Stage 3c . Need info please.

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2timothy1 7
2timothy1 7 Member Posts: 345
in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hello. I'm new to this club. Sorry we are all a part of this club! Im 44 and was diagnosed with 3c stage. Had surgery dec 5th. Still weak and sore. I guess this is normal. I start chemo next week. Just wondering if I need someone to take me or if this sickness starts a couple days after?

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  • fanniemay
    fanniemay Member Posts: 53
    #2
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    Hi, I am starting chemo
    Hi, I am starting chemo tomorrow. It lasts 8 hours. my husband is coming with me. From what I hear you get sick 2 or 3 days later. I had a radical hysterectomy on 11/14 including 15 lymph nodes. I am not sore anymore, but I still feel weak with no energy. Best of luck
  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    #3
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    fanniemay said:

    Hi, I am starting chemo
    Hi, I am starting chemo tomorrow. It lasts 8 hours. my husband is coming with me. From what I hear you get sick 2 or 3 days later. I had a radical hysterectomy on 11/14 including 15 lymph nodes. I am not sore anymore, but I still feel weak with no energy. Best of luck

    chemo
    make you you take something to eat and drink and drink a lot to flush out the chemo. I hope you have a drug called Emend for nausea,, if not ask for a script, you will probaly get steriods to and they make you feel jumpy. You will be very tired a few days later and your taste buds will be affected. Eat very light for the first few days. Make sure you are pooping. Chemo cause a back up. Ask for Miralax. You may have bone and joint pain,,depending on waht kind of chemo you get..usually Carboplantin and Taxol...good luck ladies adn come back
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    #4
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    poopergirl14052 said:

    chemo
    make you you take something to eat and drink and drink a lot to flush out the chemo. I hope you have a drug called Emend for nausea,, if not ask for a script, you will probaly get steriods to and they make you feel jumpy. You will be very tired a few days later and your taste buds will be affected. Eat very light for the first few days. Make sure you are pooping. Chemo cause a back up. Ask for Miralax. You may have bone and joint pain,,depending on waht kind of chemo you get..usually Carboplantin and Taxol...good luck ladies adn come back

    I agree
    with everything Val said. I usually got sick on the third day and felt tired, queasy and not hungry. I use to say I felt "icky." Eat what you can, drink fluids and rest as much as you need to. I would feel sick for a few days and then it would go away and I felt good again. I hope you have an easy time with it and just keep in mind that even though the chemo is making you feel sick, it is killing the cancer.

    Please do come back to this board. There are so many wonderful women here who can give you information and offer unlimited support.

    Karen
  • 2timothy1 7
    2timothy1 7 Member Posts: 345
    #5
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    Thanks for the advice !

    Thanks for the advice !
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #6
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    Welcome
    You have found just the right place for chemo advice, etc. I want to tell you first that I was diagnosed 3C in May 2006. Don't get caught up in all those awful statistics for we are all individuals. Chemo will feel rather like having the flu. I've had LOTS of chemo and find the best way to deal with it is to prepare. You'll need to drink lots of water, as Val told you many of us get unbearable constipation if we're not careful and your taste buds can be off with a metal taste for a few days. It's best to eat several small meals a day of whatever happens to taste ok. You may find yourself extremely fatiqued, so please don't shower etc. unless you have someone in the house... and stock up on movies, books etc. and rest, rest, rest.... OH, and come here if you have any questions!
    (((HUGS))) Maria
  • lulu1010
    lulu1010 Member Posts: 367
    #7
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    Mwee said:

    Welcome
    You have found just the right place for chemo advice, etc. I want to tell you first that I was diagnosed 3C in May 2006. Don't get caught up in all those awful statistics for we are all individuals. Chemo will feel rather like having the flu. I've had LOTS of chemo and find the best way to deal with it is to prepare. You'll need to drink lots of water, as Val told you many of us get unbearable constipation if we're not careful and your taste buds can be off with a metal taste for a few days. It's best to eat several small meals a day of whatever happens to taste ok. You may find yourself extremely fatiqued, so please don't shower etc. unless you have someone in the house... and stock up on movies, books etc. and rest, rest, rest.... OH, and come here if you have any questions!
    (((HUGS))) Maria

    I also want to welcome you.
    I was diagnosed 3C in Aug 2010 and had 4 months of chemo and then surgery followed by 6 months of chemo. I suggest taking someone with you the first couple times just for moral support and they may want to give IV Benedryl to combat allergic reactions and then they usually dont want you to drive.
    I didnt usually get "sick" for 24- 48 hours later and then I just sort of vegitated. I laid on the couch and slept mostly. After 4 days I would be up and around again. I had some nausea but never vomited.
    The nurses are great at getting you thru all the side effects etc.
    Try to really take it easy. I felt like rest was extremely therapeutic.
    I wish you the best of luck....keep us posted! There is almost always someone here to help you out!
  • Cafewoman53
    Cafewoman53 Member Posts: 735 Member
    #8
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    You probably could do it alone
    You could probably do it alone but if all possible have someone go with you.It is good to have moral support. I remember with carbo/taxol the first two days I was fine due to the pre-meds they give you, then about the third or fourth day I was very tired and everything tasted funny. You can try using plastic knives and forks to eat with. Drink lots of liquids if you can and rest if you are tired. Good Luck and let us know how it went for you
    Colleen
  • 2timothy1 7
    2timothy1 7 Member Posts: 345
    #9
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    Mwee said:

    Welcome
    You have found just the right place for chemo advice, etc. I want to tell you first that I was diagnosed 3C in May 2006. Don't get caught up in all those awful statistics for we are all individuals. Chemo will feel rather like having the flu. I've had LOTS of chemo and find the best way to deal with it is to prepare. You'll need to drink lots of water, as Val told you many of us get unbearable constipation if we're not careful and your taste buds can be off with a metal taste for a few days. It's best to eat several small meals a day of whatever happens to taste ok. You may find yourself extremely fatiqued, so please don't shower etc. unless you have someone in the house... and stock up on movies, books etc. and rest, rest, rest.... OH, and come here if you have any questions!
    (((HUGS))) Maria

    Thanks for advice. You are
    Thanks for advice. You are very helpful!
  • jadav1956
    jadav1956 Member Posts: 95 Member
    #10
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    Cafewoman53 said:

    You probably could do it alone
    You could probably do it alone but if all possible have someone go with you.It is good to have moral support. I remember with carbo/taxol the first two days I was fine due to the pre-meds they give you, then about the third or fourth day I was very tired and everything tasted funny. You can try using plastic knives and forks to eat with. Drink lots of liquids if you can and rest if you are tired. Good Luck and let us know how it went for you
    Colleen

    I think it is always good to
    I think it is always good to take someone with you if possible. Like everyone suggested if only for moral support. Chemo takes some getting used to and everyone handles it different. I usually have to just vegetate for several days after. There is always food in the infusion area, and the nurses are really great checking on you. Sorry for meeting here but this is the place to come for info and advice. Take care- Blessings- Jackie
  • MK_4Dani
    MK_4Dani Member Posts: 314
    #11
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    My two cents:
    Taking someone with you gives you someone to talk too while also providing moral support. Getting the chemo infusions is boring, having someone there passes the time. The pre-meds (benedryl) can make you very sleepy especially since you are weak from the surgery. This is a concern to drive home.
    Worse case (but not likely) scenario: if you were to have an allergic reaction to the 1st chemo you will want a friendly face to be with you.

    Another side effect: the bendryl makes you sleepy but once it wears off the steriods kick-in and it will keep you awake the night of the chemo.

    I did not feel bad the day after chemo but the second day was rough. Plan on the second day after chemo as a "bed" day: don't make any plans but to lie around.

    Finally: take the all preventative meds your doctors prescribe WHEN they tell you. You want to be ahead of the discomfort not chase it. I made the mistake of forgetting to take the stool softner and I felt like a was pooing a cinder block. It really hurt. DRINK AS MUCH WATER AS YOU CAN then drink some more.

    I was dx stage 3c in July 2009 and I am still NED....there is hope!

    Good Luck,
    Mary
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #12
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    I certainly don't want to
    I certainly don't want to scare you, but my first chemo was the worst. I had a bad reaction, my BP tanked and I passed out. I had to leave the building in a wheelchair. I would not go by myself, if I were you,

    The rest of my treatments were easier. They learned they had to infuse me very slowly. I was always there 7 or 8 hours.

    Carlene
  • jbeans888
    jbeans888 Member Posts: 313
    #13
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    Hissy_Fitz said:

    I certainly don't want to
    I certainly don't want to scare you, but my first chemo was the worst. I had a bad reaction, my BP tanked and I passed out. I had to leave the building in a wheelchair. I would not go by myself, if I were you,

    The rest of my treatments were easier. They learned they had to infuse me very slowly. I was always there 7 or 8 hours.

    Carlene

    I agree with everybody. You
    I agree with everybody. You should bring somebody the first time just because it's scary when you don't know what they will be doing. I was also staged a 3c last Feb. I took chemo rather well but I too had the worst about 3 days after chemo. Keep record of how you feel each day. Drinks lots of water because constipation is the worst from chemo. Welcome to the board keep us updated.
  • LaundryQueen
    LaundryQueen Member Posts: 676
    #14
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    jbeans888 said:

    I agree with everybody. You
    I agree with everybody. You should bring somebody the first time just because it's scary when you don't know what they will be doing. I was also staged a 3c last Feb. I took chemo rather well but I too had the worst about 3 days after chemo. Keep record of how you feel each day. Drinks lots of water because constipation is the worst from chemo. Welcome to the board keep us updated.

    Don't drive after chemo
    I agree with everyone who says to have someone go with you to chemo--or at least drop you off & pick you up. You might be surprised at who would love to help you out.

    The bottom line is chemo treatments are UNPREDICTABLE! You might sail thru it with no drama at all or you might have some kind of reaction. With carboplatin, the risk of allergic reaction is more likely after the 5th or 6th treatment.

    I used a dose of Milk of Magnesia routinely on the day after chemo to prevent constipation. You can expect your hair to fall out about 2 weeks after your first treatment so be prepared for that. All that hair clogs up the bathtub drain pretty fast. Yuk!

    Vitamin B6 (50mg/day) helps prevent neuropathy--I think prevention is the way to go. If your feet get tingly, numb or oddly painful, that's neuropathy and everyone is different as to whether it is permanent or not.

    Best wishes to you.
  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    #15
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    Hissy_Fitz said:

    I certainly don't want to
    I certainly don't want to scare you, but my first chemo was the worst. I had a bad reaction, my BP tanked and I passed out. I had to leave the building in a wheelchair. I would not go by myself, if I were you,

    The rest of my treatments were easier. They learned they had to infuse me very slowly. I was always there 7 or 8 hours.

    Carlene

    I agree with Carlene. I too
    I agree with Carlene. I too had a bad reaction within seconds of getting taxol. I started hallucinating and started to pass out and my BP also tanked and I didn't know where I was. The only thing I remember is that they made me use the elevator instead of the steps.

    They switched me to Gemzar/Carbo and slowed the rate and had no problem after that.

    Kathy

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