Another fork in the road.
Hi all, Just thought I'd update my page with the latest. School holidays are over and my family have returned home. It was lovely to catch up and see the grandkids. They are growing up so quickly.
Well another regime has begun. Docetaxel........ what a drug! Frozen mittens and all!
Not the best first experience to put in my memoirs. After starting dexamethasone the day before chemo and reducing the dose over the following couple of days I experienced the worst pain since my laminectomy three years ago. It felt like someone was stabbing me with a hot needle all over my body and all my joints were aching. No amount of pain meds seemed to help over the 48 hour period. Then of course the oral thrush kicked in with a sore throat, difficulty swallowing and burning reflux, plus the usual constipation. I was not happy and feeling miserable, back to the same ol same ol. I had just had three weeks off any chemo and was feeling great....well a hell of a lot better than previously, anyway.
After reviewing the scans etc, my Onc advised that there has been further metasteses in L2 and L1 in my spine. That the leisons have shown an increase in growth from my scans three months earlier. Obviously Xeloda was not working and he was favouring docetaxel as the next choice. He advised that apart from the obvious side effects, I will most likely lose my hair again, have problems with my nails (hence the frozen mittens) and neutropenia. We also put a plan in place for reoccurrence of my diverticulitis - antibiotics.
My main concern is with the constipation and the diverticulitis. Yes I've been diagnosed with Diverticulitis way back when. Both parents had it as well. (Told by Drs I had rumbling appendix when I was a young kid) Anyway, I've learnt to live with the disease. Even tho I've tried to be prepared for it and eat the right food etc etc I am afflicted with it each time I receive IV chemo. Its very debilitating and frustrating to say the least. I know it's the chemo that's causing the problem and was wondering if anyone has or had a good regime they follow with an excellent outcome. Obviously chemo drys everything up and I'm assuming that the mucusol membrane throughout my digestive tract is compromised causing the ongoing problem. Apart from keeping the fluids up (help flush out the chemo) I've tried aloevera drinks, slippery elm, the usual movicol, osmolat, prebiotics, probiotics, psyllium flakes, eating plenty of fruit and veg (not great with heaps of insoluble fibre (nuts etc) as it causes more pain).....Nothing seems to help with a natural void. So I end up having to take antibiotics for the divertic infection. Its a constant revolving door. I'm scared that my bowels won't take the pressure and cause more problems ending in emergency surgery for removal of my sigmoid colon and a stoma put in. Not a pleasant thought!
Can any one help..... Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!! Sue:)
