Stage III - Questions

[TOP]

Trisha,
I have been stable for three years following stage 3 with an HCG of over 300,000. Because I reacted to the chemo slowly I was given somewhat of a poor prognosis. My HCG didn't go less then 5 till after I was done with chemo and I was being setup for high dose with autologus stem cell transplant when it finally went normal. Whew!! Missed that one. Its tough but doable. Hang in there. Tim

[ivannabanana]

Hi Trisha

Glad to know your hubby is in good hands.... Some of the meds and stuff i kept handy for George going thru hys chemo were, paracetamol, for fevers, also a desk fan and small hand held fan.... Gaviscon for reflux, Deflam for mouth ulcers, Senoket for hys bowels, medicated talc for hys rash he got wyth Bleomycin....Thermometer to keep check on hys temperture and we bought BP machine from local chemist, but were told by nurses it was not reliable so we didnt use....My hubby lost hys hair 2nd round of Chemo, it began to come out in small clumps so he aksed me to shave it off....He neva lost any body hair exept for now dont laugh here on the out side part of hys leg below the knee on both legs....strange but true, one side smooth like babies bottom the other side hairy..... cant explain that one.....George goes for hys 2nd last chemo injection thys morning Friday 10Nov, and he'l go also next Friday and that hys chemo finito and hopefully hys cancer away!! My Gerorge has been fairly good thru hys cycles and i put that down to hys positive attitude, im so proud of hym he has done so well and neva once complained or felt sorry for hymself.... Hope your hubby does well 2... We dont have kiddies so about telling them im not an expert on that , but i thynk i would tell them when they all together so they can each ask Q's.... Good luck and keep us updated.... il be thynking of you all, bless Yvonne

[Trisha]

Day One Of 4bep

Thanks for all your great suggestions karen, mrb , Top, ivanna. Today is Day ONE... so 89 days to go on our 4xBEP. I guess I should move to the next category! We are setting our sights on Spring!

[dadmo]

We all know how tough this is but at least it's started. Good luck with the treatments.

[huckchef]

good luck with the chemo! stay positive! my continued thoughts and prayers,
brian

[mrb1980]

Trisha,

Lots of prayers coming your way and your husband's way. Please keep us posted.

I forgot to ask: is your husband having a chemo port implanted? For 4xBEP, I certainly recommend a port. The procedure is very brief, and you will be doing his arm veins a big favor. I'm eternally grateful I had a port, and its removal was simple and was sort of a milestone in my cancer battle.

Best wishes!

[Trisha]

port

funny you asked - we are sitting here on day 2 and the iv they put it did not last. So they had to put a new one in today. Our first oncologist had recommended the port but our new dr. told us they don't normally do it. Great tip and I will ask today!
Thank you for the well wishes and the comments! you are all making this much easier!

[Chris'Mom]

Trisha....good luck with everything...hang in there...my son went thru this a year and a half ago...four rounds of chemo under Sloans direction.(he also needed surgery for teratoma after his chemo and Dr. Sheinfeld at Sloan is my hero...we still do follow ups there)......he never had a port....it was excrutiating as his mom to watch them poke him some days over and over......but he made it thru, and is healthy and a senior in college now...it seems like forever ago and also like yesterday....you will all get thru this.....I am praying for you ...........Mary Ellen

[jdunn]

Hi Trisha,
My son's doctor suggested him to get a port but his response "No thanks" He did survive the muliple pokes. Like Chris' Mom it was hard to watch. Towards his last of his 4 BPE cycle his veins were almost gone. The nurse's would leave the needle in his arm and wrap it so he wouldn't have to be poked everyday. That seemed to help. My Mom is going through chemo and is thankful that she has a port. Of course her treatment is extensive.
Best of Luck ....Stay strong.....prayers to you and your family.

[Mom]

I wanted my son to have a pic inserted the first day of chemo. He wanted to tough it out. At the beginning of his 3rd cycle he had the pick installed. He wished he had it at day one. Stay strong and stay positive. Dianne

[Hopeful]

I would HIGHLy recommend the port. AFter a few rounds of chemo, the veins become very hard and like rubber. Thus it's harder to put a needle in and can REALLY hurt. Kevin was very grateful for his port because he hated the blood draws when he didn't have a port.

If you can help not having one less pain during chemo, then go for it. But it's his decision.

Patti

[Trisha]

4bep

Thanks everyone,
He decided not to have the port - his choice. On fifth day of our first cycle. Not bad yet. Waiting for Monday when the steroids wear off to see how he will handle the chemo. We get Neulasta tomorrow to help keep his blood cell count steady. The Oncologist tells us they will do CAT Scan after the 2nd round to see if it's all working . Got my fingers crossed. Meanwhile it feels like we are walking through a minefield waiting for what will happen to him with the chemo. Thanks for all your good wishes.

[Karen]

Tricia,
Hang in there and stay positive! You are a wonderful advocate for your husband. The waiting really sucks. My thoughts and prayers are with you for good news with the CT results!

[Jilleighn]

hang in there and stay positive. My husband declined the port too. By the end of treatment his veins where shot, but he felt that it was best for him to reduce the chance of infection to the port. Get a huge calander and start marking off the days. As each one passes we put a huge X through it. It totally made us realize that it was getting closer to the end. I would be very upfront with your children given there age. We just told our daughter daddy was sick. When she sees pictures of him with no hair she will say "daddy was sick then". She was only 18months old when my husband was diagonised.

[Trisha]

Doing OK so far - Stage IIIb 4BEP Underway

Thanks for the messages! We are in the end of our first round of BEP - with 3 rounds to go! He did OK for the first cycle. It was more exhausting because of the anxiety of what to expect. He got sick from the bleo in the second week. Fever, chills, rash and very tired. This week when he got his bleo they pumped him up with steroids, benadryl and zantac. He was way better Monday when he got the Bleo and even up til today. He is crashing a bit now and losing his hair!

He wants to know what you all think is the next toughest milestone after the first round and losing your hair?

They take our cancer markers on Monday again so we are hoping to see them plunge!

I know it's still very probable that he will have surgery (RPLND) aftery chemo (according to the NCCN document). But does anyone know the chances of having to do RPLND? or what Sloan/IU typically recommends?