?'s for my Mom

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RandiK
RandiK Member Posts: 31
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Next week my Mom starts chemo. She has a few ?'s that her DR's haven't covered but I thought maybe some of ya'll might know. First will chemo affect her vision, she wears glasses already and says she can't imagine her eyes getting worse. Also she is a diabetic, it's controled by meds and diet. Will the chemo make things worse or really hard to keep under control? I think she's just getting real anxious and thinking of all of these things before next week so I thought I would see if I could find out for her. Thanks ya'll.

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  • minky1225
    minky1225 Member Posts: 70
    #2
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    From Mom's Chemo experiences...
    My mom has been on chemo since Jan. She is on a taxol/carbo regimen for one day every 3 weeks. She has not had any issues with eye sight and her blood labs always come back pretty normal. She has had some bouts with low potassium and magnesium but they just give her an IV with whatever she might need. They also will give her special foods(shakes/yogurts/custards) if she is lacking anything else. These docs really have this down to a science. No worries:)
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #3
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    ask lots of questions
    If your Mom good through the surgery with her diabetes under control, she will probably make it through chemo, too. But do ask lots of questions! My mother did not lose eyesight, but chemo took a toll on her hearing, but she's pretty old, too.

    As caregiver, a lot of the chemo survival will be up to you. The first 1-2 days after the infusion are fine, and then there are 4-5 days of misery of one kind or another, followed by a slow recovery. During those 4-5 days your mother won't be eating regularly and may have trouble with her blood sugar. You might want to do a taste test of some of the sugar free ensure, etc., to see what tastes good to her. On bad days those nutritional drinks are great to have around.

    Keep bringing your questions, and somebody will have an answer. My ex was a diabetic who didn't take care of himself, and he survived all kinds of stuff.
  • RandiK
    RandiK Member Posts: 31
    #4
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    Barbara53 said:

    ask lots of questions
    If your Mom good through the surgery with her diabetes under control, she will probably make it through chemo, too. But do ask lots of questions! My mother did not lose eyesight, but chemo took a toll on her hearing, but she's pretty old, too.

    As caregiver, a lot of the chemo survival will be up to you. The first 1-2 days after the infusion are fine, and then there are 4-5 days of misery of one kind or another, followed by a slow recovery. During those 4-5 days your mother won't be eating regularly and may have trouble with her blood sugar. You might want to do a taste test of some of the sugar free ensure, etc., to see what tastes good to her. On bad days those nutritional drinks are great to have around.

    Keep bringing your questions, and somebody will have an answer. My ex was a diabetic who didn't take care of himself, and he survived all kinds of stuff.

    Thanks guys, I will pass
    Thanks guys, I will pass this info on to my Mom. I guess it's like anything new, it's scarey and you don't know what to expect.
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #5
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    steriods
    Also be aware the steriods used in conjunction with the chemo medications will increase her blood sugar. Hopefully the doctors will give you guidance on how to manage potential problems. Maybe increase frequency in blood sugar testing? Is your mom on sliding scale coverage? ood luck!

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