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Sorry I haven't posted in a while (I've been sick . . .)
Anyway, they found a tumor in my lung which has to be dealt wiht. The doctors at firs recommend surgery to remove the upper lobe of that lung, followed by chemo. The hospital's tumor board recommend chemo first; that way, if the tumor shriks or dies, I won't lose the lung. I have a very happy lung rignt now.
I'm sure that some snopesters out there have has chemo and I'm just wondering what to expect.
Once again, thank for all the vibes and prayers; I firmly believe they work!
-------------------- "Chuck E. Cheese called. They want their band back."
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If you look at some of my older blogs, I talk about some of what my mother went through when she had her chemo.
There are many different forms of chemo, and depending on the type, number of treatments, and how far apart the treatments are spaced, your symptoms will vary. Mom had two kinds. One made her ungodly ill, and she was completely miserable. The other gave her several longer-lasting, but more minor complaints. If you want links to specific blogs, let me know and I'll try to PM you some links. One thing that sounds kinda dumb but we never thought of: When you lose your hair, you'll lose ALL your hair. For some reason I just never thought of losing body hair and things like eyelashes, but those things fall out, too, if you start losing hair. Symptoms also seem to peak a few days after the treatment, so you might come back home that same day as a treatment thinking it's not so bad, and three days later, feel like you've been hit by a truck.
One thing I don't recommend: Googling what you're taking. The information you find on chemo is sometimes more scary than the info on the cancer itself! Knowledge is power, but you'll just make yourself a wreck. Talk to people who've been there, but don't trust Google to give you anything but worst-case scenario.
ETA: My kids are distracting me; I posted too soon! I also wanted to add continued vibes and prayers.
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I haven't had chemotherapy, but my grandmother had radiation and chemotherapy for large tumor in her lungs. She was exhausted all the time but she didn't feel sick often. Also, she didn't lose all her hair but it did become thinner. Of course, everyone is different. My grandmother took allergic reactions to the chemo and had to have a bag of benadryl injected before her chemo, so would account for some of the exhaustion.
Chemotherapy isn’t fun, and I’m sorry you have to go through it. I hope this round works so you don’t have to have to go through a second, more aggressive bout of chemo, or have an operation. Good luck and get lots of rest okay?
If you want, I can ask my mom the name of my nanna's chemo, you might be getting the same type.
Posts: 149 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2006
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quote:Originally posted by NinthSign: I haven't had chemotherapy, but my grandmother had radiation and chemotherapy for large tumor in her lungs. She was exhausted all the time but she didn't feel sick often. Also, she didn't lose all her hair but it did become thinner. Of course, everyone is different. My grandmother took allergic reactions to the chemo and had to have a bag of benadryl injected before her chemo, so would account for some of the exhaustion.
Chemotherapy isn’t fun, and I’m sorry you have to go through it. I hope this round works so you don’t have to have to go through a second, more aggressive bout of chemo, or have an operation. Good luck and get lots of rest okay?
If you want, I can ask my mom the name of my nanna's chemo, you might be getting the same type.
Ninth, that sounds like the stuff my mom had for her second four rounds. It's so highly allergenic that they gave her benadryl with it.
The stuff she had for the first four is what made all her hair fall out, and for her to go through the stereotypical chemo experience. FWIW, I don't know the exact name of it, but it's commonly known as the "Red medicine", and is extremely caustic. Extremely. As in, if they're giving it to your dog and drip it on the dog's leg, they'll just amputate the leg because the resulting wound won't heal. (This is why I don't recommend using google. I about fainted when I read that on one vetrinary site)
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I can't find out the name of my nanna's chemo right now because my mom isn’t home, but my nanna reacted to all her rounds. It resulted in so many trips to the ER that the doctor recommended the benadryl. My nanna didn't have a very aggressive treatment because it wasn't supposed to be a cure; it was just supposed to help her breathe. The tumor that the doctors found was the size of a fist and it had attached itself to the chest plate. Luckily, the radiation cut the tumour in half and the chemo cut it in half again. Her life expectancy has increased, but new test results are showing that the tumor is growing again. She's going to start a more aggressive type of chemo right after Christmas. When my mom gets home I’ll call her and ask her all the names.
Posts: 149 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2006
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Can't help with the chemo, but I'll keep going with the prayers. After reading your blog I have the scene from Nemo in my head, "Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles."
Very appropriate for the background.
-------------------- "Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces." Judith Viorst Posts: 1082 | From: Luzern, Switzerland | Registered: Jan 2005
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No advice, just wanted to add to the prayers. At least they were nice to wait until after Thanksgiving to start.
-------------------- "But about the reindeer...what kind of a nose shines? How did he get it? Maybe it's not a reindeer after all. It could be something else." Posts: 2216 | From: Winston-Salem, NC | Registered: Nov 2003
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My advise- have the best Thanksgivng ever and eat like a madman.
The thoughts and prayers as always, are with you and your family.
-------------------- "My Very Educated Mother Just Said Uh-oh! No...Pluto..."~ Steven Colbert Posts: 3256 | From: Somewhere in Ohio | Registered: Apr 2004
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i've had chemo. don't google anything about side effects from chemo meds. ( there are a few that i got that i'm glad that i didn't know about.)
if your oncclogist is prescribing antineausa meds- TAKE 'EM!
i also recommend being carefull about what you eat and drink during chemo and the days afterward getting over the symtoms. you may feel fine during the days of treatment, but the last day or the day following that, it is possible to feel completely miserable.
one other thing, ask your nurses to give extra water in your IV along with your meds, coz they definatly have a way of getting you dehydrated, after going thru one round of treatment and having pain when i tried to urinate, i always ask for an extra bag of water in my IV.
Posts: 39 | From: California | Registered: Dec 2005
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DH's cousin is going through chemo now, MIL went through it several times (lymphoma that recurred every few years), several relatives of mine have gone through it at various times in the past several decades.
The one thing I can tell you is to listen to what they tell you. If they say the 3rd day after chemo will be the worst, don't make plans to go out that day. One cousin did, passed out at lunch with her friend and ended up hospitalized for 2 days.
If they say to avoid crowds or kids, do so (that may be more with radiation than chemo, I can't remember). MIL didn't listen, got really sick from a cold (almost became pneumonia).
If they say you're gonna fell nauseous, take the antinausea meds. Otherwise you won't be able to keep anything down and feel much much worse.
If they tell you to wear a tutu, go out to the camp entrance, wait for the bright light and dance a ballet (points for reference), well, you're on your own, buddy!
Continued vibes, prayers and all good wishes.
-------------------- Like every good third-in-a-series it contains a whole load of ewoks, ‘Clubber’ Lang, whey-faced Sophia Coppola, Sean Connery as the Pirate Captain’s estranged dad, a crappy CGI alien, and Richard Pryor on a donkey. -- Gideon Defoe Posts: 2211 | From: Harford County, MD | Registered: Oct 2005
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How you react to chemotherapy is very individual and depends on the drugs they give you. Every single drug, and I mean every single one, will have a different list of side effects.
My son barely reacts to most of his chemo, though they usually pre-med him with kytril (or kytrel, however it's spelled) for nausea. He also currently has no hair, although he never lost his eyebrows or eyelashes.
The most common side effect is nausea. They can give you drugs for that before you get your chemo, and make sure that they do. Also get a prescription for zofran or reglan for home when the meds wear off.
Some drugs, (and also blood products) cause allergic reactions. They should know what those drugs are and pre-med you with benadryl.
Some drugs cause your immunity to drop really low, which means stay out of crowds or groups of children and wear a mask if you have to.
If they say a drug will make you constipated, take the stool softener they prescribe! If they say it will give you mouth sores, don't eat salty chips and captain crunch out of the box! If they say you will be sleepy, don't drive! If they say it will make your urine red, don't think that you've started peeing blood! Listen to what they tell you and you will probably be fine. The medical staff don't want you to suffer.
And take someone with you to the appointments.
I hope you're at one of the two comprehensive cancer centers around here. If you go to the same one as us, they really are excellent. Well, except for them being sloooooow as molasses. But that belongs in rantidote.
Posts: 498 | From: Ypsilanti, Michigan | Registered: Jun 2004
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Chemotherapy has evolved greatly the last decade or so, so be aware that personal experiences may be old news. They are both more effective and have much less side effects.
Stick with it, and feel free to PM if you want to talk.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Jocko's Gone Fishin': If they say to avoid crowds or kids, do so (that may be more with radiation than chemo, I can't remember).
This may (may?) be a problem since I work for Chuck E. Cheese. I'll talk to my oncologist about this.
-------------------- "Chuck E. Cheese called. They want their band back."
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mgb, a friend of mine is currently undergoing chemo treatments & her Dr has no problem with her working in a school.
Every Dr is different so do just but just so ya know!
-------------------- I cannot live without books-Thomas Jefferson *~* A child educated only at school is an uneducated child - George Santayana I'm going to pummel you with such zeal, Buddha will explode! *~* Never miss a good chance to shut up - Will Rogers Posts: 6585 | From: Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | Registered: Feb 2002
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I don't think I can help much other than sending hugs and vibes.
I've known 3 people who have undergone some form of chemo for three different things. The common symptom is feeling very tired at some point after the treatment. I think, however, they might now have a prescription that helps with the tiredness.
-------------------- "My name is the symbol for my identity and must not be lost." Motto of the Lucy Stone League. Posts: 1815 | From: Pennsylvania | Registered: Jul 2004
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Being a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, I've got plenty of health mojo to share, so feel free to withdraw some from the bank.
As others have said, there are different types of chemo, depending on the type of cancer, what stage it is, your age/health/medical history, and what oncologist you get. In my case, I got the gold standard ABVD plus radiation, which boasts an 85-90% success rate with Hodgkin's patients. Unfortunately, it also makes me more susceptible to lung cancer, but I still get CAT scans to check for relapse, and physically and mentally I feel almost as though nothing happened. That's not the case for every cancer or even every Hodgkin's patient, but it's certainly possible.
The ones who can best give you an idea of what to expect are your oncologists and any associated nurses or nurse clinicians you may be dealing with. In my case, I didn't lose all my hair, but it did thin out and become lighter. My eyebrows nearly disappeared. I was given anti-nausea steroids before each treatment (Kytril and something else) and never felt nauseous once. The grace period between chemo and fatigue became shorter and shorter as the months wore on. But again, everyone's body reacts differently. Somehow, my onc correctly predicted most of this for me.
I also had to give myself a Neupogen shot for seven days after each treatment, so that my white blood cells would be built up enough in two weeks to receive the next round of chemo.
Katie -- Adriamycin, ugh! They had me suck on a popsicle while that drug was being administered, because the coolness apparently prevents the adriamycin from causing sores on the tongue. The first time I had chemo, three days before Christmas, I ate the popsicle too quickly and had a very painful Christmas dinner, even after brushing my tongue with baking soda. Once I synced it up right, I didn't have any more sores.
Good luck, mgbdriver! Please keep us posted too. I kept a blog during my treatments, and found it helpful not only as a journal for myself, but also to keep friends and family informed. It helped me organize my thoughts and feelings. The assumption that this was just a speed bump on the road of life, I think, really helped me keep a positive outlook and kept me going even on the days when I was so lethargic that I couldn't even decide what to eat for lunch.
-birdman
Posts: 1104 | From: near Cleveland, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2000
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More people than I'd like to remember have had cancer/chemo, and I admit that I (read:selfishly) didn't pay any attention to exactly what kinds; and I've probably blocked out the awful side effects.
I'm honestly tearing up as I'm writing this, because it's taking me back to a place I don't want to be, but I certainly have you in my thoughts.
-------------------- Licorice of the Lord! This is classy stuff...Should I be wearing a tie? Or, at least, pants? ~I'mNotDedalus Posts: 975 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jun 2005
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I also meant to say that they've made great strides with the anti-nausea medications. Again I can't speak for everyone since people react differently, but my oncologists told me that the image of the chemo patient praying to the porcelain god is no longer accurate. Literally the only time I felt nauseous was due to anxiety when I had a nurse who didn't seem to know what she was doing (and scarily enough, my nurse clinician later told me this woman wasn't even new on the job).
-birdman
Posts: 1104 | From: near Cleveland, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2000
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Chemotherapy isn’t fun, and I’m sorry you have to go through it. I hope this round works so you don’t have to have to go through a second, more aggressive bout of chemo, or have an operation. Good luck and get lots of rest okay? 
