Hello!
My wife had her first dose of chemotherapy (carboplatin/Taxol) 2 days ago --- she has high grade serous adenocarcinoma, stage IIIc, and has elected to defer surgery because (a) it seems so radical to remove the uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes, (unspecified) bits of the intestine, omentum, spleen, part of the liver, a piece of the diaphragm, and lymph nodes in a 7 hour operation; and (b) the recommendation for the surgery was made with no attempt to help us understand why it should be so extensive.
I am new to this forum, and have browsed only a few posts/threads, so apologies if I have missed answers to our current questions.
The symptoms which led to my wife seeking medical help included abdominal pain (which we now think is due to the tumour growing in the omentum) and bloating (which we now think could be due to the tumour encircling the colon).
The first dose of Taxol and carboplatin 2 days ago were tolerated very well. But today she has had increasing abdominal pain going through to the back. She has had no response to the laxative she has been taking in frequent small doses since the chemo, and will be increasing the dose and frequency until there is a response.
We wondered if others have experienced pain a couple of days after chemo, and if this could be due to constipation?
Any shared experiences would be very much appreciated.
Hi - I have the same type of cancer only diagnosed at stage 4. I did have a radical surgery and had a 9 hour operation to remove or repair a lot of what you have mentioned above and a few other sites. I had 9 weeks of carbo/taxol combo - surgery - 9 weeks of carbo/taxol. After all of that I had no evidence of disease. There is a lot of research to show that surgery is a vital part of removing the cancer in high grade and links to survival rates. I had a very poor prognosis over 3 years (weeks) but after the treatment plan above it stabilised me and gave me a chance to get back on my feet and a chance to manage the illness rather than the alternative. I have also had discussions with a world leading pathologist and two surgeons who all felt that a successful surgery was key. It is maybe worthwhile asking for a referral so that you can speak to a surgeon and let them explain in more detail why they feel it is necessary. It is no doubt a major surgery and like any surgery does have risks.
I had a lot of trouble with my bowels, my cancer had spread to my bowel so have been on docusate for the past 3 years. I take 4 daily and increase if I have not been to the loo on the second day. They are very effective and can be used long term. The pain could be coming from this as how it was explained to me that any pressure at all particularly constipation puts a lot of pressure on your internal organs. However I do think you should speak to the chemo hotline or your Oncologist to be sure as everyone is different and I would not like to be giving out incorrect advice.
I hope your wife feels better soon, the first is usually the worst as it is all new. Hopefully she finds a routine and will get to work out her good and bad days and be able to plan around them. There are lots of women on here that have been through this and can also offer advice.
Hi Julie40
Thanks very much for the quick and helpful reply. We will take your tips on board.
One of the challenges in dealing with symptoms such as pain is to understand their cause and meaning. I expect that we will soon get familiar with the cycle of chemo and the side effects, and learn how to prevent and manage constipation.
I do hope that your treatment continues to be successful
best wishes
Michael
Thank you Michael. Note everything in a diary and you will definitely see patterns form and it makes life much easier and especially when it's not such a good day but your diary tells you tomorrow is then you have something to get you through.