Recent Update

[Guest guest]

I really haven't been around on the board much or even reading and

keeping up. I felt the need to take a break for a while. But just

glancing over some posts over the last couple of months I see there

are more Stage IV people on board.

My father is a 2 year Stage IV survivor. He has been on both

rounchs of chemo called Fol-fox and Fol-furi. The fol-fox

(oxiplatin with avastin) worked for about 9 months until the

neuropathy got to be too much - then he switched to the camptstar

for a while before needing a break from the chemo. He took chemo

every two weeks for a year. They did a great job of knocking down

the 11 cm tumor in his liver to under 1 cm. Then for about 6 months

he took Avastin alone and it seemed to keep everything at bay. Then

bloodwork indicated some grow or something even though the CT scan

showed nothing new. He started back on the Oxiaplatin with

Avastin.

July 2005 - The most recent CT scan showed growth in his tumors and

his CEA was up to 40, his highest level ever, so the doctor wanted

him to try Eribitux. Dad has been reluctant to take this treatment

due to two severe reactions he saw by other patients. This is a ost

that I typed up for my friends and wanted to share his story on

here simply so others would know about what happened to him.

According to the latest CT scan's Dad's tumors have grown some in

size, although how much we don't know, because the person reading

them didn't give us exact measurements. But that is at least an

indicaiton that the current chemo. reginm isn't working. So as had

been discussed before dad would start the new drug, Erbitux, which

he didn't really want to unless he had to. The reason being is he

watched 2 other people in Topeka have the same type of reaction.

Although the office in Omaha had never seen such a reaction. He

started with a drug that he had already taken for about 90 min,

Campostar (??), when it was done he was to start with the Erbitux.

It had been started in his port, a direct line to his veins, for

about 30 seconds, when his face turned all red and he felt as if he

was itching inside and from top to botton. He started to unbutton

his shirt and then passed out. My sister, the nurse, was with him

all this time. She continued to unbutton his shirt and then rub his

sterum very strongly to get a reaction. The code team was called,

because of his loss of conciness. He was also bagged by the chemo

nurses, who couldn't get the machines to work right, etc. etc. --

they were in shock due to the severity. ICU code team was called to

the room. It took them some time to find the room, as they hadn't

had to go there before. He blood pressure dropped so low that it

didn't even register for at least 7 min. After 7 min. he had a blood

pressure of 60/30. He was rushed to ICU were he was give tons of

fluids,medicine, etc. This is what I gathered from talking to my

sister and mom. It was bad enough that even the doctor was very

scared for him. He flat out told us that a couple of time. I'm

pretty sure that they were not sure if he would make it or not for a

while. The doctor's said it was a type of anaphylactic shock.

Anyway, he will NEVER be allowed that medication again and he will

return to the Topeka doctor's office in about a week for a treatment

to try and slow the tumors again. He will return to Omaha in about

a month for a checkup. So now we are praying for a chemo that will

allow the tumors to stablize. We are a fighting bunch and won't

give up until it is time.

Dad was released around noon the next day with minimal side

effects. He is at home recoperating and will return for further

treatments later next week.

Side Note: My dad's doctor is participating in the " Tour of Hope "

with Lance Armstrong.

http://www.tourofhope.org/team/2005_riders/silberstein.htm

Kristi