CRASH AND BURN?

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Terry
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Location: Silver Cliff, Wisconsin

CRASH AND BURN?

Postby Terry » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:37 am

So I've never had the pump with oxi before. Is the crash and burn an emotional thing besides the gut pain I have? I am so emotional today (somewhat yesterday to). I'm not a crier and can't seem to stop today whenever I talk to anyone that calls.
DX 7/3/07
Chemo, radiation, 20 mo. chemo, IMRT, cyberknife, 6/11 lobectomy.
1/16 resection perm. colostomy intraop. rad.
PET 2/12 nose, thyroid, liver, lngs
Folfox 3/12
Lord I know You'll keep me here until
you know I cannot suffer any longer!

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Sunwaterandsky
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Location: Hong Kong

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby Sunwaterandsky » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:43 am

Terry,
The oxali makes me very emotional. I cry at almost everything. I had an extended meltdown because I couldn't get a hold of my mother - and I just wanted to touch base and say hello. I cry when I talk about crying. I have just resorted to telling people that I will cry when you meet me, just ignore it and I'll calm down on my own. That has worked for me and they don't panic because they are expecting it.

Have some good tissues. Make sure all the snot is blown out because it will irritate your stomach if you snuffle it back.

Sunwaterandsky
Stage 3B colon cancer at 47 years of age
small benign tumour on Rt adrenal gland
Xelox started 28/10/2011 finished 04/2012
CT scan clear 16/2012
Colonoscopy Clear October 2012
CT scan clear January 2013
CT scan Jan 2016 - small 9mm lung nodule
CT scan April 2017 - lung nodule 1.5 cm, bilateral thyroid lesions
Aug 2017 Right upper lobe lobectomy for lung nodule CC met

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Terry
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Location: Silver Cliff, Wisconsin

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby Terry » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:53 am

I see your lucky 47, just like me when I was diagnosed! Grr!

I wish I could blow all the snot out, but not so easy with the tumor in the nose and the tears kill my eyeballs. I'm usually O.K. I'm hoping it's a 24 hr. thing that goes away!!!!!
DX 7/3/07
Chemo, radiation, 20 mo. chemo, IMRT, cyberknife, 6/11 lobectomy.
1/16 resection perm. colostomy intraop. rad.
PET 2/12 nose, thyroid, liver, lngs
Folfox 3/12
Lord I know You'll keep me here until
you know I cannot suffer any longer!

disco nap
Posts: 992
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 10:45 am

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby disco nap » Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:18 pm

It could likely be the steroids. Decadron wreaks havoc on a body and probably messes with hormones. I wasn't a crier but I did lash out a couple times when I reached a breaking point with various medical professionals.
DX July 2 '10 CC Stage IIIC, 11/18 nodes+
Right Hemi July 6 '10
Folfox: Aug 17'10 - Feb 17'11
Mar 2012: Lynch Syndrome MLH1
"Declared well" and been well ever since.
Update: Jan 2023 - still NED.

pam1211

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby pam1211 » Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:19 pm

Hi Terry

I don t know if it s the chemo or just dealing with cancer but my emotions go from one extreme to the other. I go from balling my eyes out to being annoyed by everyone. My husband just smiles and goes with the flow, I try to only burden him with my emotional rollercoaster. I haven t figured out how to handle it all yet so I just go day by day, I ve started running again and that seems to help alot.

Pam

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CRguy
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Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby CRguy » Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:20 pm

Hey Terry I recall we once talked about drug reactions a while back here where my comment to you was :
My response to dex is in my other thread..mostly, but I think I have distilled a perfect description for me :
think...puberty, PMS, hangover, sugar high, manic-depressive, narcolepsy... all nicely rolled into one cute little tablet (or infusion)

Any chance it could be a combination of the infusions and the "side effects" medications (steroids) which are messing with you ??????
I know I was way better when I adjusted the dex doses....... but obviously talk with your docs.

Cheers and best wishes to you
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

dianne052506
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Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 11:57 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby dianne052506 » Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:44 pm

Terry, when I had straight FOLFOX (oxi on day one, go home with pump, leucovorin on day two, go home with pump, disconnect on day 3) I had decadron on both days one and two. Crash and burn is a good way to describe it.
I hate all the side effects from steroids, but I guess they're a necessary evil. I have to take ativan to sleep and calm the mood swings any time I have decadron.
Good luck.
Dianne
May 06 Stage IV CC: liver,ovarian mets
Oct 07 inoperable lung mets
Feb 08 - Apr'12 chemo
allergic to oxaliplatin, irinotecan
Aug '12-Feb'14 Genentech PD-L1/Avastin trial
Mar '14 -radiation to largest lung nodule
still recovering; looking at trials again

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dianetavegia
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Facebook Username: Diane Weldy Tavegia
Location: Villa Rica, Georgia

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby dianetavegia » Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:10 pm

The 5FU pump is a killer! Tx 7 was my worst but after tx's 8 - 12, I'd crash within an hour of disconnect. By week 11 and 12 I was down for the count from Friday until Tuesday or Wednesday. I refused to stay in bed, but spent all my time on the sofa with zero energy or desire to eat. It was horrible.
Stage III cc surgery 1/7/09. 12 tx FOLFOX
Stage IV PET = 1.5cm liver met. HR 4/11/12

14 years since dx and 11 years post liver resection.
Pronounced CURED and discharged by onc

“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.” Psalms 30:2

NWgirl
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Location: Battle Ground, Washington

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby NWgirl » Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:30 pm

For awhile my oncologist prescribed dexamethazone (sp?) to help me with my nausea issues. I'd take it the first few days of my FOLFOX treatment. At one point he bumped it to 5 days (I think - maybe 4); in a continued attempt to control my nausea. When he bumped the dex, I found myself in what I considered a "real" depression. I cried all the time over things I could normally deal with - it was scary and weird.

Somehow - I think here, I ended up going to the mfg. web-site for dex and lo and behold - depression was listed as a possible side effect. The dex never did help my nausea so I dropped it cold turkey (which my oncologist said was not a good idea). I had no ill side effects from dropping the dex - and my depression immediately went away.

Now of course, as a cancer patient, we get down and depressed - but this was different. It was a dark, despondent, horrible feeling that I've never experienced before or since.

Others have mentioned steroids as a possible cause as well - might be worth reviewing what steroids you're taking and see if they are helping or hurting your mood and general feeling of well being.
Belle - "Don't Retreat - Reload"DX 10/07 Stage III Rectal
Surgery 11/07; 27 of 38 nodes
Perm Colostomy 8/11
12/10 recurrence lungs & LN's
VATS Jan 2011
Radiation Oct 2013
Chemo for Life
2012 Colondar Model

beth568
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Location: Boston area, MA

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby beth568 » Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:34 pm

I vote for the steroids, too, if you're getting them before your infusions. Nasty, nasty crash after they wear off. I also found that, when I reached the point in the chemo cycle when fatigue really kicked in, I had huge mood swings. I learned to deal with them by sleeping it off.

We love you, no matter what mood you're in! :)
Beth
dx @age 42, Jan '11 RC, T2or3NxM0 (stage IIIA/IIIB)
6 wks chemorad Feb - Mar '11
LAR 5/23/11, staged T2N1bM0 (2 of 15 nodes positive)
8 rounds FOLFOX, June-Oct. 2011
clear scans Nov '11, May '12, Nov '12, May '13
http://www.mysemicolon.net

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pollo65
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Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby pollo65 » Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:29 am

Terry, I bet on the steroids. As a "chemo for lifer" I have started to pay attention to the emotional side effects and mine include crying at babies, dogs, happy things, sad things and almost anything. A couple days out and I am ASSERTIVE to a fault---I have warned friends and enemies alike that I may exhibit these strange quirks, I believe that I owe it to all of them. Sometimes I amuse myself by betting internally what will set me off. Saw the Descendants yesterday (with George Clooney) boohooed through the whole movie and embarrassed myself by sobbing out loud. Such is life.
pollo 65
CC 1/6/09
r. hemi-colectomy 1/7/09
32Ln biopsied, 28 positive
met to aorta
chemo 12 rounds
done 9/09 3 scans clear
1/11 1 met to aorta
micro cluster to peritoneum
4/11 / 9/11 scan clear
4/12 scan clear
10/12 scan clear
Iri+avastin
chemo break

dianne052506
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Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 11:57 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby dianne052506 » Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:59 pm

Terry,

Reading about other people's steroid depression, I remember that I compared mine to the crying jags that a college friend got whenever she drank (I promise it wasn't me, I was the calm rational one, who just kept thinking how weird her crying was!)
Steroids gave me this-is-never-going-to-get-better-I'm-going-to-feel-this-miserable-forever depression. Then when they finally wore off, I sleep almost 24 hours, and wake up almost a normal person.
Today and tomorrow I'm taking oral decadron in advance of extra decadron and benadryl with irinotecan on Tuesday. Let the crying begin!
Dianne
May 06 Stage IV CC: liver,ovarian mets
Oct 07 inoperable lung mets
Feb 08 - Apr'12 chemo
allergic to oxaliplatin, irinotecan
Aug '12-Feb'14 Genentech PD-L1/Avastin trial
Mar '14 -radiation to largest lung nodule
still recovering; looking at trials again

vancouver eve
Posts: 1507
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:04 pm
Location: Vancouver

Re: CRASH AND BURN?

Postby vancouver eve » Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:27 pm

Terry. I vote for the steroids. I know how I was while taking them. I finally only took them for two days and I was not too bad. It was a horrible time.


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