Problems after chemo

hpat

As you know from my previous post my husband had a clear PET scan the beginning of December. His Chemo finished the 7th of November. What I am wondering is has anyone here that is past chemo and in remission had any trouble with nausea and vomiting for a period of time post treatment? He is a month and a half past his last session and still having trouble keeping food down. It is not all the time only occassionally. If so what were you able to do to help it and how long did it last. Thanks.

Pat

lumpling

Dear Pat,
My husband is now over a year out from his treatments. We go next month for another follow up PET scan!
my husband still has problems with nausea and keeping food down. Not all the time, but it's definitely something we still deal with. He has kept a prescription for an anti nausea on hand.

I wish I had better things to say! It does get better...definitely...a new normal.

Congratulations on that clear PET scan and I hope your husband feels better soon. Once Hans reached a year out he really started to feel better.

-Amy

hpat

lumpling said:

Dear Pat,
My husband is now over a year out from his treatments. We go next month for another follow up PET scan!
my husband still has problems with nausea and keeping food down. Not all the time, but it's definitely something we still deal with. He has kept a prescription for an anti nausea on hand.

I wish I had better things to say! It does get better...definitely...a new normal.

Congratulations on that clear PET scan and I hope your husband feels better soon. Once Hans reached a year out he really started to feel better.

-Amy

How long was it before your husband could eat things on a fairly regular basis without any problems. What does he do for his nausea now, and does he often actually get sick to his stomach. Also did he ever have problems with gas and constipation? I appreciat your response. Thanks Pat

lumpling

hpat said:

How long was it before your husband could eat things on a fairly regular basis without any problems. What does he do for his nausea now, and does he often actually get sick to his stomach. Also did he ever have problems with gas and constipation? I appreciat your response. Thanks Pat

Dear Pat,
My husband, Hans, really noticed an improvement with his eating at exactly one year past surgery/treatment.

He had lost so much weight...from 215 down to 140 and his surgeon wanted to put a feeding tube back in, but we said no to that and discovered that Hans could eat nuts without problems. Those little nuts are full of calories! He's gained almost twenty pounds in the past couple of months.

He does feel nausea about once a week now and will take a prescription pill when he feels it coming on. He can't throw up like before, but sometimes food comes back up and he feels horrible for days.

Hans takes enzymes & probiotics (from the vitamin store) when he eats larger meals and those help with balancing the stomach. Probiotics are especially important after chemo/radiation treatment to keep the intestinal bacteria in balance...they also help strengthen the immune system. He doesn't have problems with gas/constipation, and we attribute it to his supplements.

A man that we know who is about three years out from his stomach cancer treatment had awful problems with gas and stomach upset for his first year out, but says that it went away after that.

I hope that you and your husband are doing well!

-Amy

imnotsick

lumpling said:

Dear Pat,
My husband is now over a year out from his treatments. We go next month for another follow up PET scan!
my husband still has problems with nausea and keeping food down. Not all the time, but it's definitely something we still deal with. He has kept a prescription for an anti nausea on hand.

I wish I had better things to say! It does get better...definitely...a new normal.

Congratulations on that clear PET scan and I hope your husband feels better soon. Once Hans reached a year out he really started to feel better.

-Amy

I'm 7 months out from treatment and also have some nausea (no vomiting) mostly in the mornings.
My doc has not ordered any pet scans, just cat-scans. Should I be asking for Pet-Scans? I am feeling very good otherwise. Back to work full time and started some exercise. Organic yogart helps alot with stomach and intestines. As long as I have it once a day no constipation problems.
God bless

lumpling

imnotsick said:

I'm 7 months out from treatment and also have some nausea (no vomiting) mostly in the mornings.
My doc has not ordered any pet scans, just cat-scans. Should I be asking for Pet-Scans? I am feeling very good otherwise. Back to work full time and started some exercise. Organic yogart helps alot with stomach and intestines. As long as I have it once a day no constipation problems.
God bless

Hello!
At M.D. Anderson in Houston where my husband and I travel to for his treatment, they give a PET scan at the one year mark.
Our Oncologists in Houston and Atlanta, plus our surgeon in Houston all agreed that was the best time to do a PET scan. My husband will also have a new PET scan every six months from now on.

A PET scan is a much more advanced than a CT scan. It had not been previously approved for gastric cancers, only recently have doctors been using it for gastric.

I would definitely ask for one at your one year mark! They are much easier to go through than the CT scans too!

Congratulations on your remission and going back to work full time!

-Amy

hpat

lumpling said:

Dear Pat,
My husband, Hans, really noticed an improvement with his eating at exactly one year past surgery/treatment.

He had lost so much weight...from 215 down to 140 and his surgeon wanted to put a feeding tube back in, but we said no to that and discovered that Hans could eat nuts without problems. Those little nuts are full of calories! He's gained almost twenty pounds in the past couple of months.

He does feel nausea about once a week now and will take a prescription pill when he feels it coming on. He can't throw up like before, but sometimes food comes back up and he feels horrible for days.

Hans takes enzymes & probiotics (from the vitamin store) when he eats larger meals and those help with balancing the stomach. Probiotics are especially important after chemo/radiation treatment to keep the intestinal bacteria in balance...they also help strengthen the immune system. He doesn't have problems with gas/constipation, and we attribute it to his supplements.

A man that we know who is about three years out from his stomach cancer treatment had awful problems with gas and stomach upset for his first year out, but says that it went away after that.

I hope that you and your husband are doing well!

-Amy

What type of probiotics do you use? Also before that year was up what type of stomach problems did your husband have. Thanks.

Pat