I keep collapsing

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  • Lorra and Douglas

    Hope you are both well at the mo.

    have you tried those microwavable  wheat bags for the achy arms?

  • Hi Walktallkate,

    I'm on 2 hourly pills alternating Nurafen with Paracetamol plus 6 hourly micro-wavable hot bag issued by the hospital. I'm also on some special cream. My arm looks like it's been burnt, which, I suspect, in a way it has been.

    There has been talk of putting the next load of chemo in via a different method. This will be in 10 days time. I'm also going to ask if they can give me some Valium-type drug to calm me down after my double dose.

    However these are all minor irritations compared to what others seem to suffer.

    I'm being very careful on the exercise. It's better to give those white cells every chance to recover. There is no way that I ever want another bone marrow jab!imageimageimageimageimageimage

    Lorra, you're doing really well. Be careful on the running. This is a time for healing and the chemo, altho' a life-saver, is also a poison. Good luck. imageimageimageimageimage

    All the best,

    Douglas

  • ((((((((((((((((Lorra and Douglas)))))))))))))))))

    Just want to offer you both my support.

  • I agree with Tinywhitevan.   You are both in my thoughts.

    Also, a very good friend of mine of 28  years old, has been diagnosed with non hodgkins lymphoma and she is wired up to the chemo drip for 24/7 for an entire week in hospital and then two weeks off and then back in hospital for another week.  I will get her to have a look at this forum since it is inspirational to everyone no matter what their state of health.  Keep strong Douglas and Lorra x x

  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭

    Hope that the arm is feeling better now, Douglas.

    Marge, sending lots of positive vibes for your friend too.

  • Hi folks,

    Despite a continuing sore arm (it's being gnawed at by ants from the inside), I'm in good spirits.imageimageimageimageimageimage.

    I saw my oncologist yesterday. I have a scan booked for just under 3 weeks time. There will be three possible outcomes:

    a) The tumour(s) have totally disappeared, in which case they will cease treatment and, apart from routine checkups, send me on my way

    b) There are remnants of tumour(s) still visible, in which case I will have cycle 7 and possibly cycle 8

    c) There is still a modest tumour, in which case I will have a break from chemotherapy before starting again at cycle 1.

    All of these options have potential positive outcomes and, at time of writing, I'm fairly chilled (apart from the ants, which are making me grumpy). The oncologist confirmed that the lung cancer statistics are fairly horrendous (93% dead within 5 years!), but that I have a reasonable chance of being in the 7%.

    Hurrah for losing once voice; I thoroughly recommend it.imageimageimageimageimageimage

    Thanks again for your support folks.imageimageimageimageimageimage

  • I know it can,t be easy but I,m sure keeping your positive attitude is playing a big part in your treatment.Let,s hope the scan shows you,re in the 7%.Best of luck and loads of positive vibes from me and I,m sure everyone else on the forum.
  • Haven't popped into the thread for awhile. Just caught up and wishing you both the best.
  • Hello Douglas!

    Sorry to hear about the ants - I had a bizarre reaction to a psoriasis cream that had a similar feeling! Well, here's to you being in the lucky 7 - everyone here is right behind you. Best wishes hon!
  • Thinking of you guys

    Jim, one day you and i will HAVE to meet

  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    fingers crossed for option 1!
  • Everyone seems to react to chemo slightly differently. I've been very lucky with the more uncomfortable side-effects, but my white blood cells seem to be taking the flak.

    I had a white blood cell count of 1.07, which is a partial fail. Less than 1.0 is a total fail and 1.5 is the line between partial fail and pass. I was given the option of the first dose of cycle 6 being a half dose or waiting a week and trying again with the possibility of having a full dose.

    I reckoned that the half dose option might give me more white blood cell issues when it came to the second dose of cycle 6. I could end up have a half dose on both of the cycle 6 treatments, which to my mind would be a bad thing.

    Last time I failed the white blood cell count with a score of 0.7 and exactly a week later it was a magnificent 2.8, which is way over the pass mark.

    Accordingly I chose the "wait a week and get a full dose" option. This delays the CT scan and the BIG meeting by a week, but I'm thinking of the long term. What's a week in the big picture?

    All this stop/start chemo shows what a logistic nightmare treating cancer patients must be. The hospital administrator has all his diaries, schedules and charts neatly filled in and then the pesky patients muck it all up by failing their blood tests!

    Now that I'm potentially nearing the end of treatment I'm starting to get impatient. I want to get out and run in the sun.imageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimage

    Thanks for your support folks. imageimageimageimageimage

  • fingers crossed douglas
  • Go neutrophils GO !   Divide and conquer..............

  • Got my third chemo tomorrow and then half-way through image Already starting to worry but everything should be OK - Got my tranquilsers at the ready. Lost most of my hair so went out and bought blonde shoulder length wig for bit of fun as my hair was light brown and very short. A lot of people don't recognise me at first!

    Have managed a bit of running but I am lacking a bit of energy. Been researching diet and chemo and I'm sure this has helped. Carrot juice supposed to be very good post chemo and to my surprise found I quite like the taste.

    Lets look forward to late summer running with no chemo chemicals and steroids. 

    Hope your white blood cell count is multiplying Doug and that the end of treatment is in sight. Let me know what it feels like to get the last one ticked off the list image       

  • Can't really add much but OMG you lot are brave.
  • Lorra - I love the bit about the wig. You go girl!

    Douglas - this is I guess where you miss out - no wigs to play with, well I suppose you could........... 

  • ............wear a chest wig?

    imageimageimageimageimageimageimage

  • Fell into this forum last night and wanted to add something but couldn't find the words. Suffice to say it has been on my mind all day.... its a very powerful forum. And very special. I am full of admiration for Douglas, and all who have been through his experience or similar, and to the support they are getting on these pages from all of you. I'd like to think that the rest of the population was as warm hearted as I have always suspected runners to be. What is it about this sport that brings out or attracts the best in you? Cat 

  • Lol! Chest wig idea is brilliant.... would you be able to get them on the NHS?

    Douglas and Lorra, it's great to hear you staying so positive. Am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that your white cells are feeling frisky and multiplying enthusiastically image

    Still sending the virtual-hugs to you both. J xx

  • Douglas..........

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    I want pictures image 

  • SticklessStickless ✭✭✭

    Tee hee - love the bit about the wig Lorra.  When my young pal lost her hair with chemo her mother promised her she could do anything she liked with her hair once it grew back.  It was a v. pretty rainbow coloured affair for a while...

    Up the blood counts!! wishing you all well.. 

  • Sorry Mrs Pig, but was unable to upload pictures onto Runner's World forum.......................................................................well that's my excuse for lack of pictures.imageimageimageimageimageimage

    Hey-ho and off to chemo we go. It's double dose day and, as I only just failed white cell blood test last week, there shouldn't be too many issues today.

    Oncologist has given me Valium to take post-chemo. Everyone says that it's wonderful. We'll see.imageimageimageimageimageimageimage

    Lorra, for some reason that I've never quite understood, female wigs are totally undetectable to the average male even close up. On the other hand male wigs look like wigs even hundreds of yards away and, frankly, look......................well like wigs.

    I admit that there are exeptions. For example Charles II got away with it, but that was a different era. I've seen triathletes with multi-coloured wigs, but they're for show rather than day-to-day use.

    It's the same with hair dying.................females can get away with it (in fact it's expected) whilst slapping a bit of the old Grecian 2000 on a male pate looks .....................a bit like Grecian 2000.imageimageimageimage

  • Hi folks,

    Well, that's the double dose of cycle 6 done and dusted.

    Minimal physical side effects, but loads of anxiety about minor routine matters. Mole hills became like Mount Everest. Saturday was a mental disaster zone and Friday and Sunday were OKish. 3x2mg Valium per day had a modest effect; I became anxious and sleepy rather than anxious and pacing up and down. It's strange, but whilst in anxious mode I become quite convinced that it will never, ever go away. Logic just flies out of the window. 

    I had been told that Valium was quite wonderful and very, very moreish. I'm afraid I disagree. It was OK and turned a very bad mental situation into a medium bad mental situation.

    Anyway anxious mode has gone away and I've just got single dose of cycle 6 to do before the BIG scan. 

    All the best folks,

    Douglasimageimageimageimageimageimage

  • good to hear you are one step nearer to being post chemo rather than mid chemo.

    hope you continue to stay well, that post chemo mega anxiety thing sounds like no fun. Glad it only lasts a couple of days.

    good wishes to you

    k

  • Keep reminding yourself of how your feelings can change. Is there any other anti anxiety med they could try ?
  • Hello Walktallkate and Mrs Pig,

    Thank you for your kind thoughts.

    If I have to do cycle 7, I'll certainly ask about a better anti-anxiety drug. The anxiety seems to be getting worse on each cycle as I don't remember the anxiety bits on the earlier cycles. I certainly had the "inability to concentrate" and "can't sit still" modes in the ealier cycles, but I don't recall being quite so anxious. However I am very grateful that I don't have the nausea that many people have. My oncologist told me that he's had to discontinue treatment on other patients going through my chemo regime as early as cycle 3 due to the patient's inability to tolerate the chemo.

    I am convinced that my overall fitness has played a huge part in my ability to deal with the disease and the chemo. In my humble opinion this proves that the effort one puts into running and exercise get repaid a thousand fold.

    Lorra,

    I hope that things are going OK for you. All my very best wishes.

    Douglas

    imageimageimageimageimage

  • about the anxiety, there is only so much a drug can do without knocking you out completely image(this may be what you want.....i dont know ). how about trying some meditation or yoga,? if you do some before the chemo and learn some techniques to help when the anxiety strikes, it may be helpful. "simple" breathing techniques can be very powerful in managing physically stressful times. or even one of those off the shelf "relaxation" cd's.( beware of irritating american accents though!)
  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    Well done, Doug!
  • Doug, you have been amazing throughout all of your chemo.  You are always upbeat despite the anxiety attacks, you seem to be doing amazingly.   Physically you look well and you are still a joy to be around. Love Marge xxx

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