5FU pump

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
Pita
Posts: 637
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: So Calif

Re: 5FU pump

Postby Pita » Sun Oct 02, 2016 2:47 am

My pump is like a cassette also and in a fanny pak. Doesn't bother me, I hear the click once in a great while when it's disbursing, but it's not annoying at all. What is annoying is my cat, guess he hears it really well because I have to hide it when I'm sitting on the couch, he hears it click or whatever and tries to chew on the line. smh I don't let him sleep with me afraid he'll chew it when I'm sleeping. Thinks he's a dog :roll:
70yo Fem DX: 1/21/2016 RC Stage IV-Nodules lungs
MSS-Kras Wild-Lynch Synd Neg-Lung Biopsy 1/27/16-Port 2/19/16
MRI 7/7/16 Endometrial polyp found, watching LAR 7/19/16, No Ileostomy, Stage ypT3 N1
CT 11/7/16: Most mets stable,1 shrunk,1 new??
CEA Tests: 1/21/16=20, 12/22/16=5.3, 1/20/17=4.8, 2/15/17=6.2
9/20/16-1/24/17 Folfuri & Avastin
#10/10 Done
PET/CT 2/10/16-1/31/17=Some shrunk & growth to 2, Avastin failing ??? :evil:
2/21/17 Folfuri & Avastin

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: 5FU pump

Postby Caat55 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 7:01 pm

I am very late to this conversation but I have to decide by tomorrow whether to do xeloda or the pump. I would love to be able to work with it but doubt it as I am a therapist. I have been told the side effects are less. Please give me some insight.

Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

lovelife789
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:28 am

Re: 5FU pump

Postby lovelife789 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:40 pm

Hi Caat55,

I tried both.

Xeloda didn't really work for me, I agree with what some of the folks here said, Xeloda in some cases does give people more GI problems. After doing 6 rounds of FOLFOX in hospital (3 days 2 nights every time), I was very determined to try Xeloda for its convenience, so I could go back to work. But nope, it didn't happen like that. I had stomach pain and experienced intense nausea when I started Xeloda (and I have a strong stomach). Eventually, nausea developed into really vomiting my meals everyday. I had a good few days not knowing whether the pills came out with the meal I puked or not. Lost 5kg in 10 days, wasn't fun. And this is just me, I have seen a lot of people here doing Xeloda just fine.

So I went back to doing FOLFOX but with a fanny pack, I had the bottle shaped one with a balloon inside. It wasn't an issue at all, I have the port in so it was extra easy. No noise at all, which is what concerned me at first, but later on I found out with the bottle shaped one, there's no noise...

Good luck!
F/38 - Dx 8 Mar 17, CEA 189.5
Stage IV Sig. Colon, Liver mets, T3N0M1a, KRAS NRAS Wild
3/17- 6/17 - 6 x FOLFOX + Erbitux
7/17 - 1st & 2nd Liver resec
9-12/17' - 13 x FOLFOX
1-6/18 - NED
6/18 - PET SCAN showed a 0.8mm lung nodule, VATs
8/18 - 4/19 - NED
5/19 - recurrence 1 x PALN, 1x common iliac
FOLFIRI + Avastin x 12 - complete response, SBRT
12/19-5/20 - NED
5/20 - recurrence in LNs, tiny liver spots x 2, W n W due to COVID
8/20 - LNs very slightly increased, liver stable, one new liver spot

CAGirl
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 4:55 pm

Re: 5FU pump

Postby CAGirl » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:46 pm

I did the pump with the fanny pack and port, also. Though I stayed home during my connected days, I could see having been able to disguise it well in public. My oncologist had said with my history of Crohn's, I shouldn't risk the GI side effects of Xeloda. I was very squeamish about the port and needle-thing at first (whereas pills seem SOOO easy), but it became routine and really quite bearable.
Dx 2/2017, age 45, 2 kids: 6 yrs & 3 yrs
History of Crohn's disease - dx in 1997; in remission, thus no colonoscopy in over 10 years
Anemia dx 11/16: GI doc assured me "the likelihood of colon cancer" was "very low".
Stage 3C - T3N2b
8/64 lymph nodes; clear margins surgery 3/17
12 cycles of Folfox 4/17-9/17
3-month CT scan midway through chemo, no changes
2-3-mo CT scan post chemo 11/17 slightly larger lung nod (incr. from 7mm to 8 or 9mm)
CT scan 3/18 - NED
clear CT scan 1/2019 NED

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: 5FU pump

Postby Caat55 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:24 pm

Did you disconnect it at home or have to go back to hospital? I am about 40 minutes away from hospital, would rather do it at home if possible. I have home health authorized for stoma training maybe they could disconnect? Which days were the worst?
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

CAGirl
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 4:55 pm

Re: 5FU pump

Postby CAGirl » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:42 pm

40 minutes -- yikes! I did it at the hospital/infusion center. Only 10-15 minutes away. Another good thing about that is I got IV fluids every day after disconnect. I think 1 liter each time. Made a huge difference with managing side effects (nausea!), which usually hit worst day after disconnect.
Dx 2/2017, age 45, 2 kids: 6 yrs & 3 yrs
History of Crohn's disease - dx in 1997; in remission, thus no colonoscopy in over 10 years
Anemia dx 11/16: GI doc assured me "the likelihood of colon cancer" was "very low".
Stage 3C - T3N2b
8/64 lymph nodes; clear margins surgery 3/17
12 cycles of Folfox 4/17-9/17
3-month CT scan midway through chemo, no changes
2-3-mo CT scan post chemo 11/17 slightly larger lung nod (incr. from 7mm to 8 or 9mm)
CT scan 3/18 - NED
clear CT scan 1/2019 NED

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: 5FU pump

Postby Caat55 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:34 pm

lovelife789 wrote:Hi Caat55,

I tried both.

Xeloda didn't really work for me, I agree with what some of the folks here said, Xeloda in some cases does give people more GI problems. After doing 6 rounds of FOLFOX in hospital (3 days 2 nights every time), I was very determined to try Xeloda for its convenience, so I could go back to work. But nope, it didn't happen like that. I had stomach pain and experienced intense nausea when I started Xeloda (and I have a strong stomach). Eventually, nausea developed into really vomiting my meals everyday. I had a good few days not knowing whether the pills came out with the meal I puked or not. Lost 5kg in 10 days, wasn't fun. And this is just me, I have seen a lot of people here doing Xeloda just fine.

So I went back to doing FOLFOX but with a fanny pack, I had the bottle shaped one with a balloon inside. It wasn't an issue at all, I have the port in so it was extra easy. No noise at all, which is what concerned me at first, but later on I found out with the bottle shaped one, there's no noise...

Good luck!


Did you disconect yourself or have to return to hospital?

S
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

lovelife789
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:28 am

Re: 5FU pump

Postby lovelife789 » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:19 am

Did you disconect yourself or have to return to hospital?


Returned to a clinic, coz I have the port. It's a quick procedure though, 5 mins max you are done with it.
F/38 - Dx 8 Mar 17, CEA 189.5
Stage IV Sig. Colon, Liver mets, T3N0M1a, KRAS NRAS Wild
3/17- 6/17 - 6 x FOLFOX + Erbitux
7/17 - 1st & 2nd Liver resec
9-12/17' - 13 x FOLFOX
1-6/18 - NED
6/18 - PET SCAN showed a 0.8mm lung nodule, VATs
8/18 - 4/19 - NED
5/19 - recurrence 1 x PALN, 1x common iliac
FOLFIRI + Avastin x 12 - complete response, SBRT
12/19-5/20 - NED
5/20 - recurrence in LNs, tiny liver spots x 2, W n W due to COVID
8/20 - LNs very slightly increased, liver stable, one new liver spot

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: 5FU pump

Postby Caat55 » Fri Feb 23, 2018 8:36 pm

Waiting to hear if they will let me disconnect at home, Home health nurse felt confident I could do it.

Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 115 guests