Hello sorry so long

[Davevg]

Hello to all. First off let me say I’m sorry to all of you that have to fight this monster and good luck to you. I have been lurking here for a few days now contemplating posting. Only being the husband I was not sure it was appropriate. I tried to get my wife to check it out but she will not. What a roller coaster ride it has been. She went thru a debulking operation about 4 months ago not knowing before hand if it was cancer, after all she already had a complete hysterectomy many years ago (not due to cancer) and only had one ovarie left. What are the chances we both thought.  After she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. It had spread to her small intestines and cells were found in her perinatal cavity but lymph nodes and all other organs that are usually affected in the area were clear they said. I still have not read of a case where the small intestine was affected but all others were fine. They said the operation was successful and feel confident they got it all. Her chemo regimen is IV and IP chemo which consists of Cisplatin, taxatier and taxol. Believe it or not her worst fear was not the cancer but throwing up from the chemo. She has the worst phobia of this and was actually contemplating not doing chemo because of it that’s how bad it is. I told her she had to for our two girls 21 and 15 and myself. I said together we could beat this monster. Ok so enough history and on with the questions. She’s in bed all day long because she says whenever she gets up she always feels gaggy and has a hard time breathing. Is there a something or some way to curb this gag reflex? As for the breathing, on Wednesday the doctor made her walk around in the office and then took her oxygen level and said it was 100%. He also said her x-rays before surgery were clear. Should she insist on a PET scan being that she has not had one yet? Oh and her CA levels are slowly going down. They said they should be about 5? She is half way thru with chemo now. Sorry so long

Dave

[Davevg]

A related discussion, to all was started.

[JC145]

When I had IP/IV,  I would feel yucky and occasionally took compazine .. and zofran only once.  I found that the anti-nausea pills did just that .. numb (?) the back of my throat.  I only took the nausea meds when I was really, really nauseous.  Trust me when I say eating and drinking is a big key to this ... espec. something as plain as a baked potato.  I had to force food in often with that chemo ... small bits of something about EVERY hour.  I had treatment Tues/Weds .. and by Sunday night was almost good as new.  Just a thought .. possibly too many nausea meds have the "gaggy" effect?????  (I can't take cough meds because of the way they "numb" my throat .. i hate that feeling.)

Judy

[Burnzie]

Hi Dave,
Sorry for your circumstances.  I'm mainly writing in hopes of helping her with the nausea.  I, too, had a huge fear of this, second to the cancer itself.  I can get nauseated easily and was afraid of it. I, too, had cisplatin IV/IP, which is one of the most, if not the most nauseating of the chemos.  I was right, it made me sick, but there are antiemetics out there that can curb that.  It took a couple of rounds to get the combination right but we got it under control.  I will tell you what worked for me.  A gravol 50mg pill before even going to the hospitall because just the thought of going made me ill.  Don't underestimate the infuence the brain has in all of this. As part of the regime they gave me decadron and kytril and maxeran to help with swelling and nausea.  At home I had IV hydration for a few days and kytril.  Because kytil is constipating, colace and sennokat were on board to take care of that.  I hated taking all these things because I was a very active, healthy person who was playing soccer up until diagnosis and never took meds.  You do what you have to do to feel well and this regime worked.  The nausea was still there a little bit, but I got so I would ignore it.  I took gravol suppositories  in between kytril's if needed.  Nausea can contribute to other problems and I suspect that the breathing thing is related to anxiety and fear and the nausea is not helping.  Once the nausea is under control I think things will get better.
I should mention, too, that having your stomach empty can contribute to the nausea, so its best to eat small amounts.  Because water tasted like metal I took gatorade,(red kind).
I should say that I thought about not doing the IP because of the great nauseating effect of cisplatin, but decided that since it was offered to me I'd better take it, so I did . I'm not sorry for that choice.  Tell her that even though it is a hard road it will end.  I just took it one treatment at a time.
Its a good sign that her levels are going down.  Take care and remember that the bad times in the treatment will pass too.  When I was diagnosed and about to start this treatment my oncologist said to us, "You will have lots of good times again".  Tell her that's what she is fighting for because it is true.  I have had many,many good times since that initial treatment and they outway the rotten feeling of that chemo, believe me.   Good luck.

Karen

[Davevg]

Judy thanks for the fast response. Nausea does not seem to be a problem and she takes all of thee above and they do work. It’s just a gaggy feeling she says. I thought they were on in the same but she says no it’s like sticking your finger down your throat that kind of gag.

Thanks again
Dave

[JC145]

CA125 should go down .. mine leveled off at 8 after 4 rounds.

She should have Emend for nausea.  It's a three pill pack and you only take the first pill on the first day of chemo ... WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY IN THE CHEMO CHAIR.  The reason you take the first pill when actually in the chemo room is not to waste it .. in the event you can't have chemo that day (because of blood counts, etc.).  Insurance will only pay for a refill every 21 days.  Otherwise, follow directions on pkg.

She should have Aloxi (in the chemo bag) for nausea .. it has a long lasting effect over days.  It is better than Zofran.

She should have Compazine for at home .. taking one the minute she walks in the door.  

She should have Zofran .. if the Compazine is not enough.

Together, all of these drugs help with nausea.  

Having said that, it is MOST IMPORTANT that she hydrates and drinks lots of liquids.  I liked flattened coke to sip on .. also helped with that yucky feeling.  Chammoille tea .. cranberry juice cut with water . water ... lots of liquids to flush the chemo thru the kidneys.

EAT .. bites of anything that she can swallow.  I loved peanut butter crackers, toast, bananas, etc.  A plain baked potato with only salt (no butter, etc) is really good with all of the vitamins, etc. in a potato.  I would sometimes force bites down a bit at a time, but it NEVER came back up.  I would eat in the chemo chair (most of us women would) .. a full lunch before the yucks set in.   I found if I waited too long to eat, I would get nauseous.   Even days after chemo, I would walk around with tiny tootsie rolls in my pocket, so if I was shopping and started to feel funny, I'd pop one of those babies and it would hold me off until I got home.

Hope this helps.

Judy