Skip to main content

Deferred Chemotherapy

Today I should have had my 53rd chemotherapy infusion, but my blood test results on Friday showed that the neutrophils were at 1.2 (10*9/L). The minimum level for chemotherapy to go ahead is 1.5. 

Its not the first time that that this has happened, but because of the bank holidays including the May Day one on 5th May my next treatment will be on 19th May. This will be a break of nearly 7 weeks. No the longest gap, but certainly comes with a level of concern. The FOLFIRI treatments that I am on works best when it is administered every two weeks. 

The next CT scan in a months time will be revealing!

IN the mean time the deferment has brought three phone calls. the first to confirm the deferment, the second to cancel the pump disconnect IV clinic appointment and book a PICC line service appointment. The third from the chemotherapy appointment administrator to advise on the rearranged treatment appointment.

Chemotherapy Protocol COLORECTAL CANCER FLUOROURACIL, FOLINIC ACID (Modified de Gramont) and IRINOTECAN (FOLFIRI)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Folfiri Side Effects

My side effects are: Constipation for first few days - Figs! Neuropathy particularly of the feet, small toes - raised the issue with the chemotherapy nurse - some concern about my tolerance to the toxicity of the treatment. Darker urine Breathlessness Some days of raised blood pressure Some days of irregular blood flow At least two hourly need to urinate, day and night. Acid reflux Irinotecan Side Effects: Common, Severe, Long Term - Drugs.com Fluorouracil (5FU) | Cancer information | Cancer Research UK

4000hz

I have taken a look recently on the iPhone App Store to see if there are any useful tools to restart a distraction program again. Having reduced the irritating high pitched whistle that I constantly have on both sides four years ago though distraction it may work again. Having quietened the tinnitus before only for it to be brought back by my car alarm going off while in it. Being exposed to very loud noise makes my tinnitus increase in volume, so another attempt at distraction seems worth the effort. The first app investigated was Tinnitus Finder by Desyncra for Tinnitus , its free to download. This app took me through a series of pairs of sounds each time asking which sounded most like my own issue. At the end of the process the app reported that the noise I hear is around 4000 hz. Armed with this knowledge I sent in search for an app that would offer a selection of sounds from White Noise to sounds of nature. The Beltone Tinnitus Calmer  offers up to five different sounds ...

Tinnitus, starting the journey

A few months ago I thought I could hear a noise from a radiator when trying to go to sleep one evening. The noise was so real that I felt that it must have been an actual sound. As the central heating was not on I came to the conclusion that the sound was in my head. That incident was an early sign on my journey to being a tinnitus sufferer. A visit to my GP prompted a response of 'Oh dear' when I told him that I thought that I was suffering from tinnitus. After inspecting my ears he told me that there were three approaches that he could offer me: Do nothing and learn to live with it, see an audiologist to check if I needed a hearing aid or undergo hearing therapy. I chose the audiology appointment as my preferred first step.