chemo report
I've had two treatments (of four of this kind; then I get four more of something else), so I'm halfway through what I hope is the worst. This chemo is not at all like the chemo I had six years ago--that was a breeze. This one has me totally knocked on my ass. The treatments are three weeks apart, and I'm not much better two weeks in than I am at a week in.
Today I went for blood work and told the nurse how bad I was feeling--exhausted to the point that I literally spend my time between bed and the recliner, with bathroom breaks and a shower when I can stand up long enough. My nausea has me retching until my abdominal muscles hurt, and the diarrhea, while not constant, is green (and I don't remember when I ate anything green). My mouth is full of thrush and painful sores along the side of my tongue and the inside of my cheeks, and I sleep at least 16 hours out of every 24. When I'm awake, all I can do is watch TV and bitch.
The nurse asked me if I had time for an intravenous fluid infusion, and I said yes, even though I'm drinking so much water my urine is colorless. She said sometimes getting it right into the blood vessels makes patients feel better. Three fucking hours.
And it's wonderful! I went from the chemo suite to the grocery store and bought peppers and sweet sausages (which I've been craving but hated to ask my poor husband to make), which I'm frying up right now with onions and a little garlic. I also bought ingredients for chili, which--assuming my power holds out--I'll make later today and we can eat for the next week.
Has anybody else had this reaction to IV fluids? They said I could come back for another infusion if I needed it, but not how many I can have--if there is a limit. I mean, it's just fluids, and I have a port, so no big deal, right?
I haven't felt this good since before surgery. I wonder how long it will last.
Oh, and they prescrbed for the nausea and thrush, too, but those don't seem worth the trouble now.
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I am so glad to hear they were able to do something to help you feel so much better! I never heard of IV fluid infusion for these chemo symptoms. If I had, I would have asked for them 10 years ago, because when I was mid way through my chemo, I had many of the same symptoms as you! Miserable nausea ....complete exhaustion .... mouth sores .... I also had excruciating acid reflux and was constipated beyond anything I've ever experienced. I was also very depressed.
Please don't overdo it .... I know it must feel great to have some energy, ambition, and appetite ..... I hope that infusion and it's effects last you for a good long while.
I remember that everything I tried to eat had a metallic taste. So I didn't eat anything. The only food that tasted good to me was cole slaw.
Three hours for an IV infusion, huh. That's a long time .... but I'm so happy it helped you feel so much better!
Hang in there ..... I'll be sending you all the good karma I can muster!
I had 6 rounds of chemo every three weeks. Four chemo drugs, Taxotere, Perjetta, Carboplaten and Herception consecutively, with a 15 minute dose of intravenous Benedryl before starting "infusions" and a five minute ..cant remember the word for it.. rinse in between drugs. I always had chemo on a Thursday and usually felt pretty good til about 9pm on the Fridays after. Then all hell would break lose. Nausea, vomiting, explosive diarrhea. And boy do I mean explosive. but that was just for starters. The headaches I got to wake up to every morning, my nose literally running and bleeding like a faucet had been turned on in my head. There were times I didn't know which end to put on the toilet first. Once I opted for puking in the bathtub. I got so weak about halfway through I had to use a wheelchair. One of the drugs I was taking causes temporary heart damage so I had to go for heart scans (called MUGA scans) to ensure my heart was strong enough to continue chemo. I was given a 3 week break in order to regain my strength and then finished my course.
Chemo is something I would not wish on my worst enemy, and if I hadn't been assured that chemo would be effective I wouldn't have undergone it. But it did shrink my tumors by more than half and my surgeon removed them. She said "all the margins came back negative," which means they think they got it all.
My next journey was Radiation. Boy was that a treat, and yes I'm being facetious. Five days a week for six weeks. Skin burned so bad it was peeling off. Aloe is a wonderful soother but Silvadene cream is a great healer. If you have to do radiation make them give it to you. They'll tell you not to use Aloe before radiation, but I did and I found it helped immensely the first 4 weeks. After that I think the
Techs cranked up the dose because nothing prevented my skin from burning. I can' even imagine what my body must look like on the inside.
I hope your treatment will go smoothly. I think anything that could happen, did happen during my treatment. From the improper placement of my port to the scaring on my skin from receiving chemo directly via my arm.
But I'm through the worst of the treatment. I still have to go for one chemo drug ever three weeks. But instead of it taking 3/4 of the day, it now only takes a couple of hours. And I found out that the reason I got cancer and it grew because my body produces too much Estrogen. Can you believe it? I'm too girlie. 
. So it will be a year of treatment in April and I won't have to spend so much time at Drs. but he did tell me.. that's not all. Nope. I will have to take a pill for a minimun of the next 5 years that will throw me back into menopause because it will suppress my estrogen production and prevent my cancer from growing back.
If you feel you need someone to commiserate with or to vent.. I'm here. I don't post often, but I do lurk and have an idea of what you are going through.
Be good to yourself and take care
