Carol Symons

  • Hi jean

    I have just had an ultrasound and they tell me I have nodules on my thyroid and will refer me after SCT recovery….day +8 today and I am feeling rough! But I do wonder if the radiotherapy (10 sessions) I received for the centre of collarbone lesion may have started changes in the thyroid.

    Carol

  • Well I have reached day+5 after transplant and am officially neutropenic. Have had a little nausea, burning oesophagus, now some difficulty swallowing, no appetite whatsoever and diarrhoea, but all in all this has been manageable. Now I am neutropenic I am told to expect the temperature spike, which unfortunately will be followed by a tsunami of…[Read more]

  • Thanks everyone
    Well I did the ice thing and have no mouth sores yet, but I am only up to day 2 since transplant, so not out of the woods yet.

    Mandy.I am so scared that I will go through ths transplant and then only get a short remission…. 7 weeks – that is worrying! It is such a gamble but I felt I had to take the chance.

    Carol

  • Thanks Liz….had a bad day yesterday with a bit of vomiting, but today seem better better after they hit me with an extra anti nausea shot! Am only 2 days post transplant so they keep telling me to expect worse things to happen…like temperature signalling an infection, mouth sores and diarrhoea but so far none of this has eventuated. I had…[Read more]

  • I agree that the NHS treatment is very regimented with no individualisation as in America. I do not even know if cytogenetics (FISH test) have been conducted in my case so am I low or high risk? Nobody has told me. It seems that unless you chase up a trial, everyone gets CTD…which I do not see used for first line treatment in America. Even…[Read more]

  • Melphalan done and dusted, stem cells tomorrow….around 450 million of the little blighters (5 million multiplied by my 90kg weight approx.) so may be infused over 2 days. So many prophylactic drugs though -3 different anti-emetics including one through infusion, anti biotic and anti viral. I guess they are necessary, but would rather not have…[Read more]

  • Goodness Helen I weighed 92.2kg this morning (thanks steroids and a husband who “encourages” me to eat) so is that 92.2 times 5 million? Astounding! They had darn well better work exceedingly well and exceedingly fast or I will be exceedingly frustrated!

    Do you see the time I am posting this? That’s cos they hit me with intravenous steroids…[Read more]

  • Hi Tom

    You always post so positively! Even though I am pumped full of drugs as I have had my melphalan plus so many other drugs today, I have to share my good news about my stem cells.

    I have boasted about my 15 million collected cells elsewhere on this forum, but today finally had a chance to ask a consultant how they will be returned. He…[Read more]

  • I am going into hospital Sunday, melphalan Monday and stem cells returned Wednesday…..wish me luck -I feel I may need it! Feeling vey anxious now as the time approaches.

    Carol

  • Carolsymons replied to the topic Treatment in the forum Newcomers 12 years ago

    Isn’t it great to be off the drugs? Even though I had etoposide (high dose chemo) on 11 December and stem cells collected on the 23rd I still feel pretty good. But….all that is about to change as on Monday I will be poisoned with melphalan in preparation for stem cells returned on Wednesday. Not looking forward to being ill from the drugs…[Read more]

  • I will be having the dreaded melphalan on Monday with my stem cells returned Wednesday. Hammersmith Hospital does not provide ice for the chemo infusion…in fact the consultant basically laughed at me when I asked about it. So to all of you experienced SCT people out there does ice help to prevent or lessen mouth sores or not? I need a quick…[Read more]

  • Hi Tom

    You are my shining light …..always so positive – I hope all goes well with the Velcade….watch for neuropathy – many people seem to suffer that with Velcade from what I read. Your 4 years remission after SCT is what I keep in the front of my mind as I am being admitted Sunday for my SCT….melphalan Monday-aaaaaaaaargh!

    Carol

  • Carolsymons replied to the topic survival in the forum General 12 years ago

    Tom

    Harrow is the closest centre to me too -but not within walking distance. Were you able to get any information from them?

    Carol

  • Carolsymons replied to the topic Excruciating!!!! Tiredness in the forum Newcomers 12 years ago

    I feel tired often but not to the extent you describe. It is odd that your blood tests don’t show anaemia or any thing else that would account for it. I think that the reason I went through initial drug treatment relatively well was that my husband kept insisting that I eat even if I didn’t feel like it. So lots of fresh food, fruit and…[Read more]

  • Carolsymons changed their profile picture 12 years ago

  • But….if you had been honest up front, would Stewart have been offered the job? That is the million dollar question! At my work they employed a woman who was 5 months pregnant but claimed she didn’t know till a week after she started work (and it was her second pregnancy so I am sure she knew) I toonwonder what the legal situation is? Well…[Read more]

  • Hi Deborah

    My numbers started rising after only 3 weeks off the initial treatment which was CTD. I wanted to go on the PADIMAC trial to access Velcade but unfortunately my consultant dissuaded me. I still beleve velcade would have been better than CTD for knocking my lambda light chains down.

    On the 15th of jis month I am having pre tests…[Read more]

  • Hi Liz & Kev

    Yes I am still amazed by the collection millions..I haven’t read of anyone else with that number, but haven’t seen a doctor since, so don’t know why the collection went so well. Fortunately I am someone who asks lots of questions cos when I had the blood test after 7 days of Neupogen injections, the doctor told me to double them up…[Read more]

  • Hi all

    Well I have collected plenty of cells (15 million per kg) and have a tentative transplant date of 22 January after pre tests on 15th. So off to work I go on Monday for a couple of weeks. I wonder how all of you are faring?

    Carol

  • Hi Izzie

    Enjoy your holiday and don’t worry about your paraprotein rising. Many people have months or even years in remission without a transplant. I was just one of the unlucky ones to lose remission so quickly.

    Carol

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