Update

[Brownie3321]

Hello to all of you! I wanted to give a quick update and ask a few questions. I went in for my regular IV chemo today through my chest port, had a check up with my onc, and scheduled my 2nd IP port Cisplat tomorrow in the hospital. I am still doing very well with all my numbers. My CA-125 started at 6,000 pre surgery, went to 195 after surgery and 1st chemo treatment, 220 after 2nd, 50 after 3rd, 19 after 4th and 1st IP treatment, and now it is 13. I have two more IP treatments, one tomorrow and one after the holidays. My last PET/CT scan came back "no evidence of disease." I continue to take Nulasta shots after each round of chemo and find that acupuncture has helped greatly with the bone pain. My red blood cell count has come back fine each time, with no call for the Procit shot. I of course experience nausea, but the meds have helped with that. My first IP treatment, I handled the transfusion great, but was pretty sick for 5 days after. I had home health care come to give me some hydration which really helped with the nausea. I will be on top of it this time, having home health care come the day after I am released instead of 4 days after. All other tests have come back fine, no need to stop treatment or receive any transfusions. I opted to keep my colostomy until I am fully done with IP chemo. My onc told me there were three options to consider once I am done with IP port chemo. 1) maintenance chemo for 1 year which would be a low dose of Taxol once a month 2) Clinical trial with a new drug not approved with the FDA yet called Xyotac (sp?) 3) no treatment at all. He would like me to do some sort of maintenance chemo, so I will do whatever he thinks is best. My questions for you all: 1) Have any of you had maintenance Taxol chemo which caused you to lose your hair? I know some of you had, and I have chemo brain!! 2) Have any of you heard of Xyotac? Thank you for your input. I hope you all are having a good week. With love, Deandra

[Brownie3321]

Hello ladies! Thanks for the replies. I just got home from the hospital. I'm feeling very full, but not too bad. I have home health care coming to visit me tomorrow to hydrate me and give me IV nausea medicine. The IP side effects are cumalative (sp?), so I suspect I will be feeling a little ill for the next few days. I am having issues with my colostomy. It is fairly large and won't stop bleeding. I guess I'm just not sure what to do. I 've placed a few calls to my onc and sur who did the colostomy. I'm just waiting on their advice. I did want to thank you all for your kind words, and repeat of info...sorry Chris, I have the worst case of chemo brain :) I will keep you all updated. With love, Deandra

[crecco]

Seems the chemo brain took over a while back when I answered a post to you. After my onc and I discussed it, it seems that I was on taxol instead of taxotere for maintenance. I only recieved 2 rounds of taxotere. (And now if the Tpoptecan does not work, my next chemo will be taxotere and avistan) Anyway to answer your question about your hair, no mine did not come out. I only had about a month and a half break from chemo and once it started coming back in, it stayed in. Your drop in numbers is awsome!! I hope that it continues that way for you. I am also glad to hear the IP treatments aren't getting you down to awfully bad. It is so good to hear that things are going well. I wil keep you in my thoughts and prayers. LOL Chris

[Helmar]

Your news is really great... I'm so happy to hear that you are doing so well. Looking at a nice, long remission eh?. :-)  Wise girl to leave the colostomy 'as is' for the time being. Deandra... make sure that there's no cancer around when you decide to have the reversal operation, and I'm hoping and praying that everything continues to go really well for you. At least you are heading in the right direction. Great news. Hugs to you....Helen...

[elizza]

Hello.  Just wanted to let you know that my mom had IP chemo from June 06-Sept 06.  Dx stage 3c.  She then did 12 rounds of maintenance chemo (taxol), and just finished this September.  It has been almost 3 months now, and her eyebrows, and eyelashes are almost all the way in!  Her hair is still short, but starting to get much thicker.  During the 12 sessions of maintenance chemo, her eyebrows would start to grow back, and then when she went in for another chemo treatment, they would fall back out about 14 days later.  Her hair grew a little bit while on the maintenance taxol, but would still fall out (not to the same degree while on IP cisplatin/taxol).  Her ca-125 after finishing all treatments was 5 (in September of 2007).  She goes in next week and gets her new ca-125 results.  I am nervous of course, but praying her numbers are still low!  Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.  

[gah_70]

This is an interesting question for me as well.  Low dose Taxotere was added last week to the Gemzar I've been on August.  Knowing Taxol and Taxotere are "cousins", I wonder if what little hair I have is going to fall out again too.  I know that is certainly not the most important thing about this, but doggone it, I'd like to go through a winter without having to wear more on my head than anywhere else on my body to fight the cold!  

Becky is right.....you've been through a lot.  I admire your spirit!  Never heard of Xyotac, but I will look it up.  I try to at least learn the names so if my Onc asks if I've ever heard of it, I can at least say yes to that.  Best wishes to you.  I will say a special prayer for you as you go back in the hospital tomorrow.  Positive thoughts!!

Gail :)

[Tybear]

Hi Deandra...wow. I had no idea you had been through so much! IP chemo must be very draining on you...I've heard the side effects are usually worse with that. Good for you for doing it though - it's supposed to improve your overall outcome. Knowing what I know now, I would do the maintence taxol. I had no idea I would reccur so quickly, and though Taxol would have done nothing for me (because of the type of ov/ca I have) if you are responding to it, I would do it. The hair thing I get...really, I do. I don't know about hairloss with the low dose taxol, so I hope someone comes along to answer that for you. I hope you don't mind me asking, how do you find the colostomy? That was mentioned to me and I'll be honest, I freaked out. I'm not scheduled for surgery now, but I imagine it will have to happen at some point in my life. Your so young...I don't know that I would have been able to have the same spirit as you if I had to have gone through what you've gone through. I hope this chemo isn't too rough on you today and keep hydrated!!
Take care,
Becky