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Posted 12/16/2009 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,i went yesterday saw my oncologist .They want me to have radiation now since i had lung surgery then chemo. after they told me side affects from radiation i decided i would have just chemo.I know chemo makes you sick but radiation makes it worse.I saw my pain management dr the other day and he changes my pain meds from oxycodone 30 mg to ms contin 15 mg.Now the ms contin dont help pain at all.He could have just raised my oxycodone to 60 mg and everything would have been ok.Plus they tell me they are gonna put morphine in my pain pump.Which i hate the morphine.So now i have to go back agin and explain that Ms contin is not working. Its a mess and it really upsets me .He dont want to listen to me and what i feel. i like the oxycodone it helps my pain all he would have to do is raise the oxycodone. Anyone evr had cancer with pain pump and i hurt my back in 2006 last time.
Posted 12/16/2009 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
FYI: MS Contin is morphine.
Posted 12/16/2009 8:06 PM (GMT 0)

   Hello WV! ...were going to have to wait for Straydog on this one...as I know for a fact she is the expert on the Pumps. I think maybe the PM's like to switch the meds from time to time to keep the tollerence from building up. Im just a guessing here...and have no knowledge of the pumps at all. I did visit with a PM a day or so ago, and he mentioned that it would be a last resort for me, and was talking about a neuro implant. Have you tried this type of device? Hope you find some relief soon.

    Michael

Posted 12/16/2009 10:51 PM (GMT 0)
WV. girl

I gather that your oncologist is the one who is doing your pain management? Is that right? I think I would try to at least talk with a Pain Specialist or a different Oncologist anyway! There is no excuse for that, most Oncologist are more receptive to their patients, and usually will talk with them and give them more input and control over their treatment and pain management! If your Oncologist is not doing that then you need to find one that will! This is important stuff were talking about here! You need to be kept in the loop and be the center of all this! These people work for YOU!

I wish you well! Good Luck to YOU!

White Beard
Posted 12/16/2009 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hey wv I'm sorry you are going through so much. I don't have any experience with pumps but have been on oxycotin elixer and usually take it twice a day and 20 mg and use extra strength tylenol for break through pain. It bufferes some but never ever takes the pain away. 60 mg of the stuff sounds like a lot to me but the elixir hits the stream quicker. Again sorry you are having pain.
Posted 12/17/2009 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
Defintily not any fun. I dont like morphine either, after my first surgery we found out I was allergic to the stuff. But spent days extremly sick with other issues from it. I do not have any experience with a pump, but my grandpa who had lung cancer did. He had bad reactions to about all medications he took oral so the pump was a huge relief for him. They had dilaudid through his. It changed his life. As for your oncologist, I would deinitly think you should see a PM dr as well. With your condition they should be able to use what works as oppose to a switch that may not be benificial. good luck!

Mike
Posted 12/17/2009 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
I have an oncologist plus pain dr.The pain dr put me on ms contin,which are gonna put morphine in pump next week.I was having pain relieve on oxycodone 30 mg,but it only last 4 hours.If they would have raised it and let me take it every 6 hours i would have been ok.Now the ms contin makes me sick at my stomach plus no pain relieve.My oncologist took a catscan and was gonna get back with me about radiation. He ask me about my heart,which i have severe coronary arthlecrosis.I will have to take radiation thru chest and i got scared and told them since my heart is kinda bad i was affraid to take radiation.But i would i would take chemo .hey were suppose to call me today.Noone called me back.I m so upset with the drs here i made an appointment in Morgan Town wv at west virginia university.They have cancer center there and pain management .Its about two hour drive from me.But i think it will be worth the drive.I can have all my drs there in that one area.So im praying it will work out. Thank everyone for answering me.I really like having someone to talk to .Wv.girl
Posted 12/17/2009 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
wv. girl
I think I would agree with you even if they are a 2 hour drive for you, if they are all together and can communicate with one another, and agree on your treatment, it would probably work out better for you! I do wish you well wv.girl I know how dificult chemo can be on a person, ( I have not had it myself but have administered it as an RN on an Onco Unit) We are all rooting for YOU! and we are all here for you, to talk to and give you support!



Good Luck to YOU, and may Peace be with YOU!



White Beard
Posted 12/18/2009 2:22 AM (GMT 0)

Hi WV Girl,

Wow, I was hoping by now that you had already kicked your PM dr to the curb and was in with a new one that is treating you right. Did you ever speak with your oncologist about a new pM dr. I had spoken with you before on here about that.

I really hate to hear that you are having such a hard time. The cancer situation is enough to deal with in itself, but under treated pain is just terrible, I cannot begin to imagine how you are coping with it all.

My mom had lung cancer and she opted for radiation over chemo. She saw too many people (close friends) be ill from the chemo and since she was terminal she did not want to be sick all of the time. Her radiation went fine and she did very well with it. At first she got a littled tired but after a few treatments that passed. She never got sick from the radiation treatment.

I do hope the new PM dr is a good one and will take care of you. Please keep us posted on how you are coming along.

Posted 12/18/2009 3:25 AM (GMT 0)
Dear Straydog i finially got to talk to my pain dr.He is giving me back my oxycodone and making it stronger.I talk to my oncologist about radiation and he was a little reserved because i have blockages in my heart and since the radiation will go thru chest it will be close to heart.So i could have a heart attack while having radiation. Plus he told me my breathing would get worse and maybe stay that way. Plus i would have a lump in throat from radiation maybe have trouble swallowing.I dont want any of that .So i told him i would have chemo instead.Both of them can make you sick at your stomach.IM thinking maybe they can control it. I not only have cancer i have a bad back too.I have four herniated discs in the thorasic area and two herniated disc in low back. Pus i already have a cage in low back with screws and bolts. I have a pain pump too.I was on dauladid and it made me swell up all over.So now they are gonna change medicine.They have been lowering my pump to put new medicine.I have to travel 48 miles one way to pain dr.Each time they lower it i have to come back in two weeks to lower it some more.I dont see why they just cant take medicine out and put new in.It would save me alot of trips and gas.I get sleepy sometimes driving so long away.Can i ask what is in your pump?
Posted 12/18/2009 3:27 AM (GMT 0)
Streaming Eagle what is a neuro Implant?
Posted 12/18/2009 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Gosh White Beard,please bare with me .Im not sure if im typing on right forum or not.I hope you get this.Im gonna ask you about the radiation cause i know you have experiance working with cancer patients.Am i right not taking radiation because of heart.I said i would take chemo.Which one is worse? I talk to my pain dr and he gave me back my oxycodone.So im gonna stay with him. Im scared to take radiation on kind of heart.Thank you for getting back to me.Can you answer me again ? I know you are sick too.I wish you well.Thank you Deb_50.
Posted 12/19/2009 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
wv.girl


There is no right or wrong, in this type of situation, you have many valid points on not wanting to do radiation, what does your oncologist say about it? When you had your surgery, how did they stage your cancer? All these are questions you need to ask your Doctor about. If you want to E-mail me I can help you make the proper questions up to ask your Doctor about! I can't give any medical advice or any thing likew that but I can help in guiding you in what type of questions you might want to ask your Doctor so you can make a good and informative decision about the type of treatment that they may offer you! Please don't try and second guess yourself! To make good decisions you need to have good information, so it is important that you and your Doctor talk to each other and your a team! I can't stress that enough! You and all of your Doctors make up a team. All the players on the team need to talk with each other and decide together what is the best approach in treating your cancer! But in the end you make the final decision! I hope I haven't confused you, I do want only the best for you! I am glad your Doctors are getting you pain meds straightend out! I am sorry I did not get back with you earlier, You can E-mail me if you want ( after your signed in check the envelope under my name on the left side of my post! you can E-mail me from there)



I wish you all the best Deb_50!!!, I am never to sick or busy to help anyone in our CP family, even if it is only to give a listening ear!



Good Luck to YOU



White Beard
Posted 12/20/2009 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
WV when my meds had to be changed in my pump no, my dr did not taper me off the meds before putting the new medication in. I don't understand why your dr is doing that. I went from Morphine to Dilaudid and had no trouble. It does take 24 hrs for the old medication to clear your catheter line too in case you did not know that. I see WhiteBeard has responded, I hope you will email him with your questions on the cancer thing. he can help you here.

Mom's cancer was in the lower lobe and I am assuming this is why the radiation did not get to the throat area. So, she had no problems with that. The way they did her radiation was from the front thru to the back. She had no nausea only got tired for a couple of weeks then that passed. Let us hear from you.
Posted 12/21/2009 12:00 PM (GMT 0)
Wv girl, do you have a friend or family member that could accompany you to your doctors appointments? Sounds like you could use a second set of ears and someone that could help you collect all the information. This way when you get home from the doctors you will have someone to help you remember everything that is being said. When you are in pain and have alot of information thrown at you at one time it can be overwhelming to say the least.

Good Luck and hope you can get your doctors all on the same page.
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