First day of chemo

Today was the first day of my husbands chemo. Wow, what a very long day. Arrived at 8:30 am and the actual chemo was not started until 1:45. He was already filled with so much anxiety before we even got there so all the sitting around made it so much worse. He was full of so much emotion from anger, to sadness to wanting to not do it. I was so upset, it was so hard watching him through it all. 

They are only doing the 5fu right now until they figure more of his new nerve issue he has going on. So pump is on for next 46 hours and we go back Wednesday to take back.

This was a difficult day. Hope it gets easier.

Comments

  • Tunadog
    Tunadog Member Posts: 235 Member
    I hope it gets easier

    Good Luck!

     I got some headphones and listened to music.

  • wifetojeff69
    wifetojeff69 Member Posts: 46
    Tunadog said:

    I hope it gets easier

    Good Luck!

     I got some headphones and listened to music.

    He took his laptop but I

    He took his laptop but I think it was just really hard to concentrate on anything with all of the unknown for the chemo and for future stuff. He is really scared that he will go through all of this to only get it again or it go some where else.

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member

    He took his laptop but I

    He took his laptop but I think it was just really hard to concentrate on anything with all of the unknown for the chemo and for future stuff. He is really scared that he will go through all of this to only get it again or it go some where else.

    You know what, that is a

    You know what, that is a valid fear. I had a recurrence and I had it start to grow in another organ. But you hope it doesn't, and know that if it does, you keep up the fight. I have found in my short time with this disease that definitely fear of the unknown is the worst. He has to try to remember that he can keep fighting if his fears happen.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Treatment

    Hopefully his next infusion won't take so long to set up.  That seems like a long wait from 8-2 to get started.  If they were waiting for blood tests that could be why, but you can have those done before you go in just to make sure his counts are up.  Once he gets disconnected he will probably be tired for a day or two but he should bounce back soon.  Hope he tolerates this treatment well.

    Kim

  • beaumontdave
    beaumontdave Member Posts: 1,280 Member
    I took the Xanax prescribed

    I took the Xanax prescribed and nodded off, I'd bring the laptop but would tire of it fairly quickly. I hope they are addressing his anxiety, and giving him something to help cope. I accepted that I needed help with worry, early on, then later read on and practiced techniques like staying-in-the-moment, mindfulness, and stoicism. Dealing with all that fear at the start of things is as important as anything else. Let him know that it's reasonable to be scared, but not useful, and working to cope with those thoughts and feelings, is really the biggest battle cancer brings. The one upside, if any, to this sh*t, is learning to face the worst, in a way normal folk don't, and finding a way to deal with that mind killer, fear. Hope to you both..................................................Dave

  • wifetojeff69
    wifetojeff69 Member Posts: 46
    He had the pump removed

    He had the pump removed yesterday and he felt pretty good until late afternoon, he started to feel a little nauseated but it was off and on nothing too bad. Today he feels worse, more nausea and he feels really tired and fatigued but he said he feels weak also, is that a side effect as well or does that fall under fatigue? Hopefully tomorrow he will feel a little better.

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    Normal

    It sounds normal, but be sure to keep him well-fed with whatever food he can tolerate.  It is easy to cut back on eating when you are nauseous.  Also, remember hydration.  Electrolyte drinks or gatorade might help as well.  Of course, any time you get concerned, call the doctor.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Normal

    It's normal to feel tired and fatigued.  Make sure he drinks plenty.  They do say that helps the chemo go through the system and he will bounce back faster too if he has plenty of liquids.  Glad his first round is done.

    Kim

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,427 Member

    He had the pump removed

    He had the pump removed yesterday and he felt pretty good until late afternoon, he started to feel a little nauseated but it was off and on nothing too bad. Today he feels worse, more nausea and he feels really tired and fatigued but he said he feels weak also, is that a side effect as well or does that fall under fatigue? Hopefully tomorrow he will feel a little better.

    Pretty Normal

    A post dissconnect "crash" is pretty normal for me.  Varies a bit on when it happens, but they add steroids and other premeds whihc eventually wear off (including anti nausea meds).  I have quick actioning (sublingual) Zofran for nausea.  Most of the time on the post disconnect nausea, when it happens, I can get by without any meds or just some ginger snaps, tea etc.  Weak/fatigue is also part of this. Starts coming back.  It can build up, depending on the person, so some things may last longer - namely weak/tired.  I have finished 31 rounds as of last week.  Takes me a bit more to bounce back.  And I am I bit more tired.  On the other hand, I am able to do a lot of things on my good days.  And my "bad" days are napping and binging TV.  

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member

    He had the pump removed

    He had the pump removed yesterday and he felt pretty good until late afternoon, he started to feel a little nauseated but it was off and on nothing too bad. Today he feels worse, more nausea and he feels really tired and fatigued but he said he feels weak also, is that a side effect as well or does that fall under fatigue? Hopefully tomorrow he will feel a little better.

    I usually felt my worst at 5

    I usually felt my worst at 5 days off the pump. A little nausea but mostly fatigue. That happened every single time. However, knowing it would happen, it got easier to plan for and accept. I felt weak too. It seemed to get worse til the end. Hopefully you both can find ways to deal with it. I got meds for nausea. They made me sleepy but  sleep was better than feeling sick. I also used edible cannibis for nausea. That helped immensely. I also took Xanax prior to the chemo.

    Hopefully things will get better. If not, there’s lots of meds to help. Let your oncologist know.

    good luck

    k

  • wifetojeff69
    wifetojeff69 Member Posts: 46
    edited August 2019 #12
    Thank you, I keep trying to

    Thank you, I keep trying to get him to drink more fluids but he has a hard time when he is nauseated. I did tell him it would help flush it out quicker. That's a great idea with the gatorade we will give that a try. He seemed better last night less nausea but he is wondering if it is what he was dealing with before and not the chemo as we are still fighting that and now this nerve thing he has.