On 3/26/2008
missrenee wrote:
So what do I need to do to prepare myself? It is gemcitabine/oxaliplatin .I have a tumor on the head of the pancreas and I will do 2 cycles before surgery and 2 cycles after.I am 46 female and very healthy otherwise hahaha.I am in phase 2 of a clinicl trial.
karen
thanks for all info advise.
My husband was never on the combo, but "gemzar" by itself had none of the major side effects,his hair thinned only and is coming back now wavy sort of and really thick. He was given a "nausea " shot with each treatment and then some pills, but never did get vomiting sick. The fatigue was the worst thing, got pretty bad at times.He started out 2 weeks in a row, then skip a week. When the fatigue got so bad they went to every other week. He had COLD feet(his legs would be warm but not the feet) on the 3rd day and that was the day his temp would try to go up-(and what ever was happening it would be on the 3rd day except for the fatigue.)however temp never got to the point of calling the dr.
Including the nausea "shot" he was never in longer than 1/2 to 3/4 hour.
The gemzar had a tendency to burn so they would slow the drip down and that's when it took longer. He always had a bag of fluids after to push the gemzar on through.
I agree if you are going to be on it long term seek the mediport. My husband had a PICC line which was better then just being stuck each time-he has rolling veins-He said if it comes back-He is in remission now,but being stage 4 to start -the dr does expect it to come back.He will get a mediport so he can "sweat". The PICC line had to be kept dry and we had to put some heprin in each day and the dressing changed each week.
God Bless You and don't let the fatigue get to you, the dr said it would come even tho there were several weeks in the beginning when it wasn't there.
Jan