CancerCompass message board discussion started by Portia on 11/16/2005 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,3497,0.htm Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My husband(age 71) was diagnosed last March, stage 3B nsc lung cancer. He went through 36 radiation treatments as well as chemo, carboplatin, taxoterre and taxol. He finished chemo last June and was feeling pretty good for a while. Slight decrease in energy, but able to play golf a few times a week. In September a new scan showed the cancer had formed a tumor on his vertebae(T12) which caused a great deal of pain. He had a second round of radiation on the spine, a vertebroplasty which fixed the fracture and relieved the pain, and is now being treated with ALITMA. He had his second treatment last Friday and since then has been sleeping 20-24 hours a day. His strength is gone, but he has not given up his fight to extend life. Have any of you any experience with ALITMA? How about suggestions for building energy reserves? Would appreciate hearing from any care giver or warrior! Portia Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT The side effects of chemo vary so much from person to person. My mom stage IV NSCLC has had 5 rounds of Alimta and very few side effects. She gets her chemo on a Wed. on Friday she starts feeling some fatigue and constipation but by Monday is back to normal. She is out living a very active life and she is 81 yrs old. She had carbonplatin/ Taxol ( very fatigued with that!) next was Iressa changed to Tarceva a month later and for 7 months it did its job, with that she got a rash which was not too bad and her finger tips cracked but she felt great so was bummed when it quit working and she went back to chemo, Alimta: however there really has not been much of a change in how she feels on it verses how she felt while on Tarceva. The best part is she is not losing any hair on the Alimta which I think provides a big psychological boost for her. Best of luck to your husband. Janmarie Mon, 21 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT