For those down under - I love my Onc

[Lyn]

Hi all, well I saw my onc on Friday, his holiday was actually moving back into his house while he did renovations. He is a breath of fresh air after all of the panic this week. He bieng Boris Chern, is Director of Oncology Redcliffe/Caboolture, and David Schlect, Radiology Wesley Private Hospital and they are both appearing on Monday night 7.30 Report on air Brisbane, together with a lady from our hospital, I am guessing it will have something to do with funding Herceptin, he wasn't aware that Kylie Minogue even tested for Herceptin but he knows now thanks to this board. Well he took me off the sterhoid, it seems I have no oedema on my spine, I asked the question and the tumour is not in my spine but pressing against it and it is easier for him to prescribe 20mg of Oxycontin for the pain than 15mg, go figger. He isn't very positvie of a surgical opinion so I am skipping that one, like who needs another doc, I have to let the orthopaedic doc know his little bit of a stiff shoulder needing a little bit of physio would like to whack him in the face, and I am not having a compression fracture but I will be starting Gemzar/Txl/Zometa/Herceptin weekly for 3 weeks on 14 March and 1 week off, he warned me the Zometa his gonna be painful, so what's new, I have already had Txl so having 100mg dose with this regime. He also asked if I was sure I wanted to recommence my eostrogen blocker, I told him to bring it on I would take 2 a day if it helped, apparantly only need one, once it is switched off that is it, and I thought I was onto something. So at least I can look down the track a bit further knowing we still have plenty in the pipeline, and we can have a centenial page instead of a memorial page, lets face it we are pretty much chemical these days anyway just need the right preservatives. So lets go get it AGGGGGAAAAIIIIN???? And I am still in the game.


Love & Hugs Lyn

[StephN]

you are still in the game! GO for it!
Looks like a very reasonable treatment. All these drugs show synergy with Herceptin.

I do have to wonder about one remark you reported from your med onc. Where he warns you that Zometa will be painful. This has been a drug that I have been on ever since my last rounds of chemo over 2.5 years ago. I had it every three weeks with Herceptin for about 18 months, then we cut it down to every 6 weeks and now I am getting it every 12 weeks. The main reasons for cutting down had nothing to do with tolerance or side effects that I had (easy for me to tolerate). It was because the drug was brand new when I started on it and there is not much known about long-term side effects. I stay on just enough to have the desired protective effect on my bones.

I would expect that if you have any pains from the new group of drugs it will be from the Taxol or Gemzar. And I am hoping with the pain meds you are on, you will feel no pains from the drugs.
All my heartfelt best wishes that this tx will KICK A** (pardon my French).

[chrislmelb]

Great news that you have something sorted out now. Also good that Kyles has put in her bit for Heceptin. High profile people can get things moving.

Take care
Christine

[lindaw]

Dear Lyn
Just as i was feeling sorry for myself and hopeless about all the chemos I've been on for these skin mets and all to no avail - you come along with you hope and positive views and help me again.
Thankyou

love
lindaw

[lu ann]

Dear Lyn, I was on taxol, carboplatin,and herceptin for 6 months last year, and I have been on monthly zometa for 2 years. Like Stephenie, I had very little discomfort with the zometa. I had the chemo/herceptin cocktail 3 weeks on/1 week off. At first I had flu-like symptoms but my body got used to it. By the 4th month my hair started to grow back. I did not have neuropathy from the taxol. This combo knocked my ca15-3 tumor markers down from 110 to 21.

Love and Blessings
Lu Ann

[Lyn]

Thanks everyone, I certainly don't need anymore aches and pains, but I figure the drugs I am on already will knock them out as well, fingers crossed. I have been so tired today each time I went to get up I had to lie back down again, I know nerve pressure points are important in Acupuncture, so maybe my neck is pinching on the one that wants me to go to sleep, I feel like I have whip lash without the neck brace, and I can't wait to start chemo, the weird things we look forward to, I just want to start getting it out of my body.


Love & Hugs Lyn