Help! Advice, anything. Xtandi, Zometa What's next?

Hallelujah!!! Was concerned about him fighting more pain. I know it's not great on the whole, but better

Oh nhwife. I am overjoyed to hear that the pain has subsided. May his comfortable discomfort?? continue for a long time.

I feel for all of you as you care for your beloved husbands. I feel very lucky that we are not as far along in the progression of this horrible disease.

Ann asked how you keep going for the long haul and I seriously do not know how you all do it. I don't think I will be able to do half the job that you women do. I hope for my husbands sake i do.

Nancy

Ann
Has your oncologist approved mixing regular meds with alternative supplements. Not saying its wrong..but I know it's not a good idea to mix both for high blood pressure. Why hasn't the doctor given him sleep meds?

Praying for clean report too - this you don't need. Keep us posted.

Ann - as Southern Comfort said - with Taxotere they usually receive the steroids; which can really wire them. It's a mixed and confusing combination with the fatigue that comes from chemo. Also think Jitters made a good point about mixing types of medicine w/o oncologists knowing. I know a pain, since there may not be a depth of knowledge on alternative medicine.

Jitters - you certainly don't need anything else to even think about, much less worry about. Thoughts (prayers too - shhh) that there is no complications or more worries about it. Please keep us updated.

Nhwife - how was radiation and hubby?

Southern Comfort - thanks for hanging with us.

Ann/Nancy - sometimes exhaustion does just set in, but the strength will come and you both are already doing a great job. I'm really not sure when I get to LuAn and nhwife's stage on this journey how I will be able hang in. I am sure the little ones will have to go to a babysitter, which will make it harder in some ways; but very painful. I've had them since babies. I'm already dreading next year when they are in school full time. School district just changed to full time kindergarten.

Tomorrow is PSA day. Went in for blood test today. Hemoglobin a tad low, but he actually gained weight. First time since he started Xtandi in January.

Take care.

Hospice has put my husband back on the Dexamethasone for his bone pain and nausea, three times a day. His nause is completely gone, but still needing break thru pain meds and very fatigued. They are going to try to wean him off the sancuso nausea patch by adding Zofran..hope it works.

Jitters, so the Dexamethasone is not giving him any energy? It sounds, though, that hospice is really working with you guys. Saying that just made me feel tearful, not sure exactly why; but more "thoughts" and hopes they find the best way to make him comfortable and that it can be for a long - as long as he can have good QOL.

I almost feel our stories are forming one big one..... So much to deal with. At least we have each other and it is so much help.
Week One of radiation therapy is done. After the flare up earlier in the week, all has settled back down with "regular" pains. He has been able to cut back or go back to a meds schedule before the flare up so he still needs assistance with pain. We were told we might see improvement by now. We do see that it is doing something as he feels new pains where the radiation is hitting. We take that as a good sign, that the radiation is doing something.
It was an exhausting week all in all. I look forward to a restful weekend. I don't have to go to my mother's, thankfully.
Jitters - any word on you?
Passsages - psa? (and sometimes i do feel that is irrelevant)

Thought I'd better post on here. I was just doing from phone. What a long day. His PSA went from 241 to 373 and hemoglobin was low. He was so disappointed. He received his chemo, than over to hospital to get one unit and will get other one tomorrow. Usually it goes smoothly - drop girls at their schools, go see Dr. and start chemo, than pick up the one from pre-school and go pick up my husband. She usually works on a jigsaw puzzle for just a bit until his done. She's amazing. We go eat and she and my husband nap., than I pick up the other one. Certainly didn't work that way today, but it worked. Probably when out of school, change chemo dates. Dr. wanted us on Fridays because it's less busy - probably because we had so many questions at first, it set him back.The two little girls at oncologists would not be fun.

Have a good weekend.

Passages: I am so sorry to hear the news about the PSA rise. You are amazing in how you manage it all with the little girls. I see that you love them dearly and know from my own experience that children help us be in the moment.

NHwife, thanks, hopefully today will be a good one. Really sorry the radiation doesn't apprear, so far, to help as hoped. Hopefully next week will be better. Hard when you can't be there, buT shouldn't really be anything you can't miss. Hang in there and take care.

Smo1, never, never don't post. We're all on the same journey, but different paths. We truly rejoice when something is working for someone. I truly hope your "turn" doesn't come or, at least not for a long time. If you check, I almost always said at some time to remember that I was talking about our experience. Xtandi is the top of the line right now. Everyone is so different and tha disease is unbelievably different in how it affects all. Nothing is consistent or definite.

You certainly had a hard journey last year. I guess each one of these bumps in life makes us stronger for the next one. Don't like it though.