starting R-CHOP

jerzpilot

I was diagnose with FNHL stage 4B back in Nov. and my onc. had me on a watch and wait since my nodes were not causing any pain. Last month however, a PET scan showed that it may be turning into the aggresive type so it's time for chemo. I have about 4 months ahead of me of treatment and don't know how my body is going to react. I wanted to do some type of light duty work while I go throuh it, What do you ladies and gentlemen suggest? Your feed back is greatly appreciated.

Edwin

COBRA666

nhl question
Edwin, I have the same thing as you. I do not think it was turning to the aggressive type. We are all different in our treatment reactions. Look at the posts and you will see what I mean. I have been fortunate in that my reactions have not been too bad. I got the r-cvp instead of the r-chop. Some are having some problems with the after effects, but they are bouncing back. As far as light duty work, you will have to see how you feel day to day. You may have one day where you you feel just fine. The next day may be a complete turn around. You will have to base it on that. Nobody wants to work if they feel dragged out. John

jerzpilot

COBRA666 said:

nhl question
Edwin, I have the same thing as you. I do not think it was turning to the aggressive type. We are all different in our treatment reactions. Look at the posts and you will see what I mean. I have been fortunate in that my reactions have not been too bad. I got the r-cvp instead of the r-chop. Some are having some problems with the after effects, but they are bouncing back. As far as light duty work, you will have to see how you feel day to day. You may have one day where you you feel just fine. The next day may be a complete turn around. You will have to base it on that. Nobody wants to work if they feel dragged out. John

Hello John and thanks for
Hello John and thanks for responding, I really want to stay home and ride this treatment but I know I am going to get depress, I just want to keep my mind busy and not think about this cancer. I've always been so healthy or so I thought I was and now reading the long term effects of chemo drugs have on a persons body sounds awful. But who said life is easy, we all have our own battles.
I am sorry to hear about your illness as well may God bless you and your family.

Edwin

vinny59

jerzpilot said:

Hello John and thanks for
Hello John and thanks for responding, I really want to stay home and ride this treatment but I know I am going to get depress, I just want to keep my mind busy and not think about this cancer. I've always been so healthy or so I thought I was and now reading the long term effects of chemo drugs have on a persons body sounds awful. But who said life is easy, we all have our own battles.
I am sorry to hear about your illness as well may God bless you and your family.

Edwin

hey Edwin
I tryed working my first week in and it did not turn out alright, ended up with a fever that almost put me in the hospital, one of my Onc nurses said it best, your job is to beat cancer, that's it, I feel like crap sometimes setting home not working, but hey we did not choose this! like John said listen to your body, it will tell you a lot! good luck!!! Vinny

dixiegirl

vinny59 said:

hey Edwin
I tryed working my first week in and it did not turn out alright, ended up with a fever that almost put me in the hospital, one of my Onc nurses said it best, your job is to beat cancer, that's it, I feel like crap sometimes setting home not working, but hey we did not choose this! like John said listen to your body, it will tell you a lot! good luck!!! Vinny

working
I worked through the first 3 treatments, just do what you can, when you can and rest in between. I was 41 when diagnosed and was NOT prepared to sit on my butt, but when I started falling asleep at stop lights it was time to stay home. I have a 45 minute commute to and from work. I also laid down at lunch.

You'll be ok, this is tough stuff.....but you CAN do this.

Take Care,

Beth

markstevenvegas

dixiegirl said:

working
I worked through the first 3 treatments, just do what you can, when you can and rest in between. I was 41 when diagnosed and was NOT prepared to sit on my butt, but when I started falling asleep at stop lights it was time to stay home. I have a 45 minute commute to and from work. I also laid down at lunch.

You'll be ok, this is tough stuff.....but you CAN do this.

Take Care,

Beth

Edwin be careful out in public after starting R-CHOP
Edwin, I was not able to work the first week outside of each treatment because I never knew from one hour to the next how I was going to feel. For the better part of the first week I felt I had been poisoned (~just a general overall feeling of not being well). After the first week, I could feel my body rejuvinate and blood counts all spiked back up to normal/safe levels. Be careful outside your home (in public places). Your own worst enemy will be your own body but being exposed to germs, bacteria, pathogens of all sorts put you at risk of getting sick. You'll probably have a neulasta shot to get your white blood counts back to safe levels but be careful to guard yourself against virus's and bacteria. If you get sick, it could put you in the hospital. Take care and best wishes. Mark

merrywinner

Hi Edwin!!
Good to see you and to know you are hanging in there. Sorry that your watch and wait time is over,but I guess for most of us,that happens only too quickly. I finished my R CHOP in late January. It can be done!! Lots of good support here as always. As to your question about working. I guess it would depend on your employer and how flexible they can be. It's kind of a hit or miss. Some days during treatment I could make it but a lot of the time I couldn't with fatigue being the biggest problem. Let me know if I can be of help to you. If I can't answer a question, someone here can. When do you start? Mary

Long Dawg

Stay on the Ground
Edwin,
Hi I have NHL-B and I'm 2 weeks past my second treatment. I'm at work at the moment (light duty paper work) and I feel the best I have in a month. I've been riding my bike working up a sweat doing all my chores around the house and feeling good. Its not like that after treatment.
After treatment I become a piece of furniture for a few days. The way I feel after treatment changes by the hour. I wake up feeling good and hungry and an hour later I'm napping or nausea or fever.
Do what you can when you can, If you feel good get up and take a walk or do something useful like do the dishes or make your wife lunch. You won't pay for it later, you might be tired if you push too hard but hay take a nap any time or any where.
Have your friends make dinner for your family for the first 3 or 4 nights after treatment.
Get some movies to watch to occupy your mind. Get a baby sitter and please STAY ON THE GROUND
Good luck Edwin
Steve Long

COBRA666

work or what???
Ed,
Well there you go Ed. you can see by the many post we are all different in the way we respond to the treatments. It seems no 2 people are the same. So you have to take it day to day in what you do as far as activity. you can do it, just take it in stride. John

Hoppy23

Hello Edwin. My husband is
Hello Edwin. My husband is having R-CHOP as well, he had 6 cycles so far. He is OK with everything most of the time, and is able to work. But he takes it really easy on himself the first week after chemo. The second week is better and the 3rd is the best.

You will be able to do what you need to be done. MY only advice is for you to listen well to your body and what it's telling you. If you have no energy, then have a nap or rest. If you are OK, then that's good. DOn't over do things. Resting is good for your blood counts too.

Good luck.

COBRA666

merrywinner said:

Hi Edwin!!
Good to see you and to know you are hanging in there. Sorry that your watch and wait time is over,but I guess for most of us,that happens only too quickly. I finished my R CHOP in late January. It can be done!! Lots of good support here as always. As to your question about working. I guess it would depend on your employer and how flexible they can be. It's kind of a hit or miss. Some days during treatment I could make it but a lot of the time I couldn't with fatigue being the biggest problem. Let me know if I can be of help to you. If I can't answer a question, someone here can. When do you start? Mary

Completed treatments
Mary,
Since you completed treatments back in January has your body returned to normal? I mean do you feel 100%. I am only just a week out of round 2 of 6 and am on the yoyo schedule of tiredness. I know that is expected. There are others on here as well that have completed their treatments, but I do not recall reading how their bodies bounced back to normal or not. They may have posted it and with the chemo brain I just don't remember what I read. I do read all post too. Any responses from anybody would be greatly appreciated. John

jerzpilot

Hoppy23 said:

Hello Edwin. My husband is
Hello Edwin. My husband is having R-CHOP as well, he had 6 cycles so far. He is OK with everything most of the time, and is able to work. But he takes it really easy on himself the first week after chemo. The second week is better and the 3rd is the best.

You will be able to do what you need to be done. MY only advice is for you to listen well to your body and what it's telling you. If you have no energy, then have a nap or rest. If you are OK, then that's good. DOn't over do things. Resting is good for your blood counts too.

Good luck.

Thank you all
Thank you all for the response and support, it is good to know I am not alone in this endeavour.
I've decided to stay home during the treatment as I have never had chemo before. Merry is nice to see you again and that you are doing good as well as all done with your treatments. I will keep you guys posted on anything new and my process with the good juice. God bless all.

Edwin

merrywinner

COBRA666 said:

Completed treatments
Mary,
Since you completed treatments back in January has your body returned to normal? I mean do you feel 100%. I am only just a week out of round 2 of 6 and am on the yoyo schedule of tiredness. I know that is expected. There are others on here as well that have completed their treatments, but I do not recall reading how their bodies bounced back to normal or not. They may have posted it and with the chemo brain I just don't remember what I read. I do read all post too. Any responses from anybody would be greatly appreciated. John

Hey John
I will answer this based on my experience. Definitely yes!!! The only difference I notice from before I was diagnosed to post chemo is that I feel in many ways much better. Although I had stage 4A meaning without symptoms, now that I am in remission, on hindsight I did have things that were not right, like feeling more tired then I probably should have or pain or discomfort that was probably caused by pressure from masses pushing. So not only did I get 100% back but probably more then that. But please be patient it does take awhile. I would venture 6 to 8 weeks. And just about the time you think you will never be back to normal suddenly you are. It was for me very sudden. I woke up one day and knew I was back. It was the best feeling in the world. It was the same with the "chemo brain" The "fog" just suddenly lifted. You and others have much to look forward to. You just have to get there and you will. Mary

COBRA666

merrywinner said:

Hey John
I will answer this based on my experience. Definitely yes!!! The only difference I notice from before I was diagnosed to post chemo is that I feel in many ways much better. Although I had stage 4A meaning without symptoms, now that I am in remission, on hindsight I did have things that were not right, like feeling more tired then I probably should have or pain or discomfort that was probably caused by pressure from masses pushing. So not only did I get 100% back but probably more then that. But please be patient it does take awhile. I would venture 6 to 8 weeks. And just about the time you think you will never be back to normal suddenly you are. It was for me very sudden. I woke up one day and knew I was back. It was the best feeling in the world. It was the same with the "chemo brain" The "fog" just suddenly lifted. You and others have much to look forward to. You just have to get there and you will. Mary

Mary,it does help a lot. It's just rough going thru these weeks of feeling up and down all the time. It certainly is not going by fast. Looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. I wish no one would have to go thru this, but I know it is necessary to get better. Hope one day and I am sure they will find a way to cure this disease. I just feel it can't be that far off with all the research they do. To be honest I never gave this stuff much thought till it hit me. I think a lot of people are the same way. Then when it did hit me I started research as I am sure others did. Reading how far they came in the past few years is really amazing. It feels like we are being torn down and rebuilt. WE are tired, hair falls out, constant worry, sometimes nauseated,weakness, sore lower back,chemo brain,etc.etc. You know because you have been there. We get on the site and look for answers and this site is a great friend to have for those answers, but when we are alone we think to ourselves. We are all looking to be normal again. There are a lot of inspirations on this site and you are definitely at the top of the list. Its funny how a crisis can bring people together sometimes. John

Dapsterd

Chemo and Work
Hello friends...

Note...I have Lung Cancer, so I know little about yours and yout treatment.

My dad has had N-H L for 4 yrs...docs monitored only for 3+ years up to about 5 months ago, then determined activity and chemo should be started. He went to chemo about every other week for about 4 months. Now one month after his last chemo, he was hospitalized for fever and severe fatigue. CT showed agressive growth. Doc says it changed into an aggressive lymphoma? Well...10 days of testing and such on the oncology ward with (5)different new chemo drugs administered all day over a couple days, he is now home and doing very well and feels very well. He will be on 21 day cycles for awhile now.
He is 79, but lost about 15lbs over the course of the chemo, but he is now eating very large quanities!

Docs said his body and cancer better take to the new chemo or he has 6 months left. But docs were shocked on his progress, so they let him go home!!!!!

PS...I am 47 yrs old, his youngest of 6 children and I now have stage 3b nsclc (lung cancer), about 5 treatments (5 weeks) into treament and main tumor has shrunk 30%, lymphnodes have been reduced too!

I myself took FMLA 12 weeks off and trying to get more off, Chemo and radiation are different everyday, but not one day would I or could I really work the same job I had.
I do radiation M-Fri for 7 weeks, Chemo once/week for 4 hrs for 6 months.

We are now Chemo Buddies !!
Dave

dixiegirl

Dapsterd said:

Chemo and Work
Hello friends...

Note...I have Lung Cancer, so I know little about yours and yout treatment.

My dad has had N-H L for 4 yrs...docs monitored only for 3+ years up to about 5 months ago, then determined activity and chemo should be started. He went to chemo about every other week for about 4 months. Now one month after his last chemo, he was hospitalized for fever and severe fatigue. CT showed agressive growth. Doc says it changed into an aggressive lymphoma? Well...10 days of testing and such on the oncology ward with (5)different new chemo drugs administered all day over a couple days, he is now home and doing very well and feels very well. He will be on 21 day cycles for awhile now.
He is 79, but lost about 15lbs over the course of the chemo, but he is now eating very large quanities!

Docs said his body and cancer better take to the new chemo or he has 6 months left. But docs were shocked on his progress, so they let him go home!!!!!

PS...I am 47 yrs old, his youngest of 6 children and I now have stage 3b nsclc (lung cancer), about 5 treatments (5 weeks) into treament and main tumor has shrunk 30%, lymphnodes have been reduced too!

I myself took FMLA 12 weeks off and trying to get more off, Chemo and radiation are different everyday, but not one day would I or could I really work the same job I had.
I do radiation M-Fri for 7 weeks, Chemo once/week for 4 hrs for 6 months.

We are now Chemo Buddies !!
Dave

Welcome my friend
I am sorry to hear about your treatment as well as the transformation of your dads. From what I understand it's common for indolent lymphoma to transform to more aggressive types. I have a friend who has aggressive DLBC and did chemo and radiation and has been cancer free for 3 years now and doing great.

I wish him and you the best of luck, and welcome to the board....:)