First chemo last Monday & I'm a mess, need HELP

coco2008

Last Monday I had my port put in and then had my first Chemo treatment.

I have never been so tired in my life.  I'm awake for 30 minutes and then sleep for an hour or two.  I'm very nauseous, but no vomiting thank goodness.  No appetite.  I ate 1/2 slice of bread and a couple crackers yesterday and about the same today.  At the same time I am so thirsty I could drink an ocean.

My neck is really hurting from the port going in, but since the pain meds also make me nauseous, I've tried to get away with Tylenol and ice packs.

I feel like I'm not doing something right and my onco is on vacation.

Could I be doing something to make this better?

If this is just the way it is I have to tell you THIS IS NOT FUN! 

Sandy

jessiesmom1

Side Effects

You are absolutely correct - chemo is NOT FUN. I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. I had never been so sick in my entire life. The fact that you had the port implanted and went on to have chemo the very same day probably made matters more difficult. I remember not being able to move my neck comfortably for probably 2 weeks after the port was placed but at least I had just that single issue to deal with for a short while. As to the nausea, were you prescribed any anti-nausea medication? Zofran? Compazine? Emend? The fatigue and lack of appetite are par for the course. Almost everybody undergoing chemo has them to some extent. You simply have to find what you can tolerate. Something is better than nothing. For a few days for  me it was cantaloupe. Then it was on to fruit popsicles. Then matzo balls. For a while I couldn't even eat at all. I am sad when you say you feel like you are "not doing something right." You WILL find what suit you even if it isn't much. Since your oncologist is on vacation, find out who is "on call" for his patients. There has to be someone. In my doctor's practice I can always reach one of her partners or one of the chemo nurses. Have you tried that?

Good luck, Sandy. Please let us know how it goes because we have been there and done that.

IRENE

coco2008

jessiesmom1 said:

Side Effects

You are absolutely correct - chemo is NOT FUN. I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. I had never been so sick in my entire life. The fact that you had the port implanted and went on to have chemo the very same day probably made matters more difficult. I remember not being able to move my neck comfortably for probably 2 weeks after the port was placed but at least I had just that single issue to deal with for a short while. As to the nausea, were you prescribed any anti-nausea medication? Zofran? Compazine? Emend? The fatigue and lack of appetite are par for the course. Almost everybody undergoing chemo has them to some extent. You simply have to find what you can tolerate. Something is better than nothing. For a few days for  me it was cantaloupe. Then it was on to fruit popsicles. Then matzo balls. For a while I couldn't even eat at all. I am sad when you say you feel like you are "not doing something right." You WILL find what suit you even if it isn't much. Since your oncologist is on vacation, find out who is "on call" for his patients. There has to be someone. In my doctor's practice I can always reach one of her partners or one of the chemo nurses. Have you tried that?

Good luck, Sandy. Please let us know how it goes because we have been there and done that.

IRENE

Nice to know I'm not messing

Nice to know I'm not messing things up.

I have Zofran which I take as often as allowed, but it doesn't seem to be working like it should, or maybe I'm expecting too much.  I will call the onco department tomorrow.  I am diabetic and my sugar was dropping this morning.  I found I can bring it back up with jelly beans.  Not nutritious, but it worked.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Sandy

jessiesmom1

coco2008 said:

Nice to know I'm not messing

Nice to know I'm not messing things up.

I have Zofran which I take as often as allowed, but it doesn't seem to be working like it should, or maybe I'm expecting too much.  I will call the onco department tomorrow.  I am diabetic and my sugar was dropping this morning.  I found I can bring it back up with jelly beans.  Not nutritious, but it worked.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Sandy

Jelly Beans

Like I said, Sandy, whatever works. Jelly beans is probably not the greatest option. My chemo nurses suggested fruit popsicles because t hey are good for hydration and depending on what kind you buy they may or may not have sugar in them. As a diabetic you are probably good at reading labels and determining the sugar/carb content of a  product. I tried to go with the all fruit popsicles. You are NOT messing things up. There are a number of anti-nausea meds. Some worked better than others for me. Maybe Zofran isn't the right one for you. You can do this.

IRENE

coco2008

jessiesmom1 said:

Jelly Beans

Like I said, Sandy, whatever works. Jelly beans is probably not the greatest option. My chemo nurses suggested fruit popsicles because t hey are good for hydration and depending on what kind you buy they may or may not have sugar in them. As a diabetic you are probably good at reading labels and determining the sugar/carb content of a  product. I tried to go with the all fruit popsicles. You are NOT messing things up. There are a number of anti-nausea meds. Some worked better than others for me. Maybe Zofran isn't the right one for you. You can do this.

IRENE

Irene, I have to ask, how

Irene, I have to ask, how many balls are in the dogs mouth?  I love that pic.

jessiesmom1

coco2008 said:

Irene, I have to ask, how

Irene, I have to ask, how many balls are in the dogs mouth?  I love that pic.

Tennis Balls

There are FOUR tennis balls in the dog's mouth. Amazing isn't it? Motivation at its best.

IRENE

coco2008

jessiesmom1 said:

Tennis Balls

There are FOUR tennis balls in the dog's mouth. Amazing isn't it? Motivation at its best.

IRENE

Very inspirational.

Very inspirational.

Doe1504

coco2008 said:

Very inspirational.

Very inspirational.

Coco, I am so sorry you are

Coco, I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. I was hoping to hear a good report from you. The port and chemo all in one day was a lot. I am praying you get relief soon. I take my first chemo next Thurs. I am not looking forward to it, now, even less. Drink lots of liquids!  Please feel better soon.

Treecy1106

Doe1504 said:

Coco, I am so sorry you are

Coco, I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. I was hoping to hear a good report from you. The port and chemo all in one day was a lot. I am praying you get relief soon. I take my first chemo next Thurs. I am not looking forward to it, now, even less. Drink lots of liquids!  Please feel better soon.

Hi Sandy!

It will get better I promise! Did the nurses tell you to take probiotics while on chemo???

Please ask them and make sure you take them.

Get some fresh ginger and honey. That will help with nausea.

My port was a pain also but that goes away after awhile and you will be glad you have it in.

Please keep updating on here!!!

(((HUGS)))

Patrice

coco2008

Doe1504 said:

Coco, I am so sorry you are

Coco, I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. I was hoping to hear a good report from you. The port and chemo all in one day was a lot. I am praying you get relief soon. I take my first chemo next Thurs. I am not looking forward to it, now, even less. Drink lots of liquids!  Please feel better soon.

Doe1504

Doe, please don't feel discouraged about your chemo treatment.  Remember each of us are different. And maybe your onco will not be on vacation. (ha, ha)

You really won't know how you will react until you get there.  God be with you and give you peace.

Sandy

coco2008

Treecy1106 said:

Hi Sandy!

It will get better I promise! Did the nurses tell you to take probiotics while on chemo???

Please ask them and make sure you take them.

Get some fresh ginger and honey. That will help with nausea.

My port was a pain also but that goes away after awhile and you will be glad you have it in.

Please keep updating on here!!!

(((HUGS)))

Patrice

Patrice, I don't have any

Patrice, I don't have any ginger, but tea with honey sounds good.  I have some honey bush tea which is naturally decaf and mild. 

Please excuse me while I go make some.

Thanks

Sandy

Faith_In_God

It is not fun at all!

It will get better Sandy soon. I had your same chemo protocol and it was not fun at all. By the 7th day it will get much better, hopefully before that. Please drink a lot of fluids. Yogurt, bananas and chicken soup were my friends the first week.

In the meanwhile try to rest. Take care.

Faith

Doe1504

coco2008 said:

Doe1504

Doe, please don't feel discouraged about your chemo treatment.  Remember each of us are different. And maybe your onco will not be on vacation. (ha, ha)

You really won't know how you will react until you get there.  God be with you and give you peace.

Sandy

Thanks. I just hate that you

Thanks. I just hate that you are not doing well with your first one. I am praying they get easier for you. Hang in there, we are all behind you

I will follow you and keep prayers going up.

Dolores

Double Whammy

Faith_In_God said:

It is not fun at all!

It will get better Sandy soon. I had your same chemo protocol and it was not fun at all. By the 7th day it will get much better, hopefully before that. Please drink a lot of fluids. Yogurt, bananas and chicken soup were my friends the first week.

In the meanwhile try to rest. Take care.

Faith

So sorry

you're having such an impressive reaction.  I agree with others, call he onco office and let them know.  Someone will be covering for your doc and they have lots of tricks up their sleeves to deal with the side effects.  I did not have a port, but had the same cocktail as you.  I don't think my side effects were as severe, but what you describe is very reminiscent, except for the nausea.  That was controlled with Zofran and an occasional Atavan.  I ate a lot of ice cream and smoothies when food just wouldn't do.  I also always stayed hydrated.  I had a metallic taste that was awful and I used a straw a lot.  Ice cream seemed to always taste good. 

You will learn with this schedule what days you will feel  crappy and then you will also learn when you're going to feel better.  It will be pretty consistent for each cycle.  Then they give you chemo again and it all starts over.  You have to do tis only 3 more times.  Keep that in mind and cross them off as you go along. I made a calendar and kept track of side effects and total days and checked them off as each day and cycle completed.  When I felt lousy I could see where I was in the cycle and look back and see a pattern and know that in X days I would begin to feel better.  Sleeping is a good thing when you feel lousy. 

Please let us know soon how your're doing.  I hope it will be better soon

Suzanne

 

disneyfan2008

Sandy:
I did not have chemo

Sandy:

I did not have chemo so no advice..just wanted to say thinking of you..

Denise