tomorrow is my FIRST chemo and radiation day

paulette S
paulette S Member Posts: 42
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I had my port put in on thursday. a little uncomfortable but not bad. tomorrow i start fu5 and oxi... and then come home with my fanny bag till friday. i also have radiation every day too.
i am taking a bagel and cream cheese, a fruit and some sour candy balls. i also got the creme for my port. anything else i should bring? any other suggestions?
im scared reading how exhausted people are. i am hoping to continue my part time job and taking tare of my family. my battle is beginning

Comments

  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #2
    Don't forget...
    ... a good book :) The first one, you usually are busy looking around, asking nurses things and if your fellow chemo folk are chatty, you'll have people giving you advice (if you ask for it). Other times, people tend to read, knit, or have little naps :)

    I found this was a good time to read my book that I was currently involved in... unless a friend was coming with me, then I'd bring one of those traveling board games or a deck of cards :)

    Don't even worry about how tired some people get... you might not be "some people" :) I remember getting "tired", but that didn't stop me from going out and doing the things I wanted to do during the day. The first session... I stayed at home, waiting for the big fatigue to hit me... nada. I started my chemo in March... by the summer, when I should really have been feeling the fatigue side affects, I was so busy at the theatre, I didn't give myself time to get tired . Mind you... that first day, by the time I got home it was usually around 4 or 5pm so I didn't go to the theatre that night... I stayed home, played on the computer or watched tv... and just got used to having that darn chemo pump/bottle. I put mine in a water bottle cover (like joggers use) and had it attached to a belt. I HATED that thing, just because it was such a nuisance... but by the next day it was ok.

    When you get tired, you take a nap... and if you aren't tired, then you don't need one :) I know, some people get hit with the fatigue so bad they can't get out of bed... but that's not always the norm, so don't talk yourself into that is what is going to happen.

    Huggggggs,

    Cheryl
  • paulette S
    paulette S Member Posts: 42
    #3
    CherylHutch said:

    Don't forget...
    ... a good book :) The first one, you usually are busy looking around, asking nurses things and if your fellow chemo folk are chatty, you'll have people giving you advice (if you ask for it). Other times, people tend to read, knit, or have little naps :)

    I found this was a good time to read my book that I was currently involved in... unless a friend was coming with me, then I'd bring one of those traveling board games or a deck of cards :)

    Don't even worry about how tired some people get... you might not be "some people" :) I remember getting "tired", but that didn't stop me from going out and doing the things I wanted to do during the day. The first session... I stayed at home, waiting for the big fatigue to hit me... nada. I started my chemo in March... by the summer, when I should really have been feeling the fatigue side affects, I was so busy at the theatre, I didn't give myself time to get tired . Mind you... that first day, by the time I got home it was usually around 4 or 5pm so I didn't go to the theatre that night... I stayed home, played on the computer or watched tv... and just got used to having that darn chemo pump/bottle. I put mine in a water bottle cover (like joggers use) and had it attached to a belt. I HATED that thing, just because it was such a nuisance... but by the next day it was ok.

    When you get tired, you take a nap... and if you aren't tired, then you don't need one :) I know, some people get hit with the fatigue so bad they can't get out of bed... but that's not always the norm, so don't talk yourself into that is what is going to happen.

    Huggggggs,

    Cheryl

    sweet
    You always have the sweetest answers. My mom is coming with me. I did a 4.25 mile run today. i sure hope i can still run some with my little fanny bag . i will be different lol
    i just packed some magazines too.
    thanks sweetie
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    #4
    CherylHutch said:

    Don't forget...
    ... a good book :) The first one, you usually are busy looking around, asking nurses things and if your fellow chemo folk are chatty, you'll have people giving you advice (if you ask for it). Other times, people tend to read, knit, or have little naps :)

    I found this was a good time to read my book that I was currently involved in... unless a friend was coming with me, then I'd bring one of those traveling board games or a deck of cards :)

    Don't even worry about how tired some people get... you might not be "some people" :) I remember getting "tired", but that didn't stop me from going out and doing the things I wanted to do during the day. The first session... I stayed at home, waiting for the big fatigue to hit me... nada. I started my chemo in March... by the summer, when I should really have been feeling the fatigue side affects, I was so busy at the theatre, I didn't give myself time to get tired . Mind you... that first day, by the time I got home it was usually around 4 or 5pm so I didn't go to the theatre that night... I stayed home, played on the computer or watched tv... and just got used to having that darn chemo pump/bottle. I put mine in a water bottle cover (like joggers use) and had it attached to a belt. I HATED that thing, just because it was such a nuisance... but by the next day it was ok.

    When you get tired, you take a nap... and if you aren't tired, then you don't need one :) I know, some people get hit with the fatigue so bad they can't get out of bed... but that's not always the norm, so don't talk yourself into that is what is going to happen.

    Huggggggs,

    Cheryl

    mee too
    hi i had my port in on monday and i go for my first treatment on tuesday the dayafter you.my port is still sore i hope this is normal.every time i put my arm up or turn my head its seems to pull on it.i hate it.i will be thinking of you tomarrow hope you do fine.my biggest fear is getting sick and not being able to drink anything cold.would be nice if we were the lucky ones and didnt have any side effects,maybe that will happen for you.i took xeloda[chemo in pill form]for 5 wks plus radiation and had a hard time with that.anywho keep your chin up and fight on Godbless.....johnnybegood
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #5
    paulette S said:

    sweet
    You always have the sweetest answers. My mom is coming with me. I did a 4.25 mile run today. i sure hope i can still run some with my little fanny bag . i will be different lol
    i just packed some magazines too.
    thanks sweetie

    Running
    Heck... running with the fanny pack won't be a problem. You can turn it around so that it is on your lower back (out of the way of your arms)... or you can wear it like I did... put it in a waterbottle cover (you can get them at any sports or running shops) and wear it on a belt. Same thing, push it to the back so it doesn't get in the way of your arms. You may need two of them... one for your chemo bottle and one for an actual bottle of water.

    If you are going to go running, you will want to make sure you have water with you because that's one thing you want to be aware of while on chemo... that you keep yourself hydrated. Mind you, if you are a runner/jogger, you already know that :) So where do you keep a bottle of water right now when you are running? Do the same thing with the chemo bottle :)

    The chemo bottle is a little thicker than a water bottle but shorter... sort of like a stubby baby bottle :) Here's a picture of one (I wish I knew how to post a picture to the boards here without having to open up an account on Flickr... but alas, I haven't figured out how, so you will have to paste this URL into your browser to go see it):

    http://www.cancerguy.com/blog/2006/11/10/take-home-chemotherapy-bottle/

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl
  • paulette S
    paulette S Member Posts: 42
    #6
    johnnybegood said:

    mee too
    hi i had my port in on monday and i go for my first treatment on tuesday the dayafter you.my port is still sore i hope this is normal.every time i put my arm up or turn my head its seems to pull on it.i hate it.i will be thinking of you tomarrow hope you do fine.my biggest fear is getting sick and not being able to drink anything cold.would be nice if we were the lucky ones and didnt have any side effects,maybe that will happen for you.i took xeloda[chemo in pill form]for 5 wks plus radiation and had a hard time with that.anywho keep your chin up and fight on Godbless.....johnnybegood

    luck
    well Johnny i will let you know how it goes. i dont want to get sick.

    Cheryl when i ran a marathon, i carried a bottle in my hand, when i run in the area, i plant them in neighbors mailboxes ha ha guess i cant do that with the chemo ha ha

    well im on my way.. and lets hope no side effects. look at cheryl. i will think about u all tomorrow while i am there for 4 hrs
  • paulette S
    paulette S Member Posts: 42
    #7
    paulette S said:

    luck
    well Johnny i will let you know how it goes. i dont want to get sick.

    Cheryl when i ran a marathon, i carried a bottle in my hand, when i run in the area, i plant them in neighbors mailboxes ha ha guess i cant do that with the chemo ha ha

    well im on my way.. and lets hope no side effects. look at cheryl. i will think about u all tomorrow while i am there for 4 hrs

    good
    Well first chemo done and feel okay. was there 4 hrs and came home with my fanny bag till friday. went to radiation tonight. so day one complete and i thought of you Cheryl for all ur kind words. im on my way
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #8
    paulette S said:

    good
    Well first chemo done and feel okay. was there 4 hrs and came home with my fanny bag till friday. went to radiation tonight. so day one complete and i thought of you Cheryl for all ur kind words. im on my way

    Good to hear!
    Glad your feeling well, I'm usually at the center for a few hours as well before being sent home with the fanny pack, how was the radiation? I haven't had to do that, and hope you do well in your treatments, you're in my prayers, and hope you feel good throughout your treatments!
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #9
    paulette S said:

    good
    Well first chemo done and feel okay. was there 4 hrs and came home with my fanny bag till friday. went to radiation tonight. so day one complete and i thought of you Cheryl for all ur kind words. im on my way

    Glad you're ok
    Glad to hear that your first treatment was ok and you are feeling alright. I did the chemo by pill and the 28 days of radiation. The radiation doesn't take long but towards the end I became very tired. You will get through this. It's good to hear that you are keeping strong by running. Good luck in your treatment - you will do fine.

    Kim
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    #10
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Glad you're ok
    Glad to hear that your first treatment was ok and you are feeling alright. I did the chemo by pill and the 28 days of radiation. The radiation doesn't take long but towards the end I became very tired. You will get through this. It's good to hear that you are keeping strong by running. Good luck in your treatment - you will do fine.

    Kim

    good for you
    im so glad it went well i am ready to get mine started tomorrow,like they say get r done.that way we can get it over and be rid of this cancer that has interupted our lives.Godbless......johnnybegood
  • mommyof2kds
    mommyof2kds Member Posts: 519
    #11
    johnnybegood said:

    good for you
    im so glad it went well i am ready to get mine started tomorrow,like they say get r done.that way we can get it over and be rid of this cancer that has interupted our lives.Godbless......johnnybegood

    I am right there with you.
    I had my first infusion today, port feels good now, it has been a week. I am receiving the 1hr oxy and m-f continious 5FU and daily radiation. I feel pretty good. Hopefully it stays this way.. Take care, glad your first day went well also. We can go through this together.
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #12
    mommyof2kds said:

    I am right there with you.
    I had my first infusion today, port feels good now, it has been a week. I am receiving the 1hr oxy and m-f continious 5FU and daily radiation. I feel pretty good. Hopefully it stays this way.. Take care, glad your first day went well also. We can go through this together.

    Another Day Closer........
    I have a friend that uses this as a signature line...It works well for me to re assure that it will end someday........Hang in there.....God Bless
  • paulette S
    paulette S Member Posts: 42
    #13
    Buzzard said:

    Another Day Closer........
    I have a friend that uses this as a signature line...It works well for me to re assure that it will end someday........Hang in there.....God Bless

    cross
    i have a radiation schedule and i cross off another day to becoming cancer free. actually my radiaologist oncol. complimented me today on how good i look so i told him i felt pretty good that i am doing something about it
    and i told him all my new names for everything
    Port-victor cuz i will win-someone named that for me
    tumor- MFer cuz i hate the f word
    Fanny bag- plain ole fanny but i think of it like prada
    bless us all
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #14
    paulette S said:

    cross
    i have a radiation schedule and i cross off another day to becoming cancer free. actually my radiaologist oncol. complimented me today on how good i look so i told him i felt pretty good that i am doing something about it
    and i told him all my new names for everything
    Port-victor cuz i will win-someone named that for me
    tumor- MFer cuz i hate the f word
    Fanny bag- plain ole fanny but i think of it like prada
    bless us all

    Keep on..
    Keeping on as they say.
    Continued good luck
    -phil
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #15
    paulette S said:

    good
    Well first chemo done and feel okay. was there 4 hrs and came home with my fanny bag till friday. went to radiation tonight. so day one complete and i thought of you Cheryl for all ur kind words. im on my way

    Yayayaya!
    You are definitely on your way, Paulette, and as weird as this may sound, getting that first day behind you is probably one of the biggest hurdles you are going to have to cross! Why is that, you may very well be asking?? Because, from the time you are diagnosed, through the shock, the consultation appts., the literature you are given and of course all the horror stories that seem to come to mind that we have no idea where they come from... the whole lead up to having to start chemo is extremely stressful. I don't care how strong a person is physically or mentally... we all become quivering bowls of jello when we think, "OMG! I, ME, I have to go on chemo and I just know it's going to be horrible and I may be bedridden for 6 months and looking like death warmed over". That movie keeps playing over and over in our heads, even though we try to push it out... or we talk to others who say, "No, it's not always that bad at all. You might have some rough days, but they won't all be rough". Ha! We hear that and all we can focus on is "You might (which we hear as YOU WILL) have some rough days (which we hear as ALL ROUGH DAYS). The closer you get to Day 1, the more nervous we get... to the point we actually do start feeling sick to our stomach and don't feel we can go through with it.

    Well, girlfriend, you did it! You got your infusion at the hospital, got hooked up to Fanny, got your first dose of radiation... and came home to tell us about it. And you feel just fine... so now you are waiting for the other shoe to drop. When will you get sideswiped with horrible side affects??

    Well, you might not get a single one! Or, you might get tired and think, "Is that it?? Is this the chemo/radiation fatigue I've been terrified of?" The thing is... modern technology and medicine have come such a long way, there is no reason for you (or anyone) to suffer while on treatments. The key to this is, you have a job to do... 1) you have to look after yourself, get lots of rest and basically, do all the pampering things to yourself that you never allow yourself to spend time doing... and 2) the minute you start to feel something coming on, be it a funny tummy, diahrrea, a rash, itchiness, whatever... you tell your oncologist. The sooner they know, the sooner they can nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand :)

    So Paulette... we are here with you as you go through the chemo/radiation journey... and just know that not only will you get through it, you will come through just fine! Been there, done that... and for all I know, may have to do it again. Somehow, if I have to do it again, I'll find a way to fit it in with my fun hobbies

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl
  • irene77
    irene77 Member Posts: 28
    #16
    thinking of you
    Hi Paulette
    Your post was on the 8th, guessing you already went through chemo/radiation, I only had chemo had surgery and my tumor was removed no radiation needed. The exhaustion is not that bad, sometime just laying down for an hour would help. Just completed my third chemo treatment.
    Praying for you
    Irene
  • aluckylady
    aluckylady Member Posts: 16
    #17
    irene77 said:

    thinking of you
    Hi Paulette
    Your post was on the 8th, guessing you already went through chemo/radiation, I only had chemo had surgery and my tumor was removed no radiation needed. The exhaustion is not that bad, sometime just laying down for an hour would help. Just completed my third chemo treatment.
    Praying for you
    Irene

    So glad all went well for
    So glad all went well for you Paulette!!!
    Was waiting to hear your news.
    My tummy is getting very anxious now.
    But, like you all have told me, one step at a time and think POSITIVE :)

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