Re: chemo

[Guest guest]

Ingrid,

Welcome to the group. I remember how bad I felt after taking

oxaliplatin myself - 3d treatment would mean that you are going into

the 7th week, 1/3 done if you do six months like most.

Ask some people on this list how they do it, and they don't

know, or maybe, they want to stay alive. There are a lot of

metastatic people on the list, and a thought that frequently comes

up is, " Why in the heck am I going through all of this misery - I'm

going to die anyway. "

If I read you post correctly, you do not have this luxury -

survival is yours for the taking - the chemo that you are getting is

insurance - it is designed to prevent metastasis or recurrance from

happening. You get a much, much better guarantee of that if you

stick out the chemo for duration - heck, you are almost halfway

there! Remember, it is finite - it will eventually end. That is

how I would motivate myself.

If side affects are problematic, you may consider asking the

doctor what he thinks of a dose reduction. It may make you feel a

little better and there is no evididence that shows that it

significantly lessons the effectiveness.

So before the next treatment, say to yourself - " I'm beating

this thing. " and then, " Four down, ONLY eight to go - considering

the alternative, I could do eight on my head. "

Joe

http://www.cancerdaytoday.blogspot.com

>

> I am new to the group. Just had my third folfox treatment. Got

pretty

> sick with the last treatment. Am having a difficult time to

convince

> myself to do another treatment. How does anyone get themselves

> through it???? Had surgery and tumor removed last Sept. Had one

lymph

> node positive. How do I get through this???

[Guest guest]

Oh dear it is so natural to be scared. Don't worry about that. Try to picture

the chemo as your friend literally battling the cancer for you. Yes, there

are side effects but there are usually ways to treat/relieve all of them.

--For chills bundle up under several of those marvelous fleecy blankets. I am

a caregiver but they are so wonderfully soft and cozy that I have several for

myself and my husband Phil. That a long nap, and 2 Tylenol usually did the

trick for him. Watch for fever and report it to your Oncologist should it occur.

- Senekot or Milk of Magnesia for constipation, Imodium for diarrhea, Zofran

for nausea, Procrit Neulasta and Iron tablets for anemia & low blood counts,

Diuretics for bloat, Biotene and " Magic Mouthwash " for mouth sores Benedryl and

Aquafor for skin rashes and irritation.

There's no reason to suffer with these side effects (Phil's had all of these

at different times), as there are remedies to deal with them so don't be

afraid to ask!

Try and I know it isn't easy to relax. Being tense, while so understandable

doesn't make things easier. As others have said take it a day or even a moment

at a time. It DOES get better over time and we are all here to help.

Take Care and God bless

Narice

[Guest guest]

Let your oncologist know exactly what symptoms you are having. There

are a lot of drugs available to mitigate most problems. If need be,

your doctor can lower dosages, or adjust the treatment schedule.

>

> I am new to the group. Just had my third folfox treatment. Got

pretty

> sick with the last treatment. Am having a difficult time to

convince

> myself to do another treatment. How does anyone get themselves

> through it???? Had surgery and tumor removed last Sept. Had one

lymph

> node positive. How do I get through this???

[Guest guest]

Narice your list of remedies is most helpful. I am working on compiling a list

of chemo effects and the possible remedies and relief from them. Knowing the

possibilities is half the battle of coping or preparing to cope with chemo.

Believe me it helps with the anxiety to know some of this. Cheers Jolene