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Hello!! I'm just looking for info on any symptoms following end of chemo treatment. I'm not disease free but stable so currently on a 'chemo break' that the doctors are hoping lasts a while. My last chemo was at end of June. I've had one oncologist checkup since. They will not do blood or CT testing unless there's symptoms. my GP ran a CA125 & it's still high but stable. I'm platinum resistant so was put on Caelyx after discovering some lymph nodes were growing & had 12 treatments. I'm fatigued now & probably getting more so. The GP did say my blood is low. I also have stomach upset & just general abdominal discomfort. I have good days with no symptoms & then the next is a couch day. I had 21 chemo txs altogether in the last 2 years plus debulking surgery. My last CT was June. I'm just a bit lost with this. The oncologist I saw didn't really give me a straight answer. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms?

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I'm platinum resistant too, and I didn't really start feeling this kind of fatigue until 2 months of starting  weekly Paclitaxel with bi-weekly Avastin,  that combo really takes it out of you. My neutrophils and hemoglobin are low too, so that definitely adds to the tiredness. I'm on continuous treatment, so no chemo breaks, but I try to listen to my body. I don't have couch days, but some days I just don't feel like doing much. I still make myself go for a walk or putz around organizing. It helps me feel a bit more like myself. You've been through a lot, and it takes time to find your balance again. Be gentle with yourself,  we just keep going one day at a time 🩵 Can I ask how long you were NED? I was NED for 3 months after my first line treatment of Carbo and Paclitaxel  plus debulking surgery. 

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Thanks Cole! I was NED for about 3 months too. My CA125 started to rise about a month after chemo ended. I was placed on monthly bevacuzimab after chemo which did nothing for me. After 3 months, I developed an incisional hernia so they had to do a CT & discovered the lymph nodes were growing. 

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@Alwayslearning just an update. I had developed proteinuria and a bit of a high blood pressure after 1year of Bevacizumab every 3 weeks. I had to pause and was started on an angiotensin concerting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-Ramipril. Works for blood pressure but apparently also first treatment against proteinuria. And it worked! After 2 weeks I was just ok to get my Bevacizumab infusion yesterday. So, don’t get discourage with some of these side effects. There may be a solution to it.

@Tanja … I'm always amazed at the different  things they have up their sleeve. I'm glad it worked!!! Thank you for the update. 

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Thank you for sharing that. It sounds like we've had a very similar experience.  My first CA125 was taken 3 months after finishing first line chemo. It went  from 34.7 to 556. It must be so frustrating the maintenance treatment didn't make a difference. I'm sorry you had to go through the hernia and then find out about the lymph node growth on top of it. This disease really doesn't give us much of a break, does it? Sending you strength and hope as you keep moving forward. 💛 💪 🩵

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First time here to respond to this site. I too had lymph node growth and this year I have had radiation to shrink two lymph nodes. First lymph node was 15 treatments and second lymph node 10 treatments. I found radiation very easy to tolerate. Chemo is a whole other treatment filled with complications. I am left with severe neuropathy in both feet and two finger on my left hand. I am always looking for new treatment for this. Nothing really works. I find I have to take Trazadone 100 mg to get me to sleep. At least sleep gives me some relief. Hope you look into radiation to treat your lymph nodes. I had abdominal radiation. Keep the faith and never give up.
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@Keep the faith I'm glad radiation is helping and more tolerable for you.  I was reading something on a Facebook group the other day about using baking soda while in shower and rubbing it on areas of pain like a paste…have you heard of this?  .not sure if it works?  

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It certainly sounds like it! 🩵

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You really have a lot to deal with, don’t you? 21 treatments in 2 years is a lot. I thought I’d had a lot with 18 over five years -- in 2020, 2022, and this year. My final treatment was 2 months ago and I’ve been gradually getting back my energy, a little bit every day. I had surgery before the first two times, but not this time, so I feel like I’m recovering more quickly. That’s something to keep in mind, that your body is not only recovering from chemo but also healing from the surgery.

I too have/had trouble with my stomach, which my GP suspects is caused by all the steroids that are part of the treatments and which irritate tissues. He prescribed Pantoprazole which really helped. I started with 2 doses a day, but am being weaned off it and I’ve been fine.

You didn’t mention this, but one side effect that I’ve had with all three sets of treatments is urinary incontinence. It would start almost right away after a treatment and would ease up before the next one. Thankfully, that’s also behind me, too.

My story with OC is different but I was left with lots of stomach issues as well -for a good while I would feel OK during the day but just as I was getting ready for bed, I'd vomit everything up. So, similar to@GGail , my GP prescribed Pantoprazole and that helped a lot. I'm in the process of weening off it and also working on my diet to ensure my gut gets healthier. I still have bad days (yesterday was definitely one) where I keep a heating pad over my belly and limit myself to liquids and simple foods. I definitely can't eat several hours before bed and meal portions have gotten smaller. 

I've had two impactions and learned to really listen to my body and work on staying regular and eating well. Gosh, even raw veggies, as much as I love them, can result in a really bad day if I go overboard. It takes time for our guts to heal after everything we've all been through. 

Perhaps see if your oncologist or GP can get you in with a dietician (most cancer clinics have them) to help with creating meal plans that work for you. 

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