Posted on 11/07/2008 8:53:42 PM PST by Lisa_from Buckeye Country
Common Tator will find out on Monday the results of how his chemo has worked to battle his cancer. He's in the fight of his life.
God Bless you Ray!!!
Prayers continue for you, ray, and I know you will continue fighting the good fight!
Glad to see you’re still with us.
Between the drugs and the painkillers its hard to keep track of who you are, much less what the doctors did.
Don’t waste your time worrying about the past.
Stay focused on your current treatment and keep eating.
Prayers for you and your family.
God bless you. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you beat this thing.
God bless you C T. Will continue to pray that the treatment is effective and that you continue to get better.
I am praying for you.
Aside note,,I am on Taxol.carboplatin for ovarian Ca and got a neuropathy in my hands and feet from the Taxol.
I read that at Mass General they give glutamine 10 grams three times a day the day of chemo and for four days to prevent this. No controlled studies, but many reports of it working.
Got the glutamine, you have to take it in smoothies,,10grams three times daily {walmart has it in a powder} and after two days I was much better, today after five days the neuropathy is almost gone.
It is okay to take with your regimin but clear it with the oncologist and if I were you,,I would do it. The feet numbing and tingling and pain drove me nuts!!!
Good luck,,glad you aren’t having sides. The only side I have is when the steroid wears off and I crash and cry for two or three days!!
Prayers for recovery.
I am still praying for your complete recovery.
More prayers on their way, CT! Moreover, I’ve got my Prayer Warrior sister keeping you in her daily prayers as well. Please keep us posted.
Prayers that the treatments are VERY successful Ray!
Hang in there. I have a friend who is fighting stage 4 lung cancer. I’ll be adding one more to my prayer list(you).
Thanks for the update. We are pulling for you with the Almighty. We won’t leave Him alone until you are well. Fight the good fight of faith. The Lord is Healing you.
First of all I want to thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes. God Bless you All.
As some of you know, when I was diagnosed last August my oldest Daughter wanted me to come to her home in Canton Ohio and be treated there. She arranged for a Oncologist friend to take my case. And So I transfered from Dr. Roach here in Chillicothe to a Dr in Canton Ohio.
The Canton oncologist started me on the standard Treatment for my type of lung cancer ... Cisplatin and C16. After 2 doses over 6 weeks he ordered a cat scan. It showed the lung cancer to be slightly smaller and the cancer in my liver to be worse. He changed my CHEMO to TAXOL.
During the 7 week period after moving to Canton my breathing had so deteriorated I could barely speak more than 3 or 4 words at a time. I had to wear oxygen and if I walked more than 10 feet I was totally out of breath. When I tried to climb stairs, I had to take one step at a time and pause for 5 or 6 breaths before taking another step. And was still totally out of breath once I reached the top of the stairs.
Late last week I decided that the drainage from my sinuses was putting so much fluid in my lungs, that it just might be the problem. So I got some Benedrill and started taking 12 tablets every day... the maximum recomended dosage Within hours my breathing had improved a fantastic amount. I am no longer on Oxygen.
One of my friends came to Canton and brought me home to Chillicothe last week. I was so improved that I drove my own car back to Canton. The Dr at Canton lead me to believe that my chances of survival were not good. He said I had developed a resistance to Cisplatin and that could include Taxol as well.
So Last Monday after getting anohter dose Of TAXOL, I packed up all my stuff and drove home. I got home at about 7PM. The next Morning I drove out to the medical building and asked the receptionist, if Dr. Roach would take me back as a patient. She asked and he said certainly. My next Chemo was schedulted for next Monday and I asked if I could get my CHEMO at his office. She said yes,
Then she asked if I could come back the next day at 10:00Am for an appointment with Dr. Roach. She said he would see you today but he wants to have all my records from Canton faxed to him and he will have them by 10 yesterday morning.
I went in at 10 yesterday. He had gotten the latest Cat Scan from Canton, and all my Canton records. He had examined it all. He was very encouraging. He said that my first cat scan was made 5 weeks before I started treatment. He felt the that during that time the spots on my liver and the tumor in my lung had doubled in size. The fact that there were now 3 spots on my liver and the tumor was slightly smaller than it was at my first cat scan was a strong indicator that the chemo had worked very well. He felt that when I started CHEMO the Tumor was much larger than it is now or was in mid August
He said he would not have taken me off the Cisplatin and C16 but since I now had 2 doses of TAXOL that he would keep me on it for at least a two month cycle. He said the TAXOL has worked very well in 1997 and he was quite sure it was working well again. The lymph node pain is gone the pain in my back where the cancer is is gone. That seems to say the Tumor is shrinking. He aaid he thinks the CHEMO is working well. He said he would not nave taken me off Cisplatin and C16.. but he would have given it weekly instead of once every 3 weeks. He said changing CHEMO after just a couple of doses is not good. So he is keeping me on the TAXOL.
I asked if I could have TAXOL for 8 straight weeks instead of 3 weeks on and then skip a week.
His reply blew my mind. He said if your cancer was bad enough, I would do that. But that would really weaken you and cause very bad side effects. He said your cancer is not serious enough to justifly that much treatment. It may take a month more to get it in total remission but keeping your blood counts in good shape and not having bad side effects is worth the extra month.
I asked what is my worst case senerio. Dr Roach replied being on heavy CHEMO for a year. The other Dr had talked about me mot making it through January and Dr Roach was talking about the worst case being CHEMO for a year. It occured to me that they do not give CHEMO to dead people.
I aked him what he thought would happen. He said he expected it to take another 4 pr 5 months to get the cancer into remission. He felt he would have it all under control by this spring. He said I looked a lot better than when I was in the hospital for pneumonia. And that was a good sign.
In any event I am feeling much better. This Tuesday I went to my cousins house for a Gospel Jam session. And this Sunday I will be playing lead Guitar with the Malone Family Band for the Morning and Evening services at Mt Tabor Church. The Family Band plays about 20 mintues or so before the morning service, they usually do at least one song during the service and then play as the congregation is leaving after the service. My cousin Luther and I will be playing twin guitars. Luther Jr. will be playing drums, my cousin Larry will be playing bass and Osie will be playing rhythm guitar. Cousin Margaret will be playing keyboards. I am really looking forward to it.
If I feel well enough I may go to the Paint Valley Jamboree and play this Saturday night.
In any event I am much improved, breathing well enough to sing and can walk around the house at a normal pace with out getting out of breath.
Once again I want to thank all of you for your prayers. I am about in the same place I was last summer. I am no longer coughing up blood and am feeling better.
I want to thank you all. God does indeed answer prayer. I have a ways to go before I am out of the woods.. but I think I am doing quite well... compared to 3 weeks ago.
God Bless You John, and God Bless everyone for their kindness and prayers. Your prayers and affection have been more comfort than you can know. And I will never be able to thank you all enough.
Thank you and God Bless
OH Common Tator! Thanks for this wonderful good news update. Have great fun Sunday. Prayers continue for you.
My dear BG, you will want to see the good news at post 194. 8^D
You’ve been in my prayers Tator, thanks for the update. Have a Happy Thankgiving!
Prayers continue for your complete recovery, CT/R. It’s good to hear that you may have found the perfect drug to fight your cancer.
We have a member of our church just diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas and I’m going to share your TAXOL information with him.
Keep your spirits up and eat ALL your daughter’s food if that’s what it takes to get you back on your feet! I bet she loves feeding you! ;-)
Hey CT. I don’t know how I have missed this thread, (probably the election ;-\ ) but I saw it today.
So, I will pray for you and your treatment.
May God be so pleased to free you from pain and discomfort.
He knows every part of our humanity and does miracles every day.
So, I pray you are healed in every way, even today!
You are loved and cared about and we all hope you are physically free to do those things you want to do. And go where you want to go.
Be blessed in Jesus’ name
LP
Ongoing prayers up here.
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