Cancer Support and Caregivers Who Are Trail Blazers!

[deb_U_taunt]

I get a break! I start radiation Oct 10th and finish Nov 18th. Dr said walking will help with the fatigue, YIPPEE back to walking the dog, when the feet stop hurting (she said give that a couple more weeks). I am feeling like I will be getting my life back some!!!!!

[JustJo]

Hi everyone

I'm back at home after 4 days of visiting Mom at the hospital, running her errands, taking care of things at her house and, unfortunately, having to patch up the damage that my sister did with Mom's friends as well as the doctors and hospital staff.

Overall, she's doing a bit better. She's extremely thin....skin and bones really....but she is now on a soft diet and able to keep a little food down. Nothing more than 1/2 a cup at a time, but soup, pudding, half a banana...she even wanted a strawberry milkshake enough to ask for one and drink an inch or two of it. That's huge since nothing has sounded remotely good to her for a long time now.

She's completed her TPN training (once I got her a new instructor, rewrote the instructions, and trained them on her learning style....did I mention that I'm pushy?)....but once we got that all right she sailed through and feels comfortable managing it herself.

She would like to go home for a week or two and then come here (once the Avastin clears her system and they get to see what this mass is), but that's debatable. The challenge right now is that her blood pressure is staying way too low (80s over 50s), and they are struggling to keep her fluid levels up. In the hospital they can pump her full with IVs but that won't work from home...so they're trying a medication that is supposed to help slow down the travels of fluid to the ostomy (no clue how)....but we have our fingers crossed on that.

Now that she can manage the TPN, if they can get the blood pressure and fluid levels right, then she can come here to me to get through the rest of the chemo, then build up strength and weight for a few months....and then comes the belly wash procedure (if she decides to go ahead). Right now, she's not sure. She did accept some counseling and discussion with a wonderful woman who does counseling with cancer patients for hospice....and I'm hopeful that will help her sort out her feelings and choices.

Mentally she is absolutely 100% herself, and as fiercely independent as ever...so the choices are hers, and I've committed to backing her up on whatever decision she makes.

Thanks so much to everyone for the support.

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by Debby

I get a break! I start radiation Oct 10th and finish Nov 18th. Dr said walking will help with the fatigue, YIPPEE back to walking the dog, when the feet stop hurting (she said give that a couple more weeks). I am feeling like I will be getting my life back some!!!!!

Epsom salt soaks may help the neuropathy going on in your feet.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Tommi

Epsom salt soaks may help the neuropathy going on in your feet.

Really? I will have to try that one, too.

Right now I am on Neurontin, L-Glutamine Powder, and B-6.

And no, not working, but maybe a wee bit.

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Really? I will have to try that one, too.

Right now I am on Neurontin, L-Glutamine Powder, and B-6.

And no, not working, but maybe a wee bit.

Dapper, do you have horrible neuropathy as well? We haven't figured out anything to help it aside from ice water foot baths.

I went in for a checkup last Wednesday and she wants to do another surgery to remove a growth that has been causing me lots of pain and discomfort on my right side. I go in on the 21st and should be home that same night providing all goes well. Fingers crossed that there's no more cancer.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by CatalinaRose

Dapper, do you have horrible neuropathy as well? We haven't figured out anything to help it aside from ice water foot baths.

I went in for a checkup last Wednesday and she wants to do another surgery to remove a growth that has been causing me lots of pain and discomfort on my right side. I go in on the 21st and should be home that same night providing all goes well. Fingers crossed that there's no more cancer.

Yes, but my neuropathy is not horrid. The Neurontin (Gabapentin) is prescribed by my oncologist (600mg twice a day). The L-Glutamine powder (35-40g) and B-6 (100mg, twice per day) was suggested by a physician I saw in Chicago, Illnois, Keith Block, M.D. (http://www.blockmd.com). Both you can get in health food stores/vitamin stores.

There were two other supplements reccommended to me for this problem, but to cut costs, I only went with the top two suggested (I am on a number of supplements in hopes of keeping away a recurrence).

I believe that Neurontin is the standard treatment for neuropathy (from chemo and from diabetes).

PLEASE let us know about what happens on the 21st.

P.S. Sorry I was a grump on the name change thread! I was only (ok, kind of), teasing you!

[Novelafemme]

tease away i am a notorious ignorer of the rules. and if i'm not ignoring them i'm most likely just too lazy to read the OP's request!

[DapperButch]

Catalina -

I know that Debby told me she uses Aloe Vera with Lidocaine and someone else just mentioned to me that B12 may help, too.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Yes, but my neuropathy is not horrid. The Neurontin (Gabapentin) is prescribed by my oncologist (600mg twice a day). The L-Glutamine powder (35-40g) and B-6 (100mg, twice per day)
!

Funny how neuropathy affects us all a little differently. B-6 is interesting. It causes a full body flushing effect on me. I like the B vitamins, for more reasons than just neuropathy.

Ice cold water....no thanks. I prefer warm soaks. Cold metal sets it off for me. I have found a supplement called L-Arginine helps alot. The Gabapentin, made me feel like I was being electrocuted. The tip of my big toe is constantly stinging. Movement helps me the most....nothing like a good workout, power walk.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

Funny how neuropathy affects us all a little differently. B-6 is interesting. It causes a full body flushing effect on me. I like the B vitamins, for more reasons than just neuropathy.

Ice cold water....no thanks. I prefer warm soaks. Cold metal sets it off for me. I have found a supplement called L-Arginine helps alot. The Gabapentin, made me feel like I was being electrocuted. The tip of my big toe is constantly stinging. Movement helps me the most....nothing like a good workout, power walk.

Hi, Yellow band.

I agree with the warm soak idea. Cold is what I am trying to get away from!

Even in the summer, I had to wear socks at all times because it cut down on the pain/numbness. I couldn't wear sandals and that is usually what I wear every day in the summer. So, on the one hand I needed the socks for the neuropathy in my toes, but I was hot b/c I had on socks. My mother got me these socks (can't remember where they are from...some catalog she got in the mail) that were only for the top half of your foot. Since I tend to not wear shoes in the house, it was really useful. Just thought I would mention that for those in hot climates...

Also, I agree with movement as helping.

I really like that this thread is currently busy. It is nice to talk about these things with others who are also experiencing them.

Have a great day everyone!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

Funny how neuropathy affects us all a little differently. B-6 is interesting. It causes a full body flushing effect on me. I like the B vitamins, for more reasons than just neuropathy.

Ice cold water....no thanks. I prefer warm soaks. Cold metal sets it off for me. I have found a supplement called L-Arginine helps alot. The Gabapentin, made me feel like I was being electrocuted. The tip of my big toe is constantly stinging. Movement helps me the most....nothing like a good workout, power walk.

Just a comment on the B Vitamins. I took a B complex to help boost my immune system during chemo. My docs have now told me that FOR ME taking B1, B2 could encourage any present cancer cells to grow, so I had to stop that supplement. I take a multi vitamin that doc manufactures for cancer survivors (which includes Bs) and B6 (and I need to add B12) in addition.

I don't know if the B1 B2 discouragement is based on the type of cancer I had, or what.

[deb_U_taunt]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Really? I will have to try that one, too.

Right now I am on Neurontin, L-Glutamine Powder, and B-6.

And no, not working, but maybe a wee bit.

I am going to try it too.