PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW ANY OF YOU FEEL ABOUT THE DRUG "ZOMETA" I AM ON XELODA AND THAT IS A CHEMO DRUG FOR THE SMALL 2 CANCER SPOTS IN MY LIVER THEY ARE 1 CM AND 3 CM AND I KNOW THAT WILL NOT STAY THE SAME. I HAD BREAST CANCER 9 YEARS AGO AND THEY REMOVED MY RIGHT BREAST, AND I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WAS CURED. AALMOST 8 YEARS LATER I HAD A PAAIN IN MY SHOULDER THAT KEPT ME AWAKE AND I DECIDED TO HAVE A UNTRA SOUND AND THAT IS WHEN THEY FOUND THE 2 CANCER SPOTS ON MY LIVER, I ALSO HAVE THE BEGINNING OF BONE CANCER IN MY SPINE ALSO VERY SMALL, WITH ALL THIS NEWS LATELY ABOUT CANCER AND FAMOUS WEALTHY PEOPLE DYING FROM IT, SOMEHOW IT SCARES ME EVEN MORE, I DON'T DUE EVERYTHING THAT THEY TELL ME TO DO, NO LIQUID CHEMO FOR ME OR RADIATION, ONLY IF IT CAN CURE ME, I LOOK WELL AND FEEL WELL, THE WORST PART ABOUT IT IS NOT KNOWING WHEN, AND THE JUMPING IN AND OUT OF DEPRESSION. DUE YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? THANK YOU A VERY SCARED CANCER PATIENT. CARLENE
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Hi Carlene - I noticed you didn't reply back to Diane's last post, and we haven't heard from you since September. Is everything ok? We'd love to hear from you and get an update on your recent doctor visits and how your treatment is going. We know cancer can be scary, and just wanted you to know you're not alone in this.
November 26, 2009 - 5:25pmTake good care,
Pat
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Carlene,
Yes, I'd love it if you'd update us after your doctor's appointment, or even the next day (I know that's a long round trip for you). Is this the appointment where you will be trying the half-dose of Zometa for the first time? I hope it is trouble-free, and I'm glad you'll have your sister with you. Make sure that before you leave the doctor's office, you know what to watch for in terms of possible side effects. But I hope you don't have any! Do let us know.
September 23, 2009 - 5:33pmThis Comment
HI DIANE, THANK YOU FOR WRITING BACK TO ME, I HAD A VERY BUSY DAY YESTERDAY, I HAD TO MAIL PACKAGES AGAIN, AND OUT HERE IT TAKES A TOTAL OF 60 MINUTES TO GET THERE AND BACK, AND A FEW EXTRA TRIPS MADE. MY NNEIGHBORS TOOK ME OUT TO DINNER LAST EVENING AND THAT WAS VERY NICE. LAST NIGHT I SLEPT LIKE A BABY AND BOY DID I NEED IT.
September 23, 2009 - 10:43amI WILL SEE MY DR. TOMORROW, AND IF YOU LIKE I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THINGS GO. MY SISTER WILL BE COMING OUT TO BE WITH ME. SO YOU HAVE A FARM ALSO, I USE TO HAVE CATS AND MORE DOGS, BUT I AM DOWN TO JUST ONE VERY GOOD DOG, MY MR. WATCH DOG. I GOT SO TIRED OF HAVING LITER BOXES AND THE EXPENSE OF THEM, ALL THE STUFF YOU MUST ADD TO THE LITER TO KILL THE SMELL, I LOVE CATS BUT OUT WHERE I LIVE THE BOB CATS AND COYOTES AND OWLS WOULD LOVE THEM TOO. AGAIN THANK YOU FOR WRITING ME BACK IT MEANS ALOT...CARLENE I TOOK TYSON MY DOG TO GET HIS BATH AND I WAIT THERE AND HIS NAILS GET CUT WHAT A DIFFERANCE ITT MAKES...
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Hi, Carlene,
I'm glad that you and your doctor have agreed that you will try a half dose of Zometa to start with. I sure hope that it has few side effects for you and that it will be a help to you.
So glad that you'll have your sister visiting this week. Social interaction is soo important for us. We all need to feel as though we are not alone in the world. Especially when you are so far away from the friends you were used to. (Do you email them?)
And you made me laugh when you wrote about feeding all the critters, but not being able to talk to them! I live with three dogs and two cats, and while they are good listeners, they don't offer much back in the way of conversation, do they?
September 22, 2009 - 9:26amThis Comment
HI DIANE, THANKS FOR WRITING ME BACK, I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE POST OFFICE, AND THE GROCERY STORE AND THE FUN GAN TANK... MY CONCERN IS THAT MY DR. IS 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM ME, HE HAS BEEN THE DR. FOR 9 YEARS AND I TRIED ANOTHER ONE, BUT THE SECOND DR. WANTED ME TO ONLY HAVE HIM AS MY DR. AND SOME BAD MISTAKES WERE MADE, BUT I CAUGHT THEM. MY 2 SONS LIVE IN LA ALSO, AND YES HAVING MY DAUGHTER HERE IS GREAT, AND I HAVE THE MOST ADORABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE YOUNGEST ONE, TALK ABOUT A REAL CUTIE AND SOOOO SMART AND FUNNY, I HAVE BEEN BLESSED. I HAD A ANTIQUE SHOP AND SOLD COLLECTABLES ALSO, AND HAD SO MANY GREAT FRIENDS... I BOUGHT NEW FURNITURE FROM MY UNCLE AND WATCHED IT FALL APART SO I FOUND ABOUT ANTIQUES AND GREAT FURNITURE, AND THE DEALERS FOUGHT OVER ME, FAIR PRICES AND GREAT STUFF. UP HERE WE HAVE THE BEAUTY OF NATURE, DEER, RATTLESNAKES NOT SO PRETTY, BOB CATS, QUAIL, AND ON AND ON, I FEED THEM DAILY, NOT THE SNAKES. BUT YOU CANNOT TALK TO THEM ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS.
September 21, 2009 - 1:05pmTHOSE LOOK LIKE HIGH AVERAGES ON THE SIDE EFECTS. IT IS HARD LIVING ALONE WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND MY DAUGHTER KEEPS VERY BUSY WITH HER BOYS AND THAT IS GOOD. MY SISTER IS COMING UP TO VISIT WITH ME THIS WEEK FOR 5 DAYS AND THAT IS GREAT. I KNOW THAT LIFE IS HARD, AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE IS SO MUCH WORSE THAN I, AND I AM SO SORRY FOR THEM. I TOLD MY DOCTOR THAT I WOULD START ON HALF THE AMOUNT, AND HE WAS OKAY WITH THAT. EACH DAY IS A NEW SURPRISE OF FEELINGS, ISN'T IT? I LOOKED INTO THE ZOMETA THAT YOU SENT ME WENT ON THE CHAT, AND THEY ASKED ME WHAT MY AGE WAS, WHAT KIND OF INSURANCE I HAVE AND IT IS GOOD, AND ON AND ON, AND THEN THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A PROGRAM HERE WHERE I LIVE, THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE. HOW I WISH THAT THE MEDICAL SERVICES WERE KINDER, YOU ARE GREAT BUT THEY ARE MISSING SOMETHING. I AM GOING TO PICK UP MY GRANDSON SHORTLY, AND AGAIN THANK YOU, PLEASE FEEL FREEE TO CONTACT ME AGAIN I LOVE YOUR WISDOM...YOUR NEW FRIEND, CARLENE
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Carlene,
Thanks for writing back! It is not boring at all. I think it's wonderful that you can spend so much time with your daughter and grandsons. Does that make up a little for being farther away from your friends? I know what you mean about too much alone time. Especially since you spent so many years of your life raising a family and running a business. Are there any opportunities in Tehachapi for volunteering? Have you visited the Tehachapi Library? I found this story that they need volunteers from just a couple weeks ago:
http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/ViewPost/109600
What kind of business did you used to run?
Regarding the Zometa, the tough thing is that drugs interact with everyone differently. Sometimes you just have to find the information you can and then try.
In this page about Zometa side effects:
http://cancer.emedtv.com/zometa/zometa-side-effects.html
here's what it says:
"As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Zometa® (zoledronic acid); however, not everyone who takes the medication will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider."
Here are the most common side effects they list:
•Nausea -- in up to 46 of people
•Fever -- up to 44.2 percent
•Fatigue -- up to 39 percent
•Anemia -- up to 33 percent
•Vomiting -- up to 32 percent
•Constipation -- up to 31 percent
•Diarrhea -- up to 24 percent
•Muscle pain -- up to 23 percent
•Cough -- up to 22 percent
•Joint pain -- up to 21 percent.
Many of those side effects could be treated with another medicine, if you and your doctor felt that the Zometa might really help you.
An even smaller population of people (8 to 20 percent) had these side effects:
•Headaches
•Dizziness
•Abdominal pain (stomach pain)
•Weight loss (see Zometa and Weight Loss)
•Back pain
•Unusual sensations, such as tingling or burning
•Arm or leg pain
•Loss of appetite
•Bladder infection (urinary tract infection or UTI)
•Hair loss
•Yeast infection
•Chills
•Low blood pressure (hypotension)
•Upper respiratory tract infection (such as the common cold)
•Mouth sores
•Sore throat.
And though the following side effects are infrequent, they could be serious:
•Low blood levels of calcium (hypocalcemia), phosphate (hypophosphatemia), and magnesium (hypomagnesemia)
•Decreased urination (which may be a sign of kidney damage)
•Severe bone, muscle, or joint pain
•Jaw or tooth problems
•Signs of an allergic reaction, including unexplained rash, hives, itching, unexplained swelling, wheezing, or difficulty breathing.
And it ends by saying this:
"You may experience some or none of the Zometa side effects listed in this article. Unfortunately, there is no way for your healthcare provider to know beforehand whether you will have side effects from a medicine that you have never tried. Therefore, make sure to let your healthcare provider know if you develop any side effects while taking the drug or if something "just does not seem right." While it may not be a side effect of Zometa, your healthcare provider will be able to diagnose and treat the problem."
Does that help you any? The numbers on what side effects are most and least common?
Please write back and let us know what your doctor says.
September 21, 2009 - 8:55amThis Comment
HI DIANE AGAIN, THANK YOU AGIN FOR YOUR SMART QUESTIONS, AND YOUR SUGGESTIONS, I AM NORMALLY A VERY UPBEAT PERSON, AND I CAN GO 4 WEEKS AND BE JUST FINE AND THEN THE WORRIES SET IN, MY ONE DR. HAS PRESCRIBED LORAZEPAM 0.5 MG I TAKE 2 EVERY EVENING, HE HAS TOLD ME I CAN TAKE UP TO 6 BUT NO THANKS.
September 18, 2009 - 10:46pmTHE SIDE EFFECTS ARE WHAT SCARE ME ABOUT ZOMETA, IF YOU GET THEM ARE THEY REVERSEABLE???? AND BEING OFF IT WILL IT THEN BRING YOUR BODY BACK TO SEMI NORMAL, I HAVE LEFT A MESSAGE WITH MR DR. AND HE SHOULD REPLY BY MONDAY. LIKE I MIGHT HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE MY SON PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER OF THE STOMACH AND LIVER AND THE STARTING OF THE PANCREAS, HE BATTELED IT FOR 13 YEARS, HE HAD A VERY BAD KIND. I BELIEVE THAT ANY CANCER OF THE LIVER WILL BE FATAL, I LOOK FINE AND JUST FEEL TIRED ONCE IN AWHILE, I WATCHED MY GRANDSONS YESTERDAY PICKED THEM UP FROM SCHOOL AND FED THEM AND THEN I CLEANED MY DAUGHTERS HOUSE. 6 YEARS AGO MY BUSINESS OF 26 YEARS ENDING UP CLOSING BECAUSE THEY DID NOT TAKE CARE OF THE BUILDING, SO I SOLD MY HOME IN 2 WEEKS AND MOVED OUT TO TEHACHAPI WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER 2 HOURS AWAAY, I DON'T KNOW MY WAY AROUND HERE, AND MOST FRIENDS COME OUT HERE A FEW TIMES BUT IT IS A AWFUL DRIVE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK TO MY OLD ROOTS, SO THERE IS WAY TOO MUCH ALONE TIME, I WS SOOOO BUSY BEFORE THAT. I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT IT IS BORING I KNOW, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR WISDOM..CARLENE MASERO
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Hi, Carlene, and I'm so glad you would write to us again. Has your doctor recommended Zometa to you? Are you hesitant to take it?
Zometa is a drug that is used to help protect your bones after cancer has spread. Here is their web site, which includes information about how to talk to your doctor about the drug:
http://www.us.zometa.com/info/index.jsp
And here's a Drugs.com page about the drug, which includes information about side effects:
http://www.drugs.com/zometa.html
I'm so sorry that you're scared. But with what you've already been through, it's clear that you have a lot of inner strength. What made you decide against liquid chemotherapy or radiation?
Are you also getting treatment for your depression? Have you talked with your doctor about either seeing a therapist who treats cancer patients or about a prescription for anti-depressants?
Do you have a strong support system around you of family and friends?
I hope that other women will tell us about their experiences with Zometa. And please write back and let us know how you're doing.
September 16, 2009 - 5:22pmThis Comment
HI DIANE, I HAVE LOST MY REPLY TO YOU, I WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WISDOM, CARLENE MASERO
September 16, 2009 - 11:47pmThis Comment
diane you make so much sense, thank you for your helpful thoughts and experiences in life. i will bother you again..thanks, carlene masero
September 18, 2009 - 8:52amThis Comment