Talk Cancer

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hello all linda bliss here oh my goodness. you all remember me telling you that i had BC in 99 had lumpectomy lymph nodes removed er/pr+ HER2-  had 4 cycles chemo then rads all ended may 2000 i was NED until august last year when ca 27-29 went from the norm up to 100. had pet/cat scans and came back mets from bc to chest wall. well i have been on Femara since november ‘03 and in march’04 began 6 weeks of double dose radiation which ended last monday.  i must say this radiation completely has exhausted my entire body but it has seemed to work cus the latest ct scan shows no progression and some shrinkage which is good.  both oncologists feel that they want to give my body a rest for about 4 weeks; have another ct scan and if it shows further decrease then i most likely will not need taxotere. so for right now i am trying really hard to get back into the swing of things including my appetite.  i have been drinking boost plus: put in blender add ice cream ice cubes blend and i have a shake..tastes pretty good..been eating soft foods since the mets is in upper mediastinum and the rads sorta burned my throat so it hurts to swallow solid foods so i have been eating baby food how sad. is this normal to be so exhausted from the rads??? did i mention mets is in the upper mediastinum lungs are clear any thoughts take care all… love linda bliss

Linda, So glad you are finished with the rads. I would think a lot of the fatigue would be caused by the  circumstances of just having to go thru the ordeal. The stress would be enough to make you want to turn over and sleep away the day. That was what happened to me when I found my markers had gone from 120 to 1300. I hyperventilated everytime I passed a mirror and didn’t want to get out of bed and I hadn’t even gotten the results from the bone and ct scans, yet..After the scans and finding that I, so far, hadn’t had any soft tissue invasion have been feeling a little better..I have bone mets to the head and ribs..Not sure why the numbers were soooooo high…Pat from Apple Valley, CA

Response:

this radiation completely has exhausted my entire body but it has seemed to work cus the latest ct scan shows no progression and some shrinkage which is good.   Fantastic!  I was wondering, though, whether or not you had had radiation the first time around.    Some are receiving radiation a second time.  Others are still being told that can’t be done.

Response:

Glad to hear that your radiation is done.  I’ve never had it, but remember when my Dad did, for laryngeal cancer.  His main side effect was fatigue, with some burning and a very sore throat.

I was told that whatever else happened I’d be exhausted but I wasn’t. I did have burning which was not nice.  Has your radiation oncologist given you any indication how long before you begin to feel better?

I suspect it differs among those receiving it. Thinking of you and hoping that the side effects are short lived.

That’s the thing to hold on to – it DOES come to an end. As does chemotherapy and its effects. It’s like labour, you remember that you DID suffer but it goes and the result was worth it! Mary   Best – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – wishes. Barb

Response:

" i was NED until august last year when ca 27-29 went from the norm up – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – to 100. had pet/cat scans and came back mets from bc to chest wall. well i have been on Femara since november ‘03 and in march’04 began 6 weeks of double dose radiation which ended last monday.  i must say this radiation completely has exhausted my entire body but it has seemed to work cus the latest ct scan shows no progression and some shrinkage which is good.  both oncologists feel that they want to give my body a rest for about 4 weeks; have another ct scan and if it shows further decrease then i most likely will not need taxotere. so for right now i am trying really hard to get back into the swing of things including my appetite.  i have been drinking boost plus: put in blender add ice cream ice cubes blend and i have a shake..tastes pretty good..been eating soft foods since the mets is in upper mediastinum and the rads sorta burned my throat so it hurts to swallow solid foods so i have been eating baby food how sad. is this normal to be so exhausted from the rads??? did i mention mets is in the upper mediastinum lungs are clear any thoughts take care all… love linda bliss

Hi Linda, Glad to hear that your radiation is done.  I’ve never had it, but remember when my Dad did, for laryngeal cancer.  His main side effect was fatigue, with some burning and a very sore throat.  Has your radiation oncologist given you any indication how long before you begin to feel better? Thinking of you and hoping that the side effects are short lived.  Best wishes. Barb

Response:

hello all linda bliss here oh my goodness. you all remember me telling you that i had BC in 99 had lumpectomy lymph nodes removed er/pr+ HER2-  had 4 cycles chemo then rads all ended may 2000 i was NED until august last year when ca 27-29 went from the norm up to 100. had pet/cat scans and came back mets from bc to chest wall. well i have been on Femara since november ‘03 and in march’04 began 6 weeks of double dose radiation which ended last monday.  i must say this radiation completely has exhausted my entire body but it has seemed to work cus the latest ct scan shows no progression and some shrinkage which is good.  both oncologists feel that they want to give my body a rest for about 4 weeks; have another ct scan and if it shows further decrease then i most likely will not need taxotere. so for right now i am trying really hard to get back into the swing of things including my appetite.  i have been drinking boost plus: put in blender add ice cream ice cubes blend and i have a shake..tastes pretty good..been eating soft foods since the mets is in upper mediastinum and the rads sorta burned my throat so it hurts to swallow solid foods so i have been eating baby food how sad. is this normal to be so exhausted from the rads??? did i mention mets is in the upper mediastinum lungs are clear any thoughts take care all… love linda bliss

Response: