first day of chemo

druidshadow
druidshadow Member Posts: 85
in Colorectal Cancer #1
well here are the meds i am started on so far 5-fu on pump and 2.5 hours of cpt-11 well i am scared but tring to keep a positive out look on things, i will post more when i get home thank you all for being here for me. john

Comments

  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    #2
    one day at a time
    Hi John. You made it through the first day. First day is the worst.....all of the unknowns. Get some rest as you need it. When you can, take some walks. Diarrhea may occur, so try to know where the closest restroom is. Ask any questions as they come up. Thanks for checking in.
  • tommycat
    tommycat Member Posts: 790 Member
    #3
    You can do this John. One
    You can do this John. One foot in front of the other~
  • druidshadow
    druidshadow Member Posts: 85
    #4
    well
    ok i am finally home and i do not feel my self i feel light headed and disconnected and i can tell already i am going to hate the iv wire from the pump it gets in the way already. anyone else have this reaction?
    john
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    #5
    druidshadow said:

    well
    ok i am finally home and i do not feel my self i feel light headed and disconnected and i can tell already i am going to hate the iv wire from the pump it gets in the way already. anyone else have this reaction?
    john

    Camptosar 11 + 5fu = Folfiri. Good combo , quite manageable if
    you don't mind about your hair ! Stomach issues are the most uncomfortable issues but even so more manageable than Folfox.
    Take care of you my friend !
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    #6
    druidshadow said:

    well
    ok i am finally home and i do not feel my self i feel light headed and disconnected and i can tell already i am going to hate the iv wire from the pump it gets in the way already. anyone else have this reaction?
    john

    Feel sorry for your issues but you will be used to the
    wire very soon john ,just hang there a little.
    Best.
  • druidshadow
    druidshadow Member Posts: 85
    #7
    thanx
    thanx all for the vote of confidance, i am going to try my best to stay postive and stay on a good track
  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    #8
    druidshadow said:

    well
    ok i am finally home and i do not feel my self i feel light headed and disconnected and i can tell already i am going to hate the iv wire from the pump it gets in the way already. anyone else have this reaction?
    john

    Yea, know what you mean.
    Yea, know what you mean. Your head feels "different". I hope you are not the light-headed, as in you feel like you might faint. I suspect it isn't, but that it is more of that la-la land feeling, which is common. But, always run all these feelings, and sensations past your oncologist and nurses.
    Once someone told me that they viewed their pump as it was doing its job toward saving their life, so I started thinking of the pump that way too. But, that tubing sure gets caught on drawer handles. I had to just pay very close attention, but it seemed like the time went by pretty fast. At night, I let out the tubing so that it was pretty long, but when getting up out of bed, I just made sure I was awake enough so that I wouldn't forget it was attached. You'll figure out what works best for you. (The sound the pump made was sort of relaxing, and I visualized the cancer cells dying off from the chemo.) Hope the time wearing the pump goes fast for you, too)
  • Varmint5
    Varmint5 Member Posts: 384 Member
    #9
    You're doing it, John
    As I tell my daughter, you are tackling this beast head on - you can do it! You ARE doing it! Good job, John.
  • lauragb
    lauragb Member Posts: 370 Member
    #10
    druidshadow said:

    well
    ok i am finally home and i do not feel my self i feel light headed and disconnected and i can tell already i am going to hate the iv wire from the pump it gets in the way already. anyone else have this reaction?
    john

    The pump is no fun but you
    The pump is no fun but you will get used to it and just think of it as temporary. I think the whole process of treatment can make one feel disconnected. Hang in there.
    Sending light.
    Laura
  • seek@light
    seek@light Member Posts: 26
    #11
    good luck
    Hi John,

    Good luck. I was with my mom when she got her first chem of FOLFOX. She was concerned; however, she wanted to be calm in front of me, which was even harder for me to stay with her.

    She had quite a few side effects for the first round, such as nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. You know what, now she has gone through 6 rounds, and the first was the worst. She managed the others much better.

    So everyone is different. Take care!

    Gary
  • gestubbe
    gestubbe Member Posts: 3
    #12
    The pump wire is something
    The pump wire is something you will get used to easily. Best is to take it one day at a time and to remain positive even though at times it seems hard to. I believe being positive help one fight the cancer we battle.
  • relaxoutdoors08
    relaxoutdoors08 Member Posts: 521 Member
    #13
    druidshadow said:

    well
    ok i am finally home and i do not feel my self i feel light headed and disconnected and i can tell already i am going to hate the iv wire from the pump it gets in the way already. anyone else have this reaction?
    john

    Hints to help get a good nights rest.
    I found what worked best for me was to let out the line and put the pump in a pillow case with a pillow next to me during the night. I was able to "stretch and roll" as needed but I felt better than having the pump belt attached during the night. If you use the pillow method just don't forget when you head to the bathroom. I just left the pillow on my lap if I needed the bathroom during the night.

    During the day I used the belt with all the tubes under my clothes through V-Necked T-Shirts and did not have any problems with the cords.

    Usually it took about 5 days to feel better so during the chemo week I ate small frequent meals like chicken and rice. Always have something to drink. I am not sure you will have the same issues we who used Folfox had like unable to drink cold drinks and needed gloves and mask to use the fridge and freezer. I liked herbal teas to sip because of Oxy.
    It is very important to stay hydrated. The week between treatments I ate healthy and was able to keep my nutrition panel blood tests.

    Soon you will get into a routine, take one treatment at a time and enjoy those weeks between treatments. Anytime you feel the effects, I just relaxed, used relaxation breathing and imagined those chemo pacmans doing the job. The worse I felt the more I concentrated on reading and doing quiet things I enjoyed.

    Wishing you well as you start your chemo journey.
    NB

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