Starting treatment on Tuesday.

I'm pretty scared. I'm fastening my seatbelt!

I knew it was coming i just didn't know what form. Bendamustine would be the answer. With Rituxin. Then Neulasta. I'm freaking scared. 

I'm sure I'll be fine but I am scared. 

I know what I have read in the last few days this isn't as traumatic as it could be. I think.

~givin~grace~

Comments

  • jimwins
    jimwins Member Posts: 2,107
    Good luck

    Hi gg.  We're here with you.  It will get better once you get started and progress.  Anti-anxiety medication helps with the worry monster.  I hope the treatment goes smoothly and you have minimal side effects.  Please keep us posted and feel free to come here anytime.  It's okay to be scared.

    Hugs and hugs,

    Jim

  • givingrace
    givingrace Member Posts: 161
    jimwins said:

    Good luck

    Hi gg.  We're here with you.  It will get better once you get started and progress.  Anti-anxiety medication helps with the worry monster.  I hope the treatment goes smoothly and you have minimal side effects.  Please keep us posted and feel free to come here anytime.  It's okay to be scared.

    Hugs and hugs,

    Jim

    Ok .... i have been in a

    Ok .... i have been in a weird zone since Onc told me.

    What's cool is I have been reading all posts from the last couple of years and you guys and gals gave me great info. on what to expect. So when he started talking I knew what and why he was saying. They say knowledge is power and I felt stronger than I would have not knowing .

    As for anxiety yep I'm going to call about that. 

    ~gg~

     

  • Jeff148
    Jeff148 Member Posts: 184
    Scared is normal.

    As I write this I'm sitting in my surgeon's office as I found out an hour ago that my cancer isn't completely gone. They will likely go in to find out what is left since it didn't respond to chemo. I'm scared too. Got to trust the Lord!! I'm hopeful we both will be in remission by Christmas. 

  • illead
    illead Member Posts: 884 Member
    Jeff148 said:

    Scared is normal.

    As I write this I'm sitting in my surgeon's office as I found out an hour ago that my cancer isn't completely gone. They will likely go in to find out what is left since it didn't respond to chemo. I'm scared too. Got to trust the Lord!! I'm hopeful we both will be in remission by Christmas. 

    Hi GG

    I have been wanting to welcome you to the group.  It is nice to have you with us.  Know you will be a big help with your great support.  I am sorry you are going through the anxiety of your upcoming treatment.  My husband was treated for Mantle Cell in '11 with Benda/ Rit.  You are right, it is not near as bad as most chemos.  His worse side effect was just being extra tired for a couple days starting about the 4th day after his infusion.  He didn't even lose his hair.  So it is a good chance that you also will do fine.  He also got neulasta shots the day after each infusion, and they didn't cause him any problems either.  He is a very healthy guy but during his first infusions he was a very sick man.  His blood counts were very low RBC 1.6 and platelets 33 and he still had no side effects.  Hope knowing that will help calm your nerves a little.  We willl all be with you with a listening ear, and in your minds ear, you'll hear us rooting for you. 

    Thinking of you and hoping for the best,

    Becky

  • givingrace
    givingrace Member Posts: 161
    illead said:

    Hi GG

    I have been wanting to welcome you to the group.  It is nice to have you with us.  Know you will be a big help with your great support.  I am sorry you are going through the anxiety of your upcoming treatment.  My husband was treated for Mantle Cell in '11 with Benda/ Rit.  You are right, it is not near as bad as most chemos.  His worse side effect was just being extra tired for a couple days starting about the 4th day after his infusion.  He didn't even lose his hair.  So it is a good chance that you also will do fine.  He also got neulasta shots the day after each infusion, and they didn't cause him any problems either.  He is a very healthy guy but during his first infusions he was a very sick man.  His blood counts were very low RBC 1.6 and platelets 33 and he still had no side effects.  Hope knowing that will help calm your nerves a little.  We willl all be with you with a listening ear, and in your minds ear, you'll hear us rooting for you. 

    Thinking of you and hoping for the best,

    Becky

    Wow....This day has

    Wow....This day has progressively gotten stressful but I stopped to check in with ya'll. All of a sudden I'm calming down ! Yep the common thread here is amazing.  

    I'm thinking your right Jim, remission and Christmas sounds like a plan to me :)) Or maybe even a challenge....bring it on right !?!

    Then you say your in surgeon office but...it made me smile because as soon as my oncologist sent me to the nurse who gets me scheduled I was frantically trying to get on this forum on my phone , just as if I was crawling back in a boat after being nocked out. It feels good to have good support. 

     Thankyou Becky your information  and welcome.  very comforting to hear. I really appreciate it.It set me at ease. 

    So make a note everyone,

    Remission in Christmas ! 

    I may have more questions so plz be patient with me my head is still spinning. 

     

    GG :)

     

     

  • givingrace
    givingrace Member Posts: 161
    illead said:

    Hi GG

    I have been wanting to welcome you to the group.  It is nice to have you with us.  Know you will be a big help with your great support.  I am sorry you are going through the anxiety of your upcoming treatment.  My husband was treated for Mantle Cell in '11 with Benda/ Rit.  You are right, it is not near as bad as most chemos.  His worse side effect was just being extra tired for a couple days starting about the 4th day after his infusion.  He didn't even lose his hair.  So it is a good chance that you also will do fine.  He also got neulasta shots the day after each infusion, and they didn't cause him any problems either.  He is a very healthy guy but during his first infusions he was a very sick man.  His blood counts were very low RBC 1.6 and platelets 33 and he still had no side effects.  Hope knowing that will help calm your nerves a little.  We willl all be with you with a listening ear, and in your minds ear, you'll hear us rooting for you. 

    Thinking of you and hoping for the best,

    Becky

    Becky I was reading all the

    Becky I was reading all the "papers" and it sais caffeine could react with the Bendamustine. Did your husband ever drink coffee while he was on it. I drink coffee and well.....i drink alot of it.

    I am thinking my days with coffee are over for a while. 

    GG

  • givingrace
    givingrace Member Posts: 161
    jimwins said:

    Good luck

    Hi gg.  We're here with you.  It will get better once you get started and progress.  Anti-anxiety medication helps with the worry monster.  I hope the treatment goes smoothly and you have minimal side effects.  Please keep us posted and feel free to come here anytime.  It's okay to be scared.

    Hugs and hugs,

    Jim

    Hey Jim,
    I got an Rx for my

    Hey Jim,

    I got an Rx for my anxiety. I will be less freaked out. Thankyou for that. I forget a lot of things and it was a grand reminder for me.i wouldn't have remembered until I was in full swing of panic. 

    Thx again. 

    How are you doing these days?

     

    GG

  • illead
    illead Member Posts: 884 Member

    Becky I was reading all the

    Becky I was reading all the "papers" and it sais caffeine could react with the Bendamustine. Did your husband ever drink coffee while he was on it. I drink coffee and well.....i drink alot of it.

    I am thinking my days with coffee are over for a while. 

    GG

    Hi GG

    We never heard that about caffeine.  He drinks about 2 cups a day and continued during his treatments, in fact since he started at 8:00 with his infusions, he would have his coffee during the infusion.  It probably wouldn't hurt to cut down a little if you drink a lot just for general health reasons.  I would ask the nurses at your cancer center tho, they are pretty much up on that kind of stuff.  Hope all goes well on Tuesday, I think it will, like I said Bendamustine is not too harsh of a chemo and doesn't attack the hair follicles, Yay!

    Wishing you the best,

    Becky