Need a few tips from yall......mom's having 1st chemo treatment

marc24

Hello again...i am a son of a colorectal cancer patient w/ multiple liver mets and my mom and the family have dealt with it for the last 3 weeks now...my mom's doing fine in terms of her spirit, she can actually joke around again, totally unlike the mood from the first week or so. She is having the "normal" symptoms like irregular movements and some discomfort, but she is staying strong and very much her comedian-self with her friends...i hope this doesn't "fade away" as the weeks/months/yrs go by...she is gonna have her first chemo treatment this thursday and i was wondering if you have any specific tips for her on anything....any response would help and this discussion forum has worked wonders for my moral as well...i still feel down at times since everytime i wake up, i think of this, but i really hope she stays strong and gets better :-)

1. what i should buy her clothing wise or anything that worked wonders for your recovery to keep her comfortable
2. types of fruits, vegetables, foods and the actual meals that some of you guys enjoy that i can help her prepare
3. what she needs to expect after the 1st treatment...is she gonna feel fatigue? or is it really up to the body and the person?

REally hope to hear from yall!!!!!! thanks!!
MARC

msccolon

welcome
Hope your mom feels welcome to come as well! Sorry you had to find this place, but there is a wealth of information and support here! I am sure your mother will do just fine if she keeps her humor and remembers that this is just part of what's necessary to bring her back to a place of comfort and hopefully NED! I found that elastic waist pants and zipper jackets were nice for chemo day because I could give access to the port easily with the zipper, but the jacket was able to keep me warm. The pants were a big help when I just didn't feel like getting into my jammies before hitting the bed! Creamy potato soup, homemade, with white and/or sweet potatoes was AWESOME on my tummy for days 1-3 of chemo. One round my staple was organic tomato soup and half a sandwich every night I received chemo, but now I can't stand the SIGHT of tomato soup! Pasta and potatos and rice were good to keep on my tummy for the first couple days, seemed to stay in longer and not cause the bowel issues to get any worse, for the most part. What your mother has for chemo has a lot to do with what kind of issues she may or may not have. And just remember, if she has a side effect, tell her doctor cause you can be sure somebody else has had it and there's a medication for it! Good luck and be strong!
mary

CherylHutch

She will be fine!
Hey Marc... for starters, let me say that if your Mom has her humour back and considering she has you in her court (and I'm assuming the rest of her family), then she is going to be just fine

Whenever one thinks of starting chemo, the absolute worst horror stories come to mind and I think that is totally normal. All us humans relate chemo = horror. But guess what? Modern medicine and science has come such a long way with chemo treatments and how to battle potential side affects... so it's not as bad as our imagination take us

Remind your mother, over and over again, if necessary... Chemo Treatments are basically just very strong medications. Just like some people can react to Tylenol or Aspirin and don't think twice about telling their doctors so that the reactions can be fixed, controlled or change to different meds, you sort of have to think of chemo as the same. IF someone has a reaction to chemo, then tell her doctor... every little reaction! If it's uncomfortable (nausea, pain, swelling, headaches, muscle aches, etc), then there are medications to clear up the side affects. No one should have to suffer while on chemo. Oh sure, there are some things that just happen (in my case, my arthritis was aggravated), but then one just deals with the situations as they come up (arthritis is a nasty one because there really is very little that can be done to ease it).

Now... in answer to your questions:

1) Clothes-wise... comfort! Go for the casual comfortable clothes. One does not have to make a fashion statement... comfort is more important. So what sorts of clothes does she feel comfortable in? Sweats, casual skirts, loose tops, are all great. If she is getting a portacath put in her chest, then tops that are easy to open so the nurse has access to it. Button down shirts or again, sweat shirts are great.

A heating pad! If she does get aches and pains, a good, old fashioned heating pad is so comfortable! Or a hot water bottle for her feet.

2) Comfort food!! Of course, this will be up to her own personal tastes... everyone has different favourite comfort foods. BUT, if one can make a couple of quick to heat meals such as casseroles, shepherd's pie, lasagna, pizza, or whatever it is she likes if she is feeling tired... make them in individual meal servings and throw them in the freezer. That way, she can pop on in a microwave or the oven without having to think about what to make. Also, if you make a nice big bowl of salad on the 1st day of chemo and keep that in the fridge. It will be fresh for a couple of days and she can grab some salad and throw it on a plate to go along with one of the individual meals that needs heating... and voila, instant full meal

3) What to expect after the first treatment? Shock ... that she doesn't feel any different than she did before she had the treatment For most people, it usually takes a couple of treatments for anything really noticeable to happen because chemo is accumulative. Some people sail through all their treatments with little or no side affects. Others will notice the fatigue or some nausea right away. But remember... the nausea or headaches can be fixed with medications... tell her NOT to be a martyr, but to mention anything she might be feeling to her oncologist who can make sure she has more or less of a particular medication. Fatigue... if she gets that then there's not too much you can do about it other than to rest. Take naps when needed and don't try to fight it... that's just one of the things about chemo or radiation... the fatigue. If she starts worrying that she is now going to be exhausted for the rest of her life, remind her this is just a side affect with the chemo and once the chemo is over the fatigue will go away as well.

Also, keep in mind that the first week of every treatment will be when she notices any side affects, if she gets any. The second week, she will be feeling back to her usual chipper self. And when you read all the potential side affects a chemo can cause, remember that no one gets ALL of them... just some of them, so one doesn't have to freak out that they are going to get every single one of them

I'm assuming she is going to be given Oxipilatin... that's the one none of us like because of the tingling and neuropathy (numbness) it can cause in the fingers, hands and feet. Also, she can not drink ANYTHING cold or touch anything cold while on that one. She will learn very quickly that there's no negotiation there... cold is cold and the Oxi causes an incredible sensitivity to cold. But, this too shall pass... and only time will tell if she can complete the whole 12 sessions of Oxi or if they have to stop those ones early. A lot of us just couldn't do the full 12 sessions.

She'll be fine.... and just be there for support

Hugggggs,

Cheryl

VickiCO

Marc
I am sorry you are dealing with this, but what a great son you are to help your Mom in this way!

1. I echo others - sweats (elastic) and zipper jackets.And even though we don't like to discuss this, Depends for Women are a a blessing for me! I live an hour away from the cancer center, with not much but farmland in between, and these have saved me more than once.

2. As for foods, the one thing I depend on is cantaloupe - it has a natural emend and really helps the nausea. And it just tastes good!

3. She may or may not have side effects right away. I usually don't until about day 3. the exhaustion hits then as well.

I hope she retains that sense of humor - she's going to need it!

Many Hugs! Vicki

nudgie

Like the others:

Clothes: Go with what is comfortable. I wore jogging suits with zip down jackets in the front, because it made it easier to access my port for treatments.

Food: This may depend on which chemo treatment is will be undertaken. If she is taking FLOFOX with Oxy, the Oxy can cause food and beverage issues when it comes to the cold. I was on FLOFOX and my chemo team told me NOT to drink any any cold beverages or eat any cold foods that this could and would cause a reaction to the throat, which would feel as if the throat was closing, so I kept all beverages at room temp (mostly water) and all foods were room temp, warmed up or came from the oven.

In addition, I had to wear gloves when getting items from the frig or freezer because of the cold sensation. I was also getting my regime during the winter months, so I had to wear a hat, scaf, mitten and something over my mouth and nose.

What I found most comfortable was knowing that my family was there for me anytime I needed them. That meant the world to me. Be there for your mom, tell her you love you and listen to her during this time.

nudgie

Like the others:

Clothes: Go with what is comfortable. I wore jogging suits with zip down jackets in the front, because it made it easier to access my port for treatments.

Food: This may depend on which chemo treatment is will be undertaken. If she is taking FLOFOX with Oxy, the Oxy can cause food and beverage issues when it comes to the cold. I was on FLOFOX and my chemo team told me NOT to drink any any cold beverages or eat any cold foods that this could and would cause a reaction to the throat, which would feel as if the throat was closing, so I kept all beverages at room temp (mostly water) and all foods were room temp, warmed up or came from the oven.

In addition, I had to wear gloves when getting items from the frig or freezer because of the cold sensation. I was also getting my regime during the winter months, so I had to wear a hat, scaf, mitten and something over my mouth and nose.

What I found most comfortable was knowing that my family was there for me anytime I needed them. That meant the world to me. Be there for your mom, tell her you love you and listen to her during this time.

marc24

nudgie said:

Like the others:

Clothes: Go with what is comfortable. I wore jogging suits with zip down jackets in the front, because it made it easier to access my port for treatments.

Food: This may depend on which chemo treatment is will be undertaken. If she is taking FLOFOX with Oxy, the Oxy can cause food and beverage issues when it comes to the cold. I was on FLOFOX and my chemo team told me NOT to drink any any cold beverages or eat any cold foods that this could and would cause a reaction to the throat, which would feel as if the throat was closing, so I kept all beverages at room temp (mostly water) and all foods were room temp, warmed up or came from the oven.

In addition, I had to wear gloves when getting items from the frig or freezer because of the cold sensation. I was also getting my regime during the winter months, so I had to wear a hat, scaf, mitten and something over my mouth and nose.

What I found most comfortable was knowing that my family was there for me anytime I needed them. That meant the world to me. Be there for your mom, tell her you love you and listen to her during this time.

Thanks for the tips so far..keep on comin
Thank you guys! yeah i feel like chemo should be treated as a "high dosage" of tylenol...but i really think my mom can pull through...i just hate the whole "time limit" we were given for her..like "its not curable, but it will prolong her life"...i guess the doctors are just being realistic...but i really hope the chemo will prolong her life to like a million years old so she can see me do great things...thanks again!

and the zip down jackets i will definitely tell her

Unknown

marc24 said:

Thanks for the tips so far..keep on comin
Thank you guys! yeah i feel like chemo should be treated as a "high dosage" of tylenol...but i really think my mom can pull through...i just hate the whole "time limit" we were given for her..like "its not curable, but it will prolong her life"...i guess the doctors are just being realistic...but i really hope the chemo will prolong her life to like a million years old so she can see me do great things...thanks again!

and the zip down jackets i will definitely tell her

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marc24

unknown said:

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gotcha
well the doctors didnt say what stage, but reading and the descriptions...i presume its stage iv and the mets all over her liver..since 3 is lymph nodes but not distant organs...i just hope the 1st chemo goes well...like i want her to feel like she is getting "treated" rather than just "delaying"...but thanks for the advice...i try to tell her to join this forum, well she isnt technologically savvy so i figure i can relay the message...keep em coming!!

The exercise tip might be something i would do with her every weekend morning...like maybe a quick walk since her legs and pelvic area are beginning to how should i describe it...feel heavy...so i dunno