Stopping Xeloda

I have been really unwell today - nausea which prevented me finishing my breakfast, a painful mouth ulcer up near the jaw hinge, the beginning of diarrhea, stomach cramps and chills (though my temperature was normal). I rang the doctor - my oncologist is at a conference in the US - and was advised to stop taking Xeloda immediately and not to resume until my next appointment with my own doctor. This is a fortnight away, but I only had 5 more days on the Xeloda cycle.

I am disappointed that there will be nothing attacking the tumours, but relieved that I may have chance to get over this.

Date set for the next CT scan

I had heard nothing about my next CT scan from RPH (the hospital which is hosting the clinical trial I am involved in) even though my oncologist had faxed through the request ten days ago. So I rang the oncologist's receptionist who made enquiries for me. They apparently just got round to scheduling today and it is to be on Wednesday June 16th. This was supposed to be the day I would see the oncologist next, so she has rescheduled my appointment for Friday 18th (to give them time to get the report to the doctor) and has also organised a change of date and time for the Avastin infusion at the Ivy Suite. Hooray for helpful aides - it does make life a little less stressful. The scan is to be at an annex to RPH in another suburb, so I won't be able to take the train. I will have to drive.

I have been thinking that I really need to make a more consistent effort to get regular exercise - it is too easy to spend all day on the computer or the sewing machine. This morning Kevin and I set out for Manning Park, which has been one of our favourite walking spots in the past. However, today turned out to be one of the days that the osteoarthritis in my legs and hips decided to flare up so the walk was not as long as it should have been. It was lovely to be out in the sunshine, though, even if it was chilly in the shade when the wind blew. I had a nap when we came home.

I have been nauseous all day today again but I haven't taken any medication. I am still without a sense of taste, except that I find soup liquid quite palatable. Can't say the same for any meat or veges it contains.

Visit to the eye specialist

I have just come back from visiting the eye specialist. One of my eyes has got worse and the cataract in it could be operated on, but it is not yet affecting my sight in a major way. I was glad to hear that - at this point I would rather not suspend chemo for anything else than urgent surgery. I am to go back to him in a year's time (I am refusing to contemplate the possibility that I won't be able to make it - I will be there!)

Now I need to make another appointment with the optometrist to sort out my vision problems with new glasses. I will have to wait a week or so though until the eye drops clear up the blurring.

I have had almost continual low level nausea today which has not been connected with feeding delays. It was bad enough after lunch for me to take a Pramin in case something bad happened at the eye clinic. It worked, but the nausea is back. Something to write about in my Xeloda diary - there's not much in it so far.

Starting Xeloda

The blood count was OK yesterday so I started my first cycle of Xeloda this morning - 4 500mg tablets in the morning and 3 in the evening for 14 days.

I had an infusion of Avastin - just half an hour, though the wait for the chemo and the necessary flushes of the catheter meant I spent about an hour and a half in the Ivy Suite (clinic).

My oncologist is going to Chicago for a big cancer conference in early June. While he is away I am to have another CT scan which I hope will show some progress in shrinking the tumours. I was not happy to find my CEA has increased. It's now 1000, where it was 500 some weeks ago and 768 last week. The oncologist says that it is not too worrying - the CEA tends to go up and down. I guess it is still better than the 9000 plus of my initial diagnosis.