Debra's question and my cancer treatment
I take oral chemo medication at home for 5 days and then I stop for 5 days and then take it again for 5 days and so on for 20 days. I see the oncologist every 6 days, Originally since the tumour is so small I was to have only surgery but since the oncologist would prefer that I have the spinal surgery before the abdominal surgery ( whipple proceedure) they decided to start the chemo. I am fortunate in that there is no hair loss with the type of chemo I am on. Since medical care is free to every Canadian citizen and in our area there are not enough orthopedic surgeons I have to wait a while for the surgery. Gail
Gail, Having the back surgery before the abdominal surgery.....well, I guess the docs know best on that one. It would be my thinking logic to just get rid of the cancer first....and then have the back surgery. But since I DO NOT have a medical degree hanging on my wall......what the heck do I know! I'm NOT Dr. Connie..... LOL So. that's certainly why we need to have confidence in and trust the doctors to follow the best course of treatment. And, once again.....there's always something to be learned here when we share with each other! I didn't even realize there was oral chemo that you could do at home! Everyone else I've ever known who has had to have chemo, had to go to a clinic to have it done. And although my brother was to have the chemo, they put a port in his arm for that...and then by the time they finally did that, it was already too late. He never even got to have a single chemo treatment. But they had planned to transport him to the clinic when he was suppose to do the trearments; it just never came about. And, my nephew only had radiation....not chemo. But every cancer is of a different kind, and so I guess the treatments vary so widely because of that! Some cancers are very agressive, which was the case for both my brother and nephew.....and some are very slow. I'm guessing your is of the leaser aggressive type because of how they are handling your course of treatment.....so that is SO encouraging! Connie Gail <whiskers7@... I take oral chemo medication at home for 5 days and then I stop for 5 days and then take it again for 5 days and so on for 20 days. I see the oncologist every 6 days, Originally since the tumour is so small I was to have only surgery but since the oncologist would prefer that I have the spinal surgery before the abdominal surgery ( whipple proceedure) they decided to start the chemo. I am fortunate in that there is no hair loss with the type of chemo I am on. Since medical care is free to every Canadian citizen and in our area there are not enough orthopedic surgeons I have to wait a while for the surgery. Gail Connie Turner