GEMCITABINE WEEKLY CHEMO FOR BONE METASTASES

hi lily!

I’m not on this either. I didn’t know there is chemo for bone Mets. Have you started treatment yet and if so, how’s it going

I am joining you. I started Gemcitabine in August but due to a host of other things I have only had 4 sessions and have yet to complete a cycle. Next Thursday I start again and hope to get to complete the three weeks in a row. I am taking it as a 4th line I believe. My advanced cancer is a tumour entangled in the neurovascular bundle in the right brachial plexus which sounds like no big deal but the neuropathic pain just about became unbearable and in the pat two months I had a trial intrathecal pain pump in my abdomen with the catheter inserted up the intrathecal space of the spine. Enough for now but I really want to see what side effects I get. What has been your story Lily since starting?

Marian

Lily, I hope your side effects improve. You need to drink whatever you can keep down. Dehydration is no joke. I find ginger helps my nausea more than prescription nausea meds. I take ginger pills, ginger candy from chemo center or candied ginger from Whole Foods bulk section. If you don’t tolerate water well, perhaps some type of juice, a smoothie or simple soup?

Hi Lily, as mentioned, I have had 2 treatments now. I had to get my second one after 6 days rather than 7 due to my Thanksgiving travel schedule. However, I will have 2 extra recovery days on top of my week off as I readjust my treatment schedule. I felt a bit better this round as I had some pretty bad pain in my shoulder the first round which was not a problem this time. The nausea and fatigue seemed to be a bit better too than the first treatment. However, I have developed an odd rash on my elbows, like I have a large, round, red patch over each elbow. I did hear that rashes can arise in the first few cycles but usually subside after that. In my bloodwork the day of my last treatment (after only 1 Gemzar dose), I was shocked to see (a few days after treatment) that my ANC (absolute neutrophil count) went from being in normal range to .940 or something, after just one treatment. I read in the Gemzar instructions that that should require a dose adjustment to lower the dose to 75% of full dose but no one mentioned a dose adjustment to me and I don't think I received one. I didn't see my MO before my treatment. The way the dosing instructions are written, it is a bit confusing and I can see how someone would miss that. The chemo nurse ran my bloodwork and then compared it against the hospital's pre-established bloodwork thresholds for whether I could receive treatment. No one said anything to me. Lord knows what my ANC is now - possibly dangerously low - but I feel pretty good. My appetite is down but not gone and I am one to kind of force myself to eat a bit to avoid major malnutrition / low weight problems. I hate to look sickly (in other people's eyes, to avoid judgment) although I cannot completely avoid that with this damn disease.