Talk Cancer

Question:

I just had a lymph node dissection 2 years after being diagnosed with   a melanoma on my back. (A normal progression of the disease I understand). Now I am entering into a treatment protocol that is studying Interferon doseage.  Has anyone out there participated in this study?  What kind of side effects can I expect?  My Dr. says flu like symptoms, but I would like to hear from actual patients.  How do you feel after injections?  Are you able to lead a close to normal daily life?  What about work? Thanks in advance for your responces, I don’t know if I’ll be able to respond to each reply, since my therapy starts this week. … This is not a TAG LINE, I hate TAG LINES!!!! ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12  * KMail 3.00   –

Response:

I am 8 shots away from finishing up my year.  I take 9mu three time a week at home.  I have nothing but rave reviews for it.  I was a little tired in the beginning and my stomach cramped a little (gas).  It felt like after you have XMas dinner and mom makes you eat that last slice of your favorite pie, you stumble to the couch and feel miserable, but you will survive.  I dont know what your dosage will be and I am sure that affects how it reacts also.   I will say this, I pride myself on having a cast iron stomach, but as I progressed through my tx’ment, I started watching my foods, no spicy chili, roasted peanuts, cabbage, ect,  I weigh 215 and am 6′2", you can tell I haven’t missed to many meals.  I also found that I could piddle around after a shot and it seemed to not bother me as much.  Like SIT IN THE SHADE and weed my flowers, or rearrange my basement workshop(you know empty the trash, sweep, move my pliers from one drawer to another), and drink more water, keep a big glass close to you and drink it.  Don’t force yourself but do try and push yourself a little.  Does that make sense?  And rest when you fell you need it. I will close by saying I had a melanoma removed off my Right arm in Aug 1989, in March 1994 I had a knot in my Right armpit, it was removed and was cancer, 18 other nodes were removed and they were neg.  SO GOOD LUCK, HOPE THIS HELPED.

Response: