2nd round of chemo

Radioactive34

Hi All,

I finished my second round of chemo on Wednesday of this week. It is kicking my butt. I am exhausted. I have to get woken up to eat and drink. I am working very little. I need to work as much as I can...financially there is no other option.

Nausea levels are worse this go round...I did not think that was possible. Mostly I just want to sleep. I need to drink more liquids and probably go to the bathroom more, but have no energy. Taste buds are so off.

I am eating, because I know I have to. It is the holiday weekend. I am going on a car trip this afternoon. Well, they are driving, I am sleeping in the backseat. My caregiver and friend is going to explore a town I love. Hopefully I have enough energy to enjoy some of the town...or else I will happily sleep away at the hotel.

I really hope I can get a nap in before we leave. Just being awake these 2 hours is exhausting.

I am officially bald. Though I need to maintain it. Lol, where I am going to get the energy to do that, I have no clue. Chemo resistant hair growing in patches?!?!? Lol, what a sight.

Happy 4th....snore

antcat

Hi Radioactive 34
I'm so sorry to hear that you're having a bad time with the chemo. I know what it feels like to be exhausted becauase when I was on Avastin/Topotecan, I was literally exhausted for well over a week. I'm not sure what you're on, but Topotecan is a very rough treatment and it didn't help me. I even had like you the nausea levels.

I think it's great that you're trying to get around. I think it good to keep busy. Anyway, please keep strong and have a good 4th of July.

Mwee

fatique
Some rounds of chemo hit you harder than others (if you find out the reason for this please let me know!). Try to treat the nausea before it happens, if possible. I call that taste bud thing, Metal Mouth and I hate it... even my beloved coffee tastes awful. I hate to tell ya, but when you're this fatiqed, all you can do is give into it and sleep.
Happy 4th to you, too...... Maria

Radioactive34

antcat said:

Hi Radioactive 34
I'm so sorry to hear that you're having a bad time with the chemo. I know what it feels like to be exhausted becauase when I was on Avastin/Topotecan, I was literally exhausted for well over a week. I'm not sure what you're on, but Topotecan is a very rough treatment and it didn't help me. I even had like you the nausea levels.

I think it's great that you're trying to get around. I think it good to keep busy. Anyway, please keep strong and have a good 4th of July.

I am on cisplatin/etoposide.
I am on cisplatin/etoposide. The trip was exhausting but spent quality time with friends that are like sisters. I think my skin has begun to be light sensitive. My scalp and skin hurts. I keep looking for a rash but see nothing.

I am home nursing on like.....less than a 1/4 cup wine. Lol, alcohol fumes make me feel drunk. I have learned to nurse a glass like no tomorrow.

The change of guard comes Tuesday, so I am gearing up for the next group of caregivers. They will be here for the next month. I almost feel like I have to hurry up and get better to show them a good time.

I know, I know not the right attitude but hard to get out of those modes.

LaundryQueen

Radioactive34 said:

I am on cisplatin/etoposide.
I am on cisplatin/etoposide. The trip was exhausting but spent quality time with friends that are like sisters. I think my skin has begun to be light sensitive. My scalp and skin hurts. I keep looking for a rash but see nothing.

I am home nursing on like.....less than a 1/4 cup wine. Lol, alcohol fumes make me feel drunk. I have learned to nurse a glass like no tomorrow.

The change of guard comes Tuesday, so I am gearing up for the next group of caregivers. They will be here for the next month. I almost feel like I have to hurry up and get better to show them a good time.

I know, I know not the right attitude but hard to get out of those modes.

???
R34: I am wondering why you are not on taxol or taxotere since this is your "first line" chrmo. Were you given an explanation as to why etoposide was chosen for you?

(((hugs)))

LQ

Radioactive34

LaundryQueen said:

???
R34: I am wondering why you are not on taxol or taxotere since this is your "first line" chrmo. Were you given an explanation as to why etoposide was chosen for you?

(((hugs)))

LQ

Rare in the medical world
I have OVC, but the type is a rare aggressive subset. It is more along the lines of a lung cancer mutation. My oncologist said it was rare even in the medical world to find it. They ended up having to send my tumor to Havard to get it typed.

With it being highly aggressive, they are already starting me on stuff that would be used for 2nd or 3rd attempts. The doctor was honest and advised that if we did not get it in the first go round it would probably come back much worse. He also said that the particular cancer respond to cisplatin/etoposide better than other chemos.

So.....the goal is to last 6 rounds of this.

Cyber hugs...

LaundryQueen

Radioactive34 said:

Rare in the medical world
I have OVC, but the type is a rare aggressive subset. It is more along the lines of a lung cancer mutation. My oncologist said it was rare even in the medical world to find it. They ended up having to send my tumor to Havard to get it typed.

With it being highly aggressive, they are already starting me on stuff that would be used for 2nd or 3rd attempts. The doctor was honest and advised that if we did not get it in the first go round it would probably come back much worse. He also said that the particular cancer respond to cisplatin/etoposide better than other chemos.

So.....the goal is to last 6 rounds of this.

Cyber hugs...

Rare form of OVCA
R34: Awwwww, no wonder you were so freaked before you started on chemo! The one thing that may give you comfort is that an aggressive cancer is more likely to respond to chemo than a slow-growing cancer. Sort of "the faster it moves, the faster it dies."

So your cancer is probably still considered as "epithelial"--not all OVCAs are the same anyway; I'm glad you aren't wasting time with treatments that are not as likely to be useful.

Have you checked in with the lung cancer discussion board? There is info on etoposide there...I guess mouth ulcers might be a problem and that "magic mouthwash" that the doctor prescribes is supposed to be helpful for mouth ulcers.

(((hugs)))

LQ

Radioactive34

LaundryQueen said:

Rare form of OVCA
R34: Awwwww, no wonder you were so freaked before you started on chemo! The one thing that may give you comfort is that an aggressive cancer is more likely to respond to chemo than a slow-growing cancer. Sort of "the faster it moves, the faster it dies."

So your cancer is probably still considered as "epithelial"--not all OVCAs are the same anyway; I'm glad you aren't wasting time with treatments that are not as likely to be useful.

Have you checked in with the lung cancer discussion board? There is info on etoposide there...I guess mouth ulcers might be a problem and that "magic mouthwash" that the doctor prescribes is supposed to be helpful for mouth ulcers.

(((hugs)))

LQ

I was freaked before chemo,
I was freaked before chemo, because I had seen my mother in law die from the chemo side effects. I was in a fog. The details of things like the port just escaped me. It was mind blowing that I had nursed some one through death with cancer and was familiar with the ins and outs, but could not apply it to myself.

I was totally numb and did not seem to snap out of it until right before the chemo. I like the way you put it, "the faster it moves, the faster it dies."

So far no mouth ulcers. I hope it stays that way. I am eating and drinking because I know I have to. My mother in law was stubborn as a mule. She wanted to live yet did not follow her doctor's advise. Getting her to eat and drink was so difficult. It became a battle of wills. She was so angry she had cancer and was stage 4. Taking care of her was so hard. I would go see a family counselor who would coach me in techniques on how to deal with her. Yet, even at the end it was "you are going to live and I am dying, so I hate you for it....um, wipe my **** now."

After that I said to myself, I am not going to be that type of patient. I am going to be informed, and advocate for myself. Lol, that went out the door with the diagnosis. I am much more awake and out of my fog, but some days are tougher than others.

You gals here, have literally made this as easy as something like this can be. In the midest of this war.....I am confident you gals have my back in the trenches.