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ksplat
Moderator
Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 360
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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 Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: Re: Shel |
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Hello Kel
I am hoping to hear good & positive news from you & was wondering how Shel is going with the new chemo? I look forward to an update from you.
Thinking of you.
Angie.
_________________
Brother has GBMIV
Diagnosed Feb 07
46 Yrs young!
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=19227
"Without Faith We Have Nothing" |
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KelJ
Regular
Joined: 04 Jul 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Porter's Lake, NS
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 12:32 pm Post subject: Finally some positve news! |
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We finally managed to get news of our last MRI; the first since we started on the Etoposide. Although we haven't seen the full report yet, we did get a call from the doctor after she had the first look at the slides and she says the tumour is smaller!!
This is a first for us since all we had managed to achieve after radiation and Temodol was to maintain the same size or slow the growth down, so you can guess that we're pretty excited with this news!
Overall, the Etoposide has been a much better treatment for us. My wife had difficulties with her platelet counts during the Temodol and was extremely fatigued. We had started to see other symptoms appearing and were getting increasingly worried about her condition. It got to the point, as I think I posted, that we didn't complete the final course of treatment but instead started to look at other options.
So the move to a completely different type of drug base worked very well for us. All the symptoms she was presenting (seizure, tremors, loss of co-ordination, fatigue) have gone now and all we're left with is some short-term memory loss and vision problems which have been with us since the surgery. We also decreased the dosage of Decadron last week and have seen no change in her condition from that either.
The treatment course for us is fairly simple. We're 21 days on cycle with 7 days without the drug between treatments. It's pill based (and a lot cheaper than Temodol), so we can still treat at home. No defined number of cycles; just until it's having no effect.
No real side effects that we've noticed. There's still some hair loss, but it's very minor. I'm sure there's an effect on her energy levels, but she's so much better than she's been since we started treatment it's hard to judge.
So, to this point it's all good. I'm well aware that this isn't a cure for us but, as always, we're looking to extend our time in hopes of a more effective treatment... who knows, perhaps for us this is it?
And my apologies for the delay in reply... we were actually away on vacation (took a nice long cruise) and I was ignoring the real world.
As always, my thoughts are with you all.
Kel |
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traceysharon
New User
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 7
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: Wife diagnosed with GBM |
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Kel, so glad to hear things are going so well, it gives us all such a lift and encouragement.
We have decided to defer surgery at this time, as there is a 50% chance that surgery will mean loss of all movement in my husband's left arm and leg, and we're not ready for that yet.
Pat is on day 4 of the first round of Etoposide, but his is only 11 days of tablets in the month, not 21 like your wife. He does though have the IV of Carboplatin the day before the 11 days of Carboplatin start,.
Great to hear no side effects - hope all stays well.
Regards
Tracey
_________________
Tracey, Wife of Patrick
Diagnosed July 2007 with Oligoastrocytoma Grade III
Resection 18 July 2007
30/33 radiotherapy treatments
5 months of Temodal (5/23) |
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KelJ
Regular
Joined: 04 Jul 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Porter's Lake, NS
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject: Thanks Tracy! |
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Yeah, I know what you mean. We were given a 50% chance of "deficits" from the surgery ranging from complete paralysis on one side, blindness etc. to slight numbness. And given that it's a deep brain tumour I can believe it. So we've decided to forgo the surgery at the moment as well.
We're just finishing up the third round of the pink pills so hopefully we've seen all the side effects we're going to get.
Funny, while I type this, my wife is outside pushing our son around in his car - something that she couldn't do just a few short months ago. I completely understand what you mean by "lift and encouragement"!
Kel |
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