Looking forward to your updates.

[Lydia666]

I wanted to add that i saw my onc today and I asked again how come she gave me only Xeloda when in fact the goal is to kill a stray cell either way, and she said : we are not killing a fly with a bazooka . So if you have to switch to 5fu only, rest assured that in Canada that's what you would've gotten anyway.

[JAZZToo]

Judy
Have you had any Neupogen injections? When I had very low counts I was given Neupogen which is faster acting than Neulasta. If you get either of them be sure to take Claritin to prevent/lessen any aches and pains from the injection.
Leslie

[DarknessEmbraced]

I hope your counts go up and that you can get your chemo next week!*hugs*

[JudeD59]

Judy
Have you had any Neupogen injections? When I had very low counts I was given Neupogen which is faster acting than Neulasta. If you get either of them be sure to take Claritin to prevent/lessen any aches and pains from the injection.
Leslie

Not yet. I think they are giving it one more week to see if it comes back up naturally. He hasn't mentioned any injections yet. Thanks for the advice.

Judy

[hopeful]

I remember several times when my husband's chemo was delayed, especially toward the end of his treatments. He got injections several times for low white count, I forget what the name was. I was sometimes surprised how quickly they bounced back. He never had any bad reactions to them. His were also delayed a couple times for low red cell count. They just went back up on there own after delaying.

[fwang910]

Hi Judy,

Have a good rest till you have the next treatment, one day at a time. I know how it feels, though I only had 5-Fu before surgery.
I'm having Folfox + Avastin from Monday 14th Dec onwards. Thanks for your great feedback on this bloody healing juice!!!

Let's fight against it all together!

Leo

[JudeD59]

Thanks, everyone! I'm hanging in there. I can't seem to get my strength back up and even though the chemo was three weeks and two days ago and the diarrhea stopped two weeks ago, and I've been in for IV fluids 3 or 4 times (I lost count), I'm still feeling pretty lousy. I'm drinking Smart Water, Ensure, and occasionally some cranberry juice or ginger ale, but I think I'll have to go in for fluids again. I always have a 24 oz cup of Smart Water by me and I finish 3 of them a day plus two Ensures, but I think I'm still dehydrated. I'm just not peeing very much compared to how much I'm drinking and the dizziness and weak voice keep coming back. I do still have a slight fever so that is probably burning off some fluids and the surgeon said that I seem to one of those people who will always be slightly dehydrated as long as I have my ileostomy. Some days are better than others, but no days are very good. I get up and putter around for 10-15 minutes and then have to sit or lay down for awhile before I can try again. I'm starting to worry that I'm not going to be able to tolerate chemo and they'll decide to just stop it and have me take my chances with recurrence. I know I should take it one day at a time and not worry about what might be until I see the onc again on Wednesday, but I'm a worrier by nature, so of course my mind can't think about anything else.

After pooping both into the bag and out the backside for a month after surgery, that stopped and I just occasionally passed a bit of mucus. Suddenly one day last week, I pooped the old-fashioned way again. Not just mucus, but a normal bowel movement. I told my onc in response to some question he asked and he said, "Really? That's very unusual." You'd think he'd be used to my body doing unusual things by now, but I guess not.

Thank goodness for online shopping or I wouldn't have any gifts for anyone! Luckily, wrapping gifts is something I can do sitting down so I am getting that done. And my daughters will help me decorate the house and make the cookies. We'll try to make it as festive a Christmas as possible under the circumstances.

Lydia, I think they are using the "bazooka" to try to kill the "fly" because of my high CEA numbers pre-surgery. They told me because of those numbers, they were going to be aggressive in my treatment. But thanks for letting me know about your treatment. That makes me feel better if I do have to switch to just xeloda.

I hope you all are doing well and have a wonderful holiday season. I'll let you know if I do go back in for more IV fluids and of course I'll let you know if I am able to have my infusion on Wednesday.

Thankful for all the support and sending hugs to all of you.

Judy