PETSR2LOVE

I have tumors on liver twice from colon cancer. They were treated with shaped beams radio surgery. 5 to 10 days and they were gone. I heaved used ginger tablets and ginger cookies. The tablets work well for minor nausea. The are over the counter. I have also used all of the others in the 4 times I have had chemo. Check out the radio surgery. I think you can google novalis shaped beam and you might be able to find out where it is done. I had mine done in Rochester NY and am now at Shands in FL.

If medical marijuana is not available to you... consider MARINOL - I was given a script for that, and it was pretty good. None of the constipation side effects.

However, you have to be prepared for the fact that you will get a high from the medication. It's "supposedly" not the same as the high you can get from marijuana itself... but it works darn well when it comes to handling the nausea and moving you to feeling more like normal.... During my last four cycles, I had trouble eating and with nausea. Marinol helped me actually WANT to eat... and helped with the nausea.

I'm told that many people with no experience with marijuana do not like marinol... but that most people with experience with marijuana like it just fine, although the feeling is not the same as with marijuana....

Don't know if that helps, but it seems to be something that the docs do not offer unless the patient requests it.

The main side effect that I experienced mildly was feeling a ''high'' or elevated mood.... So, for me, this medication was a success, and it enabled me to almost maintain my weight.

I take Emend one hour before chemo treatment, then also on days 2 & 3 along with Dexamethasone. Zofran I take every 8 hours. Compazine if nausea doesn't subside. If I still get breakthrough nausea, I sucked on ginger candy. I also had ginger root tea and ginger ale nearby. Those sip rather than gulp. I was recently mentioning to my chemo doc that I had been experiencing breakthrough nausea and he wrote me a prescription for Ativan. I'll use that as a last resortvI guess since it's more of a relaxant but also helps with the nausea from what I was told. I was also told it makes you really sleepy....so I might save it for evening time. I'll have to see.

Oh...also...getting up, listening to favorite music, keeping your mind busy, going outside for some fresh air also has helped me a lot. This nausea can be such a mental fight. Laying down is the worst and doing nothing was the worst for me. Your mind just focuses on that scrappy empty void feeling of nausea and things get worse. Avoid it as much as possible. Hope some of this helped. Sending you lots of warm hugs and well wishes.

My mom went thru same... 3 spots on liver also...
We went for chemo embolization ( chemo treatment right to liver ) but two treatments and the cea and scans showed still growing so we were transferred to Stanford for radio embolization ... Essentially same treatment but with radiation. Just had it done two weeks ago... They do this treatment two times, follow up with blood work to watch cea at two weeks and four weeks then a scan at three months to see if worked. This procedure is to "shrink" the tumors ... It will not get rid of tumors...but in our case...the 3 spots have grown to 80percent tumor left lobe
20 percent tumor right lobe...so hoping for shrinkage!
Don't really know if all liver rumors grow quick, but my moms sure did so acting quick.. Gaining as much knowledge as possible from as many sources as possible, is key!

I had the same thing. 2 years after initial surgery 3 tumors in my liver. I had shaped-beam radio surgery. It was easy and successful. The shaped beam focuses the radiation beam on the tumors only. I had my treatment at the univ of Rochester in NY but it is also available at Shands in FL and other places. I have had it two more times in other places but have survived metastis for 10 years with no treatment in between and no chemo now. See Dr, Paul Okunieff, Diector of Shands Cancer Center.

Did you ask about ERBITUX?

Hi - I know that's not what you were hoping for. But I am sure there are several people who will weigh in and give you support. To make sure more people see this I suggest you also post this in our Questions section. You can do this by clicking on the "Ask Network" link on your logged in home page or the "Questions" link at the top of this page. When you post needs/questions using our question feature, we route your question to everyone in the network who might be able to help. We support you every step of the way.

withdrawl from chemo or meds? Check with your onc...haven't heard this one. sorry. hang in there!

Dear petsr2love:
I am in Taxol round 5 of 12, after 4 rounds of A/C. I frequently feel cold, but it's due to the anemia which is a side effect of the chemotherapy. My red blood counts get very low with very low hemoglobin. So it's really being anemic that causes the cold feeling. Have you seen your red blood counts or inquired as to whether or not you may be experiencing anemia?

If the coldness is during and just after the treatment I would just wrap in a blanket - most places have them available, some places have heated blankets available :)

If it persists I would talk to the Doc about it. Where you see just yourself the Doc has probably seen hundreds of cases and should be able to tell you if it is a normal, expected effect or not and make recommendations.

I had 4 months of Taxol...3 x a week. I have always been cold due to thryoid but never like this. I wear layers of clothes and big scarves around my neck. Our utility bill went way up...I need in everyroom I step into. I can't wait for summer.
Everyone gets so hot around me...I layered big time the other day when friends were coming over for a card came during the day and I didn't turn the heat on and actually opened the window for them for fresh air. It was a beautiful day. It worked. lol
do you use an electric blanket? I also use a small heating pad while sitting on sofa under blanket so I don't have to roast everyone out.
Good luck.

My dad finished chemo on August 23rd and radiation on October 12th. He still feels chills and always feels colder then any of the rest of us in the house. Not sure how long it lasts, but it's been over 5 months for my dad.

Tina.

I am doing better now, 7 months out from my last chemo. Boy, was I freezing during chemo. My husband and probably neighbors thought I was crazy this summer when I would be outdoors in the sunshine, 80 degrees in my 3 layers of clothing including a sweatshirt. Sometimes, I even wore gloves! I was so chilled during chemo. I do agree that the chemopause helped because I would get hot flashes all the sudden as well. I am not near as cold now, but I do think I run a little colder than normal. I hope you do well and eventually start to warm up!

Sorry to say for some it's a forever thing. I was told it's from poor circulation since the chemo messes up the veins. I am 23 years out from the first time I had chemo and I am always cold natured.

Good question to pose to the network. More people will see it that way and be able to provide insight.