Anyone had Pemetrexed and Carboplaitin chemo? I hope I spelled them right

dennycee said:

Because the names of the two

Because the names of the two chemos are so similar they are often confused.  Cisplatin is the harsher version and carboplatin is the newer version of it.  Cisplatin's side effects are similar to carboplatin so I will share what I know.  First let me tell you though that my doctor told me chemo would only extend my life to ten months.  That was three years ago.  I have an amazing life and am satisfied with the things I've achieved since.  

My hair thinned but never fell out in clumps.  The platinum drugs both cause the taste buds to change.   Use plastic forks and spoons to cut the metallic taste.  Also use lemon drops to get rid of the taste between meals.  Neurontin will help relieve any neuropathy that develops.  It also helps with tinnitus that platins can cause.  start taking stool softeners right away and drink lots of fluids.  

When the doctors say things like, "It will only extend your life a few months". Do not accept this as anything factual. IN FACT, they DO NOT KNOW how long it will or will not effect your lifespan honestly. As far as side effects and IF you should do chemo or not?.....I guess that comes down to what you believe in. I am not relegious at all. I do believe and have myown relationship with god in my own way. It's not going to be fun. Infact chemo as you know can kill a patient. We all know it's poison we take with the hope it kills the cancer befor it kills us. For me it was a no brainer. I just said lets get going, get this tumor out of me. Lets get the biopsy surgery and the lung surgery done and over with too. That all got done then it was time for chemo to start. I just went with the flow. Nothing more or less. I had my girlfriend and son and some friends there for me, so there was no time to think about it, pine over it whatever. I just told the doctors lets get after it! What are we waiting on!

Chemo is hell and it's brutal, but doable. The side effects I had on Carbo were severe neasuea, diarhea, and just generally feeling like deathly sick. Taste of everything is going to suck. But ya gotta eat. Cisplatin was just much less sickness, only about 6 days of feeling like hell. With Carbo, after 16/17 straight days I felt just as sick as day two or three of feeling really sick. When I went back I was seriously dehydrated so my doc put fluids in me and changed to the Cisplatin. When I was sick on Cisplatin, it was almost just as bad as Carbo, but just tapered off after like I said 6 to 7 days. I went three weeks between treatments due to the dosage. They hit me fairy hard with large doses. After 6 or 7 days I felt a little better, but not great by anymeans. 

After about 2 weeks after each treatment I felt pretty good. I'd have about one week of feeling good before I had to go back for the next treatment. And it'd start all over again. But get this. I had purchased my first home just three years ago before all this stupid cancer mess. Our plans to move were postponed due to the title company being stupid, anyways, for our move it date I had put in vacation for and still used during the time we should have been actually moving. So we finally move in, but with one week less time to do so. So my garage was just packed in and the door shut and thats it. I'm a HUGE garage guy, I have myown machine shop in my garage. While going through chemo, I was able to, BY MYSELF mind you, move an entire two car garage full, packed FULL of super heavy machine shop equipment and tools and tooling. I did this in 100 deg heat in the middle of summer last year. It was Brutal as all hell feeling as sick as I was. But I was NOT going to be off all that time, and have nothing but my life to show for it. So I toughed it out and went to work on my garage/shop. Took me weeks to get re-arranged like I wanted it. I did ALL that work throughout most the time I was going through infusion chemo. I wanted to get my garage organized. I needed to get it arranged properly, and I GOT IT DONE. Thats been my attitude with this cancer garbage all along. I WILL NOT LET THIS BEAT ME. IF it does, At least I will go out with one hell of a fight.

 I pray for you and support you with whatever you decide to do.