Hi Everybody! I am new to this forum

[RTC]

Hi Everybody,

I am new here. I have been reading all the
informative post here in the last while.

I found them help me a lot. thank you everybody!

I was diagnosed with stage III none-nonseminoma
intermediate risk . . currently getting treated . . .
with BEPx4 . just completed two cycles.

Blood test at beginning of cycle 2 shows favorable
marker drop.

Will begin cycle 3 tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thank you everybody and wish everybody well.

[Margaret]

Welcome RTC....your staging and treatment sound very similar to my husband's. I am glad you are showing response to the treatment. :)

Please let us know if you need anything. If you ever need someone to talk to, PM me and I will leave you our phone numbers.

M.

[fuse929]

Welcome to the forum! You will get lots of great information here.

[Fish]

Welcome.

Sounds like your treatment is right on course.

Best wishes with the next 2 cycles. Keep us updated.

[RTC]

:) thank you everybody for the warm welcome.

I am in hospital now . . getting my 3rd cycle of 5 days BEP . .

:) the blood test just before the beginning of the 3 cycle . .

My AFP dropped to 10.96 . . . . . quite happy about it . .

thank you again everybody and wish everybody well :)

[Karen]

Excellent news on the markers!!!! :) Good luck with round three!

[Already Bald]

Hi RTC!
Great news on the labs!
Sounds like the chemo is tearing this damn beast up!
I'm glad to read that you are taking the final cycles as an inpatient- that will definately help with keeping the fluids up.
Let know how you are feeling.
Joe

[RTC]

Hi RTC!
Great news on the labs!
Sounds like the chemo is tearing this damn beast up!
I'm glad to read that you are taking the final cycles as an inpatient- that will definately help with keeping the fluids up.
Let know how you are feeling.
Joe


thank you it seems the more iv fluid i get the better i feel . .

so I reqested more iv fluid in those 5 day . .

I am doing the first bleomycin as out patient right now . . and i requested addition iv fluid

:( otherwise I wouldn't be able to drink that much due to vomiting

Maybe it helps to flush more chemo toxic out of my body so I feel better? :)

[Karen]

It definatley helps to flush the chemo out of your body. Fluids are important. Only one more round to go and you'll be done! We have members here from all over the world...which part are you in?

[RTC]

Excellent news on the markers!!!! :) Good luck with round three!

Thank you! my AFP was 2600 . . .
prior to chemo

After first round
it became 200
despite a missing dose of bleomycin . .

so I thought it would be great if i can get lower than 200/2/2/2=25 after 2nd round

:) and it turn out to be better

[RTC]

It definatley helps to flush the chemo out of your body. Fluids are important. Only one more round to go and you'll be done! We have members here from all over the world...which part are you in?

I am your northern neigbhor
(From Canada!)
but I am currently getting treated in Taiwan . . . since I happened to be working here at time of diagnose . . . thought about returning to Canada but I no longer have health insurnace in Canada . . .

and didn't want any delay in treatment . . .

thinking about coming to the US for post chemo RLND . . . . if i need one . . . still quite scared about the surgery though :(

have been thinking about L-RLND . .
but maybe it is not such a good idea in post chemo setting :(

[Karen]

Well, neighbor, if you come to the US for the RPLND (which I suggest you do, if needed) you will be in excellent hands. You may also want to get an opinion on any post-chemo treatments via a long distance consult with one of the experts here.

[Russell's Mom]

Hello, I have to agree with Karen. The thought of surgery is frightening however. Before chemo, was horrible...now I understand after going through it. it was the same for the RPLND. I can speak from the mother's point of view, but feel pretty sure of myself speaking for Russell also. Before the experience feels soooobig, after completion it makes sense. My suggestion, keep searching and learning as you have been and the puzzle pieces will fall into place. From there your decision will be easier. Take care, Sharon

[RTC]

Thank you Karen and Russell's mom . .

So I have been reading a lot of medical journal paper recently . .
It seems that Indiana group think that if the tumor shrink more than 90%
or the residual mass is smaller than 1cm . . . no RLND is offered . .

The Sloan Kettering group and in Europe they want to remove all the
masses no matter how small . . . . since there is no way to predict
what is really in there . . . . . .

The surgery sounds scary but . . I think it is a necessary procedure.
so I thought if I go to the US and get treated by the top expert in the world .
than I couldn't ask for more . .

Still at meantime I will just pray hard that tumor will be smaller than 1 cm ..
so at least it gives me another option :)

[dadmo]

RTC:
If you should come to Sloan you can use my home as a base camp for your family.

[Russell's Mom]

Take note of teratoma. Read through your pathology. They are a non-cancerous tumor that can cause complications and possibly cancer of their own after chemo. This is another reason why they like to do the RPLND. From my understanding, there is no real way to know if there are any live cancer cells inside of a residual tumor without surgical removal. Even a small tumor on CT could carry a few microsopic live cells. Take care, Sharon

[RTC]

wow . . thank you so much dadmo for the offer people on this forum are so incredibly kind and nice :o

and thank you Sharon for the info!

hmmmmmm does anybody knows usually how quickly post Chemo
RLND need to be done after completion of Chemo?

[dadmo]

The doctor's at Sloan (Sheinfeld) like to have the RPLND 6-8 weeks after the completion of chemo.

[RTC]

thank you for all the valuable suggesting :)

so I just got started with my last round of BEPx4

Marker level now 4.95 :)

and I am getting prepared for the trip to US.

have been wondering whether I should go to Sloan or Indiana :)

Will probably visit both place first before I make the decision :)

[Karen]

Marker level now 4.95 :)


Nice! You will be fine with either center....good luck with the last round!!!!

[metsscotty]

I am also a newbue. I went through the same treatment in '92. Best of luck to you! :D