› Forums › General Melanoma Community › First Yervoy infusion yesterday.
- This topic has 9 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 10 months ago by
WithinMySkin.
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- July 28, 2016 at 3:11 pm
It was a breeze. As expected.
My exhaustion today is most likely caused by a 5 year old that was up all night with night terrors. 🙁 But I am exhausted down to my bones, with a slight headache. Which I am again blaming on lack of sleep.
But one question that I can't really find an answer on the intetwebs is, are swollen lymph nodes typical after an infusion? I have two noticeable, not painful, lumps on the right side of my neck (my dissection was done on the left side of my neck). Since my doc said to call if I have as much as a hiccup (pretty much), I'm debating. Since it's only been a day and the first infusion doesn't typically cause any side effects I feel like I would just be a bother and written down as being a hypochondriac (kind of am).
Is this a normal experience? It makes sense since it is messing with my immune system. But that would also lead me to believe that my immune system is actively fighting something. Possibly a minor bug or something. No fever or signs of any illness. Just these two lumps hanging out on my neck saying "hey worry about me".
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- July 28, 2016 at 3:55 pm
I am as I type finishing my 4th yervoy infusion. They tell you everything bad and even now, I have anxiety wodering if this is the day the side effects hit. After my second infusion I had 2 knots pop up on my neck and thought they were nodes. I panicked. Mel specialist at Duke said yesterday they were tumors and not nodes. Not saying yours are but 7you may well have little bumps pop up everywhere. may be blue but it is common. I freaked when this stuff started happening. Most of my sub q's are dissapated. You may want to tell your doc, it wouldn't hurt.
I am close to finishing number 4 and I was lucky so far with side effects. Insomnia, dark urine, stomach cramps, fatigue and slightly elevated liver enzymes so far. Tomorrow may be different but today, I feel ok.
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- July 28, 2016 at 3:55 pm
I am as I type finishing my 4th yervoy infusion. They tell you everything bad and even now, I have anxiety wodering if this is the day the side effects hit. After my second infusion I had 2 knots pop up on my neck and thought they were nodes. I panicked. Mel specialist at Duke said yesterday they were tumors and not nodes. Not saying yours are but 7you may well have little bumps pop up everywhere. may be blue but it is common. I freaked when this stuff started happening. Most of my sub q's are dissapated. You may want to tell your doc, it wouldn't hurt.
I am close to finishing number 4 and I was lucky so far with side effects. Insomnia, dark urine, stomach cramps, fatigue and slightly elevated liver enzymes so far. Tomorrow may be different but today, I feel ok.
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- July 28, 2016 at 3:55 pm
I am as I type finishing my 4th yervoy infusion. They tell you everything bad and even now, I have anxiety wodering if this is the day the side effects hit. After my second infusion I had 2 knots pop up on my neck and thought they were nodes. I panicked. Mel specialist at Duke said yesterday they were tumors and not nodes. Not saying yours are but 7you may well have little bumps pop up everywhere. may be blue but it is common. I freaked when this stuff started happening. Most of my sub q's are dissapated. You may want to tell your doc, it wouldn't hurt.
I am close to finishing number 4 and I was lucky so far with side effects. Insomnia, dark urine, stomach cramps, fatigue and slightly elevated liver enzymes so far. Tomorrow may be different but today, I feel ok.
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- July 28, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Lymph nodes, especially neck lymph nodes, are so reactive normally. They become especially reactive after fueling up on an immunotherpy drug. I would say your body is still healing from surgery and possibly fighting who knows what and your nodes are just being normal. You should still mention to your doc, I am of the thinking that I can't over share with my onc. I email her probably more than a typical patient… maybe not… I don't know. But anything that comes up with my body I let her know first and get her opinion on it. After my 4th infusion of Yervoy I had the usual scan 3 weeks after. It showed an enlarged lymph node in my groin (same place I had SLNB) and I had to get a fine needle aspiration biopsy to check if it was mel causing the enlargement. Came back clean, which my onc said she expected, she said it's very normal for things to get inflammed and enlarged during treatment, it's the nature of the drug. That lymph node has remained enlarged but has not grown in size.
Sending lots of good thoughts your way for a smooth treatment. Try and get rest, take time off work if you can, because your body deserves some down time while it goes through this.
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- July 28, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Lymph nodes, especially neck lymph nodes, are so reactive normally. They become especially reactive after fueling up on an immunotherpy drug. I would say your body is still healing from surgery and possibly fighting who knows what and your nodes are just being normal. You should still mention to your doc, I am of the thinking that I can't over share with my onc. I email her probably more than a typical patient… maybe not… I don't know. But anything that comes up with my body I let her know first and get her opinion on it. After my 4th infusion of Yervoy I had the usual scan 3 weeks after. It showed an enlarged lymph node in my groin (same place I had SLNB) and I had to get a fine needle aspiration biopsy to check if it was mel causing the enlargement. Came back clean, which my onc said she expected, she said it's very normal for things to get inflammed and enlarged during treatment, it's the nature of the drug. That lymph node has remained enlarged but has not grown in size.
Sending lots of good thoughts your way for a smooth treatment. Try and get rest, take time off work if you can, because your body deserves some down time while it goes through this.
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- July 28, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Lymph nodes, especially neck lymph nodes, are so reactive normally. They become especially reactive after fueling up on an immunotherpy drug. I would say your body is still healing from surgery and possibly fighting who knows what and your nodes are just being normal. You should still mention to your doc, I am of the thinking that I can't over share with my onc. I email her probably more than a typical patient… maybe not… I don't know. But anything that comes up with my body I let her know first and get her opinion on it. After my 4th infusion of Yervoy I had the usual scan 3 weeks after. It showed an enlarged lymph node in my groin (same place I had SLNB) and I had to get a fine needle aspiration biopsy to check if it was mel causing the enlargement. Came back clean, which my onc said she expected, she said it's very normal for things to get inflammed and enlarged during treatment, it's the nature of the drug. That lymph node has remained enlarged but has not grown in size.
Sending lots of good thoughts your way for a smooth treatment. Try and get rest, take time off work if you can, because your body deserves some down time while it goes through this.
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- July 28, 2016 at 11:09 pm
Glad to hear the first infusion went well! I would def tell your onc about the lymph nodes, just to be on the safe side. More than likely its just you fighting off the beginning of a bug (3 kiddos and the infusion at the germ filled hospital probably don’t help your immune system!) But it’s good to mention to the doc anyway. I believe side effects (like the ipi rash and colitis) tend to peak somewhere near infusion 3 and then plateau.Keep us updated!
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- July 28, 2016 at 11:09 pm
Glad to hear the first infusion went well! I would def tell your onc about the lymph nodes, just to be on the safe side. More than likely its just you fighting off the beginning of a bug (3 kiddos and the infusion at the germ filled hospital probably don’t help your immune system!) But it’s good to mention to the doc anyway. I believe side effects (like the ipi rash and colitis) tend to peak somewhere near infusion 3 and then plateau.Keep us updated!
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- July 28, 2016 at 11:09 pm
Glad to hear the first infusion went well! I would def tell your onc about the lymph nodes, just to be on the safe side. More than likely its just you fighting off the beginning of a bug (3 kiddos and the infusion at the germ filled hospital probably don’t help your immune system!) But it’s good to mention to the doc anyway. I believe side effects (like the ipi rash and colitis) tend to peak somewhere near infusion 3 and then plateau.Keep us updated!
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