First Chemo completed

Jamie_Ann
Jamie_Ann Member Posts: 35
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I've had a pretty rough start to this journey (including a collapsed lung as a result of the mediport placement). I was hospitalized for a week with a chest tube which resulted in the doctors moving back my treatment start date. I did my first chemo (cisplatin) today and thankfully I feel pretty good (fingers crossed it continues!). Radiation will be starting on Thursday. I just keep thinking.. "I think I CAN, I think I CAN, I think I CAN..." but I won't lie, that mask scares the HECK out of me!

It was great to read all the good news and NEDs on here lately!! Keep up the good work everyone!

Comments

  • james chambliss
    james chambliss Member Posts: 70
    #2
    Prayers
    I will be sending prayers your way. You are in for a rough ride. I will not sugar coat it for you, but you have hope and keep your faith. You can get through this. God bless you and your family.


    James
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
    james chambliss said:

    Prayers
    I will be sending prayers your way. You are in for a rough ride. I will not sugar coat it for you, but you have hope and keep your faith. You can get through this. God bless you and your family.


    James

    Hi Jamie
    Just keep up the positive thinking and you will be able. On the Mask just keep thinking it to be another part of the ride, and focus on something in the room when you have it on.

    All the best
    Hondo
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #4
    Go get it!
    Hi Jamie Ann,
    You can! Don't worry about the mask. You'll get used to it. Make sure to bring the music you like to listen to for radiation. It will give you something to focus on and you will know when the treatment is about over by the song that is on. Get your diet in order now and keep it as healthy as you can going forward. It makes a huge difference in side effect duration and severity. Let us know how it goes and how we can help. We'll be praying for you.

    Bob
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    XANAX
    If you absolutely need meds to help you initially over the anxiety, ask for them. Usually you only need them for a few days until you get into the routine and know what to expect.

    I used Xanax the first few days, by the second week, I no longer needed them.

    No use suffering anxiety when you need to concentrate on getting better.

    Thoughts and Prayers,
    John
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #6
    Love your beautiful photo!
    The beautiful people in that photo are the reason you are going through this. You CAN do this, Jamie Ann. You are right on track. Just keep taking it one day at a time, one small step at a time. Yes it is hard, yes it is scary. You KNOW you can, you KNOW you can...

    The mask scares everyone. The mask makes grown men cry; a couple of them have told me so. I would take a half-dose of liquid benadryl about a half hour before I let them bolt me down. Helped calm me down, and helped with the inevitable snot nose and mucous face you are going to end up with shortly. Remember - don't even TRY to move after they've bolted you down. It is easiest if you stay absolutely still.

    Keep those anti-nausea meds coming. Cisplatin will sometimes hit you the hardest on days three and four. If you're feeling sick, let your doctors know, and they can prescribe more. I had Emend, Zofran, Compazine and Atavan, at my worst. Never got sick.

    Sending healing and positive thoughts your way. Please keep us informed of your progress and ask any questions you need to.

    Deb
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #7
    Mask
    Congrats on making it through your first chemo, I had cisplatin also and know how rough it can be but hope you are one of the lucky ones who doesn't have side effects. Mine were pretty mild :)

    Will be keeping you in my prayers for your first radiation treatment. PLEASE do not hesitate to ask for something, I took an Ativan a half hour before each session to calm my nerves, it does help.

    Start telling yourself "I KNOW I CAN" and don't let the mask scare you, instead think of it as another tool in your fight to beat this awful beast.

    IKNOW YOU CAN,
    Glenna
  • tnsilcncer
    tnsilcncer Member Posts: 64
    #8
    Congrats
    Congrats to you! I just finished treatment February 8th, I had 33 radiations and 2 chemos (Cisplatin also), and guess what??? I MADE IT!!! You CAN do it! I will tell you that if you are going to have side effects with the chemo, you will start feeling cruddy late this evening and tomorrow will be full force. No matter what, no matter how bad your feel, no matter how tired you are, remember that this will pass. You will feel better and life will return to pretty normal (in my case, it's better because I appreciate what I have a thousand times more than I used to). Start focusing on something in the future that you can look forward to. For me, it was spring. When I was flat on my back, I just kept thinking about sitting in the sun with the breeze blowing on my face and the flowers blooming, and I kept thinking that when that happens, it will be done. So find your "focal point" to close your eyes and think of when it seems like it's the worst it has been. You will get through this, I have and so have many many people on here! I have surgery May 17th, so I'm not all the way done, but almost! I will keep you in my prayers!

    Hugs!
    Karen
  • jeepman
    jeepman Member Posts: 109
    #9
    Prayers and thoughts to you and your family
    I hope all goes well for you during treatment. My tonsils and a small bit of my BOT along with affected neck lymphs come out on 24 May. Pray for me also.

    Mike
  • Jamie_Ann
    Jamie_Ann Member Posts: 35
    #10
    jeepman said:

    Prayers and thoughts to you and your family
    I hope all goes well for you during treatment. My tonsils and a small bit of my BOT along with affected neck lymphs come out on 24 May. Pray for me also.

    Mike

    Count on it...
    Everyone here is in my prayers every. single. day! I'll say a special prayer for you on the 24th for a successful surgery and speedy recovery (and a strong spirit for your special woman!).

    1 chemo and 2 rads downs... a few (okay, 6) weeks to go. :-)
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
    Jamie_Ann said:

    Count on it...
    Everyone here is in my prayers every. single. day! I'll say a special prayer for you on the 24th for a successful surgery and speedy recovery (and a strong spirit for your special woman!).

    1 chemo and 2 rads downs... a few (okay, 6) weeks to go. :-)

    Ground Hog Days...
    Keep on driving through it...you are in the days that I affectionately call Ground Hog Days.

    Same routine, day after day, after day, after day....

    Best,
    John
  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    #12
    First chemo
    Facing chemo and radiation, we wondered if we good do it too. But you will get through this. I hope you have a good support system in addition to the one here. We will be here for you. Karen
  • hawk711
    hawk711 Member Posts: 566
    #13
    buzz99 said:

    First chemo
    Facing chemo and radiation, we wondered if we good do it too. But you will get through this. I hope you have a good support system in addition to the one here. We will be here for you. Karen

    Jamie
    I was afraid of the mask too. I'm a little clastrophobic, but I as my wife told me "you must do this". So I repeated a little poem during the treatment that went, "I am stronger, I will win, never going to see this cancer again" as I listened to music. the music took my mind of the rads as I sang in my mind the songs and after 4-5 songs, I was done....
    The rads are the part that kills the cells and gets rid of the main cancer, (i think). So go get them with a strong positive attitude! Go in with confidence that the rads are a necessary part of the healing, very necessary.
    Keep the faith and say a little prayer for yourself, your worth it... I'll add you to mine.
    All the best,
    Steve

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