Surgery on Sept 8

[IowaBrian]

Great news you have some good questions for the ONC when you see them make sure to write down all of the questions so you don't forget any.
Brian

[Hippie]

Another quick update,

Ct chest scan came back clean, no mastasis to the lungs..

Am I dreaming?? that with my blood markers coming back into check and all tests are coming back clean that there is a possibility that my lymph nodes have went down since surgery ??? my path report does say there was some hemoraging so is it possible that my lymph nodes was just inflammed from all the fluid ?? a question I will be asking my Onc tomarrow..

Hippie

[Hippie]

Well I have had a lot more tests and so far:

My Bone scan came back clean.

My pulmonary tests, I was 7% to 21% above normal on all tests (so hopefully Onc will do the 3xBEP now that it looks like my lungs can handle it so I will not have to indore that 4th cycle

I should have my Chest CT's results today and I am going for my brain MRI today.

I didnt know this before now but my LDH was almost 400 pre surgury and I talked to onc nurse Deb yesterday and my blood work after surgury my LDH is down to 216.

Will be seeing my new Onc tomarrow to find out when chemo will defiantly start


Just an update
Hippie

[Hippie]

Question: is this sound normal my Onc which I am having to transfer to another one he recommends due to my insurance policy, but this Onc says either BEP weather 3 or 4, it would be given for 5-hours per day Monday thru Friday the week of treatment then 2 weeks off then 3 week they start the same again ??? is that normal with this type of chemo treatment ??


Hippie

[dadmo]

Hippie:
Here's a site you might find interesting. It's called chemocare and it's a Scott Hamilton site, check it out here .

[Fish]

Hippie:

No, I didnt' have chemo, but Brian's right, I've seen a number of posts with some very good tips on what and what not to do. Hopefully some of the folks will re-post or post the links. I thought dadmo just recently posted something, but I can't find it.

Sorry you need to go through this, but it'll all work out in the end and you'll be cured. Great idea on giving up the smoking.

Best wishes.

[Hippie]

Dadmo: doing a chest CT today at 4:45 more damn iodine based dye(grrrrrrr)
started my 4x 20mg predisone and 1x 400mg Cimetidine lastnight and have to repeat this morning to ready me against the Iodine, Already had a chest xray and it showed clean but now the Onc wants me to have a pulimary test to help determine bep 3 or 4 cause I am a heavy smoker and there is one of the drugs in bep 3 that is tough on the lungs and if I already have some lung loss he may not want to risk bep 3 on me.. I smoke 3-5 packs a day.. Yeah I know stupid stupid, I havent had one today yet even with my coffee I am drinking. I am going to try, no I am GOING TO quite now to try and get as healthy as I can get before I start this in 1 and half weeks..

IowaBrian: I have been already pondering what I would do if I had a choice to go on surval or have chemo to make sure and I and Wife was both leaning toward doing it to be sure all is gone so there would be way less worry with a relapse, but I can say that now cause I wasnt given the choice and cant honestly say If was faced with that choice I would still lean that way or run like hell out of Onc's office and pray like hell I was clean on the surval checkups..




I know I can do this, with my Wife and Daughter behind me and all you guys out there I know I can but as everyone knows the scared silly part isnt going away anytime soon, I think once it starts and I know I have to say strong and fight through that will overide a lot of the fear I have now. I am going to read all I can on diet and what I should start doing know to prepare my body the best I can for this in the short time I have to get prepared.

Hippie

[Karen]

Hippie,
The guys here will rally with you every step of the way and you'll get through this. Chemo works. Hang in there!!!!

[IowaBrian]

If it was me it would be 3XBEP nothing else to do after the 9 weeks you can start to get back to normal I am doing the wait and see and it is freaking me out too every month you wait and see what the blood test and scans say I was talking to someone today and said I wonder if I should have just done the 9 weeks and been done with it but I will roll the dice I don't mind if I knocked it out without chemo I am lucky you will get it started next week and this will kill it and you will be fine I know easy to say just keep posting it helps with the nerves many on here to help out.
I think FISH has a post some where where he give some pointers on how to deal with the chemo. I will find it and link to it.
Stay cool
Brian
Here is the link by Dave I thought FISH did one too but I can't find it(might be that you didn't need chemo FISH sorry) :

http://www.tc-cancer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4187

I know there is another link to a thread that someone did that listed about everything just can't find it someone will find it and link it I bet within 2 hours.

[dadmo]

Hippie:
This won't make it any easier but being scared out of your f*in wits is the right response. Just hang tough you can do this. Did they see anything on the shots of your lungs? It may make the differance between 3&4 BEP.

[Scott]

You'll get through. There are a lot of people here who have been there and will help you.

[Hippie]

scared the f out of my wits!!!!!!!!!

[Scott]

Yep, that would do it. Chemotherapy is definitely the right choice. Hang tough, you'll get through before you know it.

[Hippie]

had ct scan atlest 1 lymph node greater then 3cm so he said that what puts me to IIB ???

[Scott]

Do you have CT scan results that show spread? New tumor marker test results? From the pathology report alone, it looks like stage IB non-seminoma.