First Chemo today.....SCARED advice please!

Susan777 said:

Chemo wasnt as bad as expected
Thanks everyone for tips and thoughts. They gave me IV anti-nausea, steroids and benadryl. I was also sent home with an anti-nausea and more steroids. The only thing i noticed so far is that I have lost bladder control, feel starving and emotional. I am reluctant to take the steroids for 3 days because they make me so hungry and i assume the steroids sent me on my crying jag. I have had the worst insomnia since diagnosis the first of June. It felt better to cry with my family and let them know how out of control I feel. I will be calling my Chemo nurse today to see if it is imperative to take the steriods and anti-nausea.

This place is great and all of you ladies are my godsend!

Susan

Chemo can save you
I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer Aug. 27, 2010, and started chemo Sept. 10, 2010. I had my chemos on Fridays so I could be back to work on Monday. I am a high school art teacher and I worked through all of my chemo....I had the "double-whammy" as I called it; two ports; the usual upper on and a second one near the area where the cancer was found that sent the chemo straight into my system. It was rough stuff. March 21, 2011, I was declared cancer-free. I battled hard and never gave up, even when I was 100 pounds and could barely lift a toothbrush. Move forward with your treatment; listen to your healthcare professionals and try not to feel sorry for yourself. I decidede from the start to beat cancer for my 95 year old Dad and I did it! Be strong!

Susan777 said:

Hi Mwee - Constipation
Constipation has really set in on me now at day 3. I have been taking Stool Softner and Pepcid. I try to drink the morning coffee and take a light walk....but here i sit so broken hearted tryed to S*** but only F*****! Any suggestions. I dont want to resort to laxatives.

that D*MN constipation...
is such a problem for me. Glycerin suppositories can be your new best friend .... I know, I know not a pleasant thought, but I would resort to voodoo if I thought I could get relief. I eat Activa yogurt and if you need a laxative, my doctor suggests Miralax. Drink lots of liquid and I hope you get relief ASAP.
((((HUGS)))) Maria (the unoffical Queen of
chemo constipation)

Susan777 said:

Water.....
I drink tons of water. I always have and have also always pooped like a clock within minutes of my morning coffee. Thats why is is sooooo frustrating.

anti nausea pills
I wouldn't skip the anti-nauseua pills. They work best if you take them before you get nauseous. If you wait until after, they are not as effective. They give you more pills because the drugs they give you in the IV wear off after about 3 days. They give you the steroids to take to prevent a crash from the steroids they gave you in the IV. It should be a lower dose and it's up to your whether you take them or not. The constipation was the worst, my nurse said never let a day go by with a bowel movement. I used milk of magnesia nightly and if that wasn't enough I would add a gentle laxative when I needed it. The insomnia is from the chemo drugs as well. I didn't sleep for 7 days after the first treatment. It was never as bad afterward but I did have to use sleeping pills to help. I never got more than 4-6 hours of sleep at a time until after I finished chemo.

You just have to do your best to stay ahead of the side effects and take all the drugs you need to get through it. You can cleanse and go drug free after you finish chemo.

Susan777 said:

Hi Mwee - Constipation
Constipation has really set in on me now at day 3. I have been taking Stool Softner and Pepcid. I try to drink the morning coffee and take a light walk....but here i sit so broken hearted tryed to S*** but only F*****! Any suggestions. I dont want to resort to laxatives.

Chemo and Constiption
Hi Susan777, I was sorry to read your original post and I know chemo can be very scary the first time. I've been battling this since 2006 and it's still with me. Since last year, I've been on several different chemos and it can get very discouraging but you have to keep up the faith. I also have had constipation problems, so I now have a routine where I take 3 colace a day and Senakot 2x a day. My doctors have all told me that Senakot is very safe, it's a vegetable laxative. I don't get any cramping or diarrhea and go once a day. I, too, get a steriod before but that's it. The first time I had cancer, and got treatment, I had sterioids before, day of and after. I didn't like that and told the dr. this time I didn't want to be on alot of steriods. It's funny, because the day I do get them, I also have trouble falling asleep.

My primary doc prescribed a mild sleeping pill, Ambien, which I do take. I was also on BuSpar, which is an anxiety pill, but had to discountinue that because it would have affected the effectiveness of this present chemo. Anyway I hpe all goes well for you.