Hi RLP,

I can understand this is a difficult decision and, while I can't offer any advice, my reply here will boost your post so more people will see it - and if anyone has similar experience to share or advice to offer then hopefully they'll be along soon.

I hope you're able to get some support with this and be able to make a decision soon.

Wishing you all the best,

Ben
Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello RLP,

         l experienced 6 weeks of chemo/radiotherapy pre op followed by 6 rounds of chemo post op.By round 4 l had lost feeling in hands and feet,and  it was absolutely brutal to the rest of my body.  l had to make a decision to come off or stay on.l remember thinking it would be silly to have gone through so much and fall at the very end, and that the price for admission to  continued life should never be cheap, so saw it through. The feeling returned to my hands but not to my feet,  they get painful and tired, and l was falling over a lot as l could not sense where my feet were.

                                                                               But here's the thing, My control centre, l hesitate to use the term brain, eventually got a grip and worked it all out. It now no longer tells me they are sore until l shut down to rest, and it has developed an understanding that my nose no longer needs to keep inspecting the floor. The result is that 6 years on l lead a full active working life,and can keep on the go for fourteen hour days when required, have built a new house and now enjoy quality time.

                                                             And so we arrive back at your connumdrum, do l take out the after sales guarentee, or do l take the view l would never need it so why buy it ?. Its not much help when l say that if you could tell me how long is my piece of string l could tell you exactly what to do. All l thought at the time  with my decision is that whatever path l took, would remain  the correct one in the future since l could never revisit the past with hindsight

                                                                   Not sure if my ramblings are of help ,but l hope in part  they  enable you to arrive at what works for you,

                                                                  best wishes, david

Thanks David for taking the time to share your experience and long may your quality of life last!  I think I have decided to carry on and try the different drug (carboplatin) and hope the side effects are more tolerable. I know it's no guarantee it won't recur but a 1-2% benefit on 5 year survival is better than none and I'm only 49....

Ruth

Hello Ruth ,

                   l hope it all works out well for you and at least you can forward not looking over your shoulder, onwards and upwards,

                                       David

Hi

I had lobectomy in November (9.5cm) and started adjuvant chemo cisplatin and vinorelbine end of December. Due to hearing loss etc they stopped it after 2 cycles (I was ready to call it a day I'd felt so ill) last cycle I had the carboplatin and vinorelbine - so much better as far as the worst side effects go just tired more than anything but I could otherwise function ok. 

Hope that helps and good luck x

Hi, thank you, that has helped reinforce my decision to give the carboplatin a go. Did you have any hair thinning/loss? How are you doing now? x

Hi hair seems to be thinning a bit but nothing drastic, I took the antisickness as precaution but didn't have the usual nausea etc, and hearing hasn't gotten any worse. One more treatment next week if I can shift this cold! 

Hope your cold gets better soon. Unfortunately I've started to have bad hair loss, it started on Friday coming out in clumps after having a sore scalp for a couple of days and has continued coming out all weekend.. I was told it was very rare to lose your hair on Cisplatin and unlikely on Carboplatin...

Hi, just wondering if you shifted your cold and managed your last treatment ok?