Chemo and fatigue

Jan,

So sorry to hear of this side effect hitting you so hard.  I had fatigue that was debilitating on FOLFIRI.  There are different experiences and yes it seems that some have extreme fatigue.

Don't have a good answer as far as help...confident there will be others who will chime im soon.  Take care not to get too dehyddrated.  Perhaps microwave dinners may be a good way to go for you at this moment anyway.

Best wishes, Art

I was on Folfox and oxy. I could ear lightly fried potatoes in a flour tortilla. Probably because they are bland.  I had chicken soup with carrotts, potatoes, green beans, zuchinni.   I drank warm temp lemonaide until I gave up the sugar. 

I didn't star in bed. I got up. Got dressed.  Did my 2 hour commute out I. My 10 hours and went to my chemo. How I did it I don't know. I only wish I had gone vegan when In Remission not when it came back. 

Good luck. And please try to eat something.  My supplements are /were Tumeric with pepper, 2x vitamin d3, b12, digestive enzymes

I juice now and it mainly veggies.  I'm not doing chemo anymore 

It's not unusal for you to have these side affects.  It's terrible to go through and every treatment from now on will get worse so don't be disappointed if you feel bad and don't know why.  Your body gets more toxic with every infusion.  Try to drink some Boost or Ensure daily for your added vitamins and nutrients.  Let your doctor know your symtoms as well because if you don't, they might just continue with the treatment the way it is without adjusting it.  Also, the steroids they give you during treatment (if you are on them) has a lot to do with you not sleeping.  It kept me up for three days and then I'd crash - it's typical.  I've been there feeling so terrible you couldn't move, but remember, you need to eat to help you through this.  Don't be afraid to ask for help as well.  You are going through something so horrendous that people should help you with.  Please talk to your doctor about your eating habits as that can slow down healing.  Keeps us informed.

Kim

JanJan63 said:

The only reason I'm in bed

The only reason I'm in bed during the day is because of our dogs. If I lie on the couch they all have to be on it, too, and they can make it pretty unpleasant. In the mornings I'm pretty good but just after lunch I start to get weary and have to lie down. It's so cold here and the cold sensitivity is so bad that I don't want to go out. We've been at minus 15 C for a week. I can't even walk on our kitchen tiles without getting a reaction in my feet.

I eat things like soup, oatmeal, toast with peanut butter, perogies, mostly bland, easy to make things. My husband has been really good about all of this but there are some things that he's letting me down with such as making sure I have something to eat. He'll get things at the store but once he's gone I'm on my own. He works ten hour shifts so he's gone most of the day and evening.

My hub works ten hour shift with an hour commute each way, so it was long days alone for me too. I feel your pain!

I remember eating nothing but Cheerios for a couple of days. I would pop one in my mouth every so often, and it would go down quick so that I didn't have that lump feeling or yukkie metalic taste.  I lost weight but gained half of it back - Silly me! -

Trubrit - Sue

At least for me a cup of coffee in the morning and after lunch did wonders. Coffe tends to dehydrate you, so if you condsider it drink even more.

Pickled ginger and ginger candy was the best to take that aweful taste out of my mouth.

Hang in there, hard to believe, but it will be over soon.

Laz

JanJan63 said:

Well, I've now completed four

Well, I've now completed four of the eight I'm lined up for. I'm miserable but I keep reminding myself that it could be worse, which doesn't help much. I'm tired, nauseous, have another new blood clot, the oily taste in my mouth is bad, and the cold reaction is driving me nuts. I want a nice, cold drink desperately. I have until later January before this is over. I know I'm being a whiner and I could be going though so much worse but I still hate it.

I don't get the blood clots. Yes, I'm in bed for several hours during the day but I also move around a lot and take care of the house and am as active as I can be considering it's winter here so I can't get out of the house unless it's not too cold of a day and it's a big production to get ready. One doctor said the chemo doesn't cause the blood clots, they're already there but the chemo irritates them so they swell up. I'm on clot number five because they're all in different spots. So I'm walking around with blood clots that I wasn't aware of all this time? I'm supposedly healthy as far as my cardiovascular system goes but now I'm starting to wonder.

Laz, I started drinking coffee. I've never been a coffee drinker because the IBS made that impossible but I've always loved the smell. Now with the ostomy I can drink it! Sometimes I wonder if I really want it to be reversed. I hate having the bag but living the way I did with the IBS was terrible in it's own way. It totally controlled my life.

Thanks everyone for the support and help!!

Jan

Your not a whiner. We have earned the right to whine/complain especially here where people get it. I have had a few blood clots. One around a PICC line, one around a port line which makes some sense to me since there is a catheter in my vien which interrupts some of the blood flow, but my third clot was in my lower leg. Several doctors said colon cancer can cause blood clots which the internet confirmed thier opinions. I think it is the treatments, ports, surgeries etc, and the disease. Our bodies have been abused.

To answer your initial question. I can sleep 16 hours a day easily when I am on chemo but as soon as I start to feel slightly better I am exercising and packing in the calories again which helps me bouce back faster.