Category: cisplatin

carboplatin, chlorpromazine, cisplatin, hiccups, thick saliva1 Comment

Third day in…

rbspecht

Hey, this carboplatin is a breeze! Whoo hoo! I am eating, only using half of the nausea drugs, and keeping everything down… yes, everything. I have yet to vomit since the introduction of the carboplatin into my system on Tuesday. There have been ‘hiccups’. But with the judicious application of that anti-psychotic novo–chlorpromazine, we seemed to have nipped that particularly ugly side effect in the bud. One of the questions that immediately jumps to mind is ‘why didn’t they use this drug before?’ Well, apparently it takes between 3 and 6 doses of carboplatin to have the same butt-kicking effect … Continue reading Third day in…

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Good news and so-so news…

rbspecht

The good news is that the blood tests conducted this morning show that the key indicator looked for has jumped from 0.9 to 2.9 in the last week!The so-so news is that, based on careful consideration and discussion with the appropriate doctor, we have decided to go ahead with the last chemo therapy session. We gotta do everything we can that may make a positive difference. We will not be using the cisplatin, but a derivative that will not have nearly the negative effects on my digestive tract or hearing. Its called ‘Carboplatin‘. The documentation on the drug shows that … Continue reading Good news and so-so news…

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Chemo; Delayed again!

rbspecht

Yes, my final chemo treatment has been delayed again. The doctor assures me its from no fault of mine, but is directly attributable to the cisplatin, the chemo drug. We talked last time about the blood count numbers, and how we went from a 2.2 to 2.0 to 1.5 and then 1.2 last week that forced the initial delay. Well, this week the count was down to 0.9! The good doctor did say that its not dangerous until 0.5. Ya, but the delay is a bit depressing. My timelines are completely shot. I have no real idea what to expect … Continue reading Chemo; Delayed again!

chemo therapy, cisplatin, Cross Cancer Institute, gag reflex, radiation therapy, thick saliva, tonic waterLeave a comment

Update: Radiation; DONE: Chemo; DELAYED

rbspecht

Today should have been the day that the final Cisplatin chemo dose was administered. Well, it didn’t happen. Yesterday, when they did the pre-treatment blood work, it was discovered that I have not come back far enough in my blood counts: I’m sitting at 1.2 and they really want me much closer to 2.0 (2.2 being where we were at the first chemo, but admittedly at only 1.5 when they did the second chemo treatment). It will come back… we just need time and some dietary help. When they normally give chemo, they work to a 21 day cycle that … Continue reading Update: Radiation; DONE: Chemo; DELAYED

carboplatin, chemo therapy, cisplatin, My Cancer Journey, sinuses, sound, tinnitusLeave a comment

Cisplatin and tinnitus

rbspecht

One thing that I haven’t mentioned over the past few days that should be noted is the effect of Cisplatin (the chemo therapy drug) on my ears. Tinnitus. Since last Friday (yes, it took two days to manifest itself) I feel like its always the day after a big rock concert. My ears are lightly full of white noise, punctuated by high pitch whines. Physical pressure changes from the weather, wandering from room to room, just a subtle change in altitude up and down a hill can make a difference as to what I hear and experience. Certain metallic sounds … Continue reading Cisplatin and tinnitus

Akabutu's Mouthwash, cancer, cisplatin, hiccups, oropharyngeal, vomitingLeave a comment

White Noise…

rbspecht

Sometimes a bit of white noise in the background is more comforting than silence. I haven’t written in a week, through a week that had promised all sorts of challenge. I’m sure that some of you who check in regularly may be concerned. Don’t be. All things are moving forward nicely… little to no problems. The major challenge is that a change to the anti-nausea drugs is making me very lethargic… down right sleepy, really. I am not sick. I am not spewing everywhere and everything as I did last time. We even seemed to have gotten the hiccups under … Continue reading White Noise…

cisplatin, Cross Cancer Institute, projectile vomiting, vomitingLeave a comment
rbspecht

What a disaster! By 7 PM last night I had vomited up absolutely everything in my system and was beginning to work on all of the accumulated fluids in my system… talk about a ‘cleanse’! My urinary output was virtually Nil. I had also been hiccuping almost non-stop since noon. The ‘almost non-stop’ was for about half an hour after vomiting, then the damned hiccups would start again. My guts were sore, I hadn’t been able to keep anything down, I was becoming dehydrated. So, after a number of consultations with the Cross (including a mid afternoon call with Nicola, … Continue reading

cisplatin, hiccups, projectile vomiting, vagasLeave a comment

First Chemotherapy and First Radiation

rbspecht

Indications of the imminent approach of a tidal wave, as verified on tape and anecdotally during the Boxing Day tidal wave in Thailand several years ago, was (or is) the slow withdrawing of all the water back from the beach, in some areas as much as several kilometers away from the coastline. Once withdrawn, there is a ‘pause, two, three, four’ and then the water comes screaming back towards and then over the beachlines/coastlines and well inland.At 2:00 am this morning, I had a mild hiccup which woke me. My immediate thought was that the bought of hiccups that I … Continue reading First Chemotherapy and First Radiation