Treatment update

John,

It sounds like you are doing everything correctly, head off the nausea.  Now, you just have to find what works best for you on getting nutrition.  If you can eat, then do it, if you refuse to eat you better drink your meals and if you refuse to drink then it is time for the PEG.  You have to work with your body until it adjusts to the treatments.  Remember, there are other side effects coming and you don’t want them to pile on.   

For my self, I had a PEG and it made eating drip, drip easy.  I always drank one meal a day and drank lots of water.  I fought the battle of sore mouth hand throat with magic mouth wash and Lidocaine.

Toughen up, it won’t get much worse just different.

Matt

HelenBack said:

Sounds like a good start.

But woah 220 Cisplatin? Am I reading that right? My husband and I are debating whether to get the "big Bag" 100 mg or smaller, 40 mg, weekly. You are making us (him) seem wimpy. I guess that's what the Nuelasta is all about?

Funny, the husband and I were just discussing whether it would be easy for him to get food down if it tasted bad or like nothing at all. We think he probably can as he's not that fussy. I, however, was fit to be tied the other day when I bit into a slightly over-ripe piece of avocado. Almost melted down for minute there. lol

I guess there's no way to know what it will be like until you experience it.

Keep up the good work,

Helen

..no punches held back ...it's a bear dealing with all that  you have to deal with ...but the bottom line is each day you move forward is just that much closer to NED   Hang in there.

You too Helen!!!

(PS - I almost always whisper a prayer for good results and well being when I post replies, so I am praying for the best!!!)

Tim

Sleep all you want and need....and don't feel bad about it.  I only say that because at first I did feel bad about it...like I wasn't pulling my weight....it's a whole world we enter when we fight C.  Ask your Onc about Emend in pill form for the first three days after a chemo treatment to take in conjunction during the day with Zophran and Compazine.  It's the big gun in the nausea world, and I think it really helps.

Do the Mugard religiously as labeled, and you very well may never get mouth sores during rads....it really worked for me and several others here.  I'm glad your Dr. knows about it and is willing to let his patients use it.....some are retisent to say the least.

p

letumwork said:

Dosages
I just read the Nurse notes that they gave me and the Cisplatin dose was 222mg with 500ml NS over 60 minutes. Interestingly enough I weighed 222 lbs at the start of treatment so I'm guessing the dose is 1mg per lb. The Nuelasta shot is working as my CBC yesterday was all normal except very high white blood cells which alarmed the first nurses I saw until they were told I got the Nuelasta shot. The Nausea has tapered off so right now bad taste and some fatigue are my only issues. The Doc also thinks I may have the start of a small yeast infection on my tongue which could be part of the taste issues. He gave me Fluconozole and some Mugard but no sores yet- OK- time to walk the dog- He's nosing me with that stupid look on his face which means one of 3 things: Time to eat, time to go on a walk or time to go hunting.

John

in mg per meter squared body surface area.  BSA is computed off a chart which has height on the ordinate and weight on the absissa.  Dose will vary accordingly.  Anyway, there are many different protocals, and a huge difference in dosing depending on whether given weekly or q 3 wks.  None of this is to be the first bit concerned about of course.  Just do the best you can.  I got a little  more and a little more of this as the treatments progressed, but once it wore off, I felt good,, and then I ate everything in sight.  My thing was cheesecakes.  Because I was trying to gain weight in advane of radiation......

best

Pat