Freaking out. 2nd chemo cistoplatin and sinus bradycardia. what to do

Posted by julie67 @julie67, Nov 8 12:26pm

Had second chemo of cisto and carboplatin Tuesday. Heart rate went from 110 to 45 yesterday. EKG showed sinus bradycardia. I had prvious heart failure in 2017. Hands are numb and cold. Have raynauds also. Could be stress. So was told now to go to ER. not going. pallaitive care woudn't call me back yesterday. Just got back from Doppler on left arm where there is a blood clot from last month's chemo done through a vein oct 15. Found last saturday. Following up today. Guess my question is what do I do? Heart rate seems to be back up today. was 60 upon waking and now panicking up to 80-90. Very confused and irritated. Could be chemo, steroids or heart, right? i am so tired. all alone. called onco, primary, cardio, palliative care -no answer. Do u guys have this? this is second chemo and it did it after first chemo also which is why i couldn't get the port they scheduled me for TWO days after first chemo. I am lost and scared. Cardio just said go to hospital since handss are cold and left leg was hurting yesterday standing on it. Told her I am not going. Will I probably live through this like last month i guess? Do i continue chemo. just gonna sit here and die i guess. freaked out.nobody else to ask now

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Cancer Support Group.

Do you live near a medical center with a speciality call Cardio-Oncology. Some chemo drugs are more toxic than others to the heart. A Cardio-Oncologist is a valuable member of your treatment team if one is available in your area.

Finding the right treatment option for cancer is very challenging. Wishing you healing and answers soon.

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@julie67, I'm sorry to hear you're freaking out. In answer to your question, no, I did not have a strong negative reaction to chemo even though I had radiation at the same time.

Why aren't you going to the hospital? Ever since I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I've done everything my doctors tell me to do. I believe that's why I'm still here after 6 years, 4 of them at Stage 4. As a former EMT, you need to get a blood pressure reading and probably an EKG as well. Since it's a weekend, the closest ER is your best bet. I've had circulating blood clots that lodged in my lung. Pulmonary embolisms are very serious and can kill you. I strongly urge you to go to the nearest ER as soon as you possibly can. If you live near Huntsville, AL, I will drive over, take you in myself, and wait with you. Please, please, please take care of yourself.

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Effects are cumulative. Next time this could be worse it could be easier. It's not likely to get easier though.

The pain you describe could be a blood clot. You risk a clot to your heart, lung or brain. Any of which could be fatal. Please don't ignore the suggestion to have it clinically evaluated.

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Please get checked out. Julie67. Going to urgent care or the ER is a good thing to do. I am surprised that your cancer team did not give you a plan if anything felt bad after the chemo. It is in their best interests to take care of you. But M-F is when they are there. What you are feeling and experiencing is real. Please take a step to be good to yourself.

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@flusshund

@julie67, I'm sorry to hear you're freaking out. In answer to your question, no, I did not have a strong negative reaction to chemo even though I had radiation at the same time.

Why aren't you going to the hospital? Ever since I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I've done everything my doctors tell me to do. I believe that's why I'm still here after 6 years, 4 of them at Stage 4. As a former EMT, you need to get a blood pressure reading and probably an EKG as well. Since it's a weekend, the closest ER is your best bet. I've had circulating blood clots that lodged in my lung. Pulmonary embolisms are very serious and can kill you. I strongly urge you to go to the nearest ER as soon as you possibly can. If you live near Huntsville, AL, I will drive over, take you in myself, and wait with you. Please, please, please take care of yourself.

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Wow, so sweet of you! Thanks for the generosity but I am in Evansville, Indiana. I am sooo tired of hospitals and my doctors don't seem to care. I have wrecked my car a couple weeks ago just trying to keep up w/ appts, ruined a girl's life because of hitting her, getting sued, I am trying to work..got stuck with three houses, cancer and no job, have 3 animals, 3 huge yards and cancer. I can't keep up. I am gonna lose all unless I can make some money and can't do that sitting in ER. I'm in pain from the lobectomy still, have stitches stiicking out killing me that were supposed to dissolve. I'm miserable and worn out. I can't do this alone. No family, friends, nothing. Palliative care even cancelled my appt. I think they have left me to die. My oncologolist even got frustrated w/ me last month after the first round and said chemo wouldn't work for me because of my 'anxiety'. So I guess I have no chance so they are just letting me sit here to die? Cardio won't even tell me what to do about this bradychardia. Thanks.

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@katgob

Please get checked out. Julie67. Going to urgent care or the ER is a good thing to do. I am surprised that your cancer team did not give you a plan if anything felt bad after the chemo. It is in their best interests to take care of you. But M-F is when they are there. What you are feeling and experiencing is real. Please take a step to be good to yourself.

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thanks, yeah, I called the onco nurse Friday and left a message about the heart. No call back. Soooo....

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@julie67

Wow, so sweet of you! Thanks for the generosity but I am in Evansville, Indiana. I am sooo tired of hospitals and my doctors don't seem to care. I have wrecked my car a couple weeks ago just trying to keep up w/ appts, ruined a girl's life because of hitting her, getting sued, I am trying to work..got stuck with three houses, cancer and no job, have 3 animals, 3 huge yards and cancer. I can't keep up. I am gonna lose all unless I can make some money and can't do that sitting in ER. I'm in pain from the lobectomy still, have stitches stiicking out killing me that were supposed to dissolve. I'm miserable and worn out. I can't do this alone. No family, friends, nothing. Palliative care even cancelled my appt. I think they have left me to die. My oncologolist even got frustrated w/ me last month after the first round and said chemo wouldn't work for me because of my 'anxiety'. So I guess I have no chance so they are just letting me sit here to die? Cardio won't even tell me what to do about this bradychardia. Thanks.

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Contact cancercare.org, they have a special fund that helps with pet supplies. Another resource might be your local no-kill animal shelter, some have food banks for your pets.

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Hi @julie67, I thought of you a few days ago, and wondered how you were doing. I'm saddened to hear that you are continuing to have struggles. This sounds like such a hard time for you. I haven't had similar treatments or side effects, and none of us are medical doctors. Clots can be very dangerous. Please remember that you need to take care of yourself, so that you can be there for your animals. How is your heart rate today?

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@denzie

Contact cancercare.org, they have a special fund that helps with pet supplies. Another resource might be your local no-kill animal shelter, some have food banks for your pets.

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thanks lol. I got on Facebook last month when I was sick to ask Indiana House Rabbit Society to send some hay for my 2 buns via my amazon wishlist. They said I had too many things on my wishlist to hunt through to send hay. Guess you want stuff when you are alone and dying. lol. (Almost all of it is food for me and animals and cleaning supplies.) They said they would have Vanderburgh Humane Society email me. Never happened! Joke. Those guys got cut out of my estate after that. Some nice lady saw it and instacarted some treats and hay for them. Watching my 2 buns with no food is really hard. Giving them things that will damage their organs but wth, we are all dying here. Been calling. almost. EVERY. SINGLE . DAY. for financial/physical help since July when I knew I would go through this alone. Did get a hundred from some charity for animal food. After today, I think I am done. Slept all day and was woken up by a racket. Looked up and a BIRD had somehow wedged itself into the crack of the back door and was sitting on the cat tower looking at me on the couch. I thought, 'oh great, now I'm gonna have a bird in here for days breaking things/making a mess as I can't chase it'. It flew into the kitchen and sat on the light fixture and stared at me. I got up, opened the back door all the way and it flew out . I think that was my sign

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@lls8000

Hi @julie67, I thought of you a few days ago, and wondered how you were doing. I'm saddened to hear that you are continuing to have struggles. This sounds like such a hard time for you. I haven't had similar treatments or side effects, and none of us are medical doctors. Clots can be very dangerous. Please remember that you need to take care of yourself, so that you can be there for your animals. How is your heart rate today?

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Thank you , Lisa. As I just wrote above, I think I'm done if I live through this round. I couldn't move or breathe well today from the lobectomy incisions/stitches still. Hell feeling that suffocating feeling again. They 'rile up' or whatever I mean sometimes. The pain from the stitches was unbearable , my feet were hurting/throbbing and my heart is so uncomfortable I am ready to go. I kept checking my vitals . Heart rate ranging from 80-120 just lying down all day. I looked at recordings of it. Yesterday my heart ranged from 45 to 130. All just lying/sitting. Guess it's damaged. Don't even have anyone to ask if it MIGHT return to normal. whatever. Thanks for thinking of me. I realize WHY am I doing this to myself? I have no family to miss me. No good works/volunteer work that will miss me. I've been miserable for years and this is certainly no life going to doctors. the pain, anger. I wish I would have never had the lobectomy and just spent the past few months having the fun I was having in July. Swimming laps, climbing hills, chasing rabbits uphill. Boating. I was FINE before all this. It would be good if I left now. My house I am leaving to a rabbit rescue (NOT Indiana House Rabbit Society now. HA! ) so the sooner I am out of pain the sooner rabbits can be helped.

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