Lingering chemo effects

AbbyD

My apologies if this has been addressed in a previous thread. I did a quick search but didn't see answers to my specific question.

My 46yo husband just finished up 12 rounds of ABVD on June 30. By way of background, he was diagnosed with Stage IIB Hodgkin's at the end of December (right before Christmas). He began chemo mid-January and did pretty well. He's been working throughout, and has really handled side effects pretty well. The one that we've consistently struggled with is nausea. He had a pretty strong gag reflex before all this started (had to get numbed at the dentist just for a cleaning) and chemo has made it worse.

We are getting ready for radiation starting next week Monday. He's scheduled for 20 sessions, and will have it primarily in his pelvis and groin (only nodes below the diaphragm were affected, but some were pretty bulky).

So my question is two-fold. One, I'm curious about how long others' side effects lasted, particularly nausea. It's been more than 25 days now and he's still having problems. I expected him to have a few months of fatigue, but I didn't expect nausea this long after we'd finished chemo.

Also I'd appreciate any comments on radiation side-effects. How bad was the fatigue, skin discomfort, etc.

dixiegirl

Rads
I had 17 radiation treatments to the groin. Sometimes the skin felt "tight" kind of like a sunburn but no burning was visible for me......I had very low dose radiation. I did however burn on the inside and quite honestly my sex life with my husband has been terribly affected. I still have trouble with pain and it's a permanent thing. I do what I can to help it, but it's still painful for me. I was also very tired but quite honestly I think it was just doing it EVERY day that got to me.

The fatigue probably lasted a couple months maybe. I have never gotten all my energy back from the chemo and rads. I didn't have the trouble with nausea but I didn't have the same type of chemo your husband has either.

I am happy with where I am at right now emotionally though still worry very much about another cancer. My mom died of breast cancer with mets to liver and lungs. It scares the holy hell out of me. I am doing what I can to take it a day at a time.

Hope this helps.
Beth

yesyes2

dixiegirl said:

Rads
I had 17 radiation treatments to the groin. Sometimes the skin felt "tight" kind of like a sunburn but no burning was visible for me......I had very low dose radiation. I did however burn on the inside and quite honestly my sex life with my husband has been terribly affected. I still have trouble with pain and it's a permanent thing. I do what I can to help it, but it's still painful for me. I was also very tired but quite honestly I think it was just doing it EVERY day that got to me.

The fatigue probably lasted a couple months maybe. I have never gotten all my energy back from the chemo and rads. I didn't have the trouble with nausea but I didn't have the same type of chemo your husband has either.

I am happy with where I am at right now emotionally though still worry very much about another cancer. My mom died of breast cancer with mets to liver and lungs. It scares the holy hell out of me. I am doing what I can to take it a day at a time.

Hope this helps.
Beth

WOW
All I can say is wow Beth. Didn't realize how much you have been through. Thank you for being so honest, and sharing. I had radiation almost 18 yrs ago to my breast and underarm and radiation is certainly the gift that keeps giving. I have a rock hard breast, lymphodema, a deformed back from radiation exit and a few other things. Plus an increased risk of lung cancer and sarcomas. Got to love that radiation. But you know what, we're still here and thats the name of this game.
Blessings,
Leslie

yesyes2

Rad
Hi Abby,
I'm not too familiar with your husbands type of cancer or radiation to the groin area but having had radiation treatments years ago I'm very familiar with the after effects. I just recommend you ask the doctor lots of questions and clarify all concerns you have. I completed chemo for NHL 5 months ago and am stll experiencing a lot of fatigue. I believe the chemo your husband received is also a very rough treatment.
Good luck and blessings to both of you.
Leslie

Tracie1981

Hi
I also have Hodkins stage IIB, I just finished my 12 treatments, 6 cycles all together. I did the ABVD treatments. My last treatment was July 21st and I feel fantastic already. I drink about 6-8 bottles of water a day, the fluids really help at flushing the system and after Chemo I would usually have about 4-5 days of not feeling so hot. May I ask what nausea meds they had him on? I take Emend and kompazine(sp?) they work wonders for me! A lot of people also say that zofran helps a lot too. It shouldnt be to much longer before he is feeling better though, just make sure he drinks a lot of water Take care and God Bless!

GalacDad

lingering effects
AbbyD,
Glad to hear the treatments are done! I was also a IIB but above the diaphram. The nausea does get better, I had been percribed zorfam and emend. After two years I will still get a bouts of it here and there. Sometimes feels like a day after treatment. Have noticed certain smells seem to trigger it. Radiation treatment might have a tendency to creep up one you. My first set went fine with no issues, but then it was all at once. Reddening and tightening of the skin( like sun burn)is normal. Docs percribed a salve for my neck and shoulder. Tightness and fatique followed. Fatique was not extreme, but does wear you down.
Some of these effects I still have today, but not on a constant basis. I just learned to celebrate each day because we dont know what the next day has planned for us.
GalacDad

forme

Nausea
Hi AbbyD,
In case you are still interested in meds for nausea. I received rads for mets from thyroid ca. made me feel so sick. What worked for me was Zofran. I tried others but none worked as well.I still have it when I need big narcotics for pain. It works so well. I had fatigue for a long time. My rads were different, they were whole body/systemic. I lost most of my taste buds, had a lot of pain, hair thinning and loss. Did not receive chemo, so the hair loss was from the rads. My mouth was very dry, almost no saliva. Always have a cup of ice water with me, still do. For me, the rads was the hardest. I have had many surgerys and was in hospice for awhile. It takes time to recover. Hang in there.....
Best to you and your husband.