Newly diagnosed firefighter--need advice on Folfox and Immunopower

tkd3g said:

Hello there. I have the a similar diagnosis(rectal CA) and pretty much the same course of treatment ( as do many here on the board).

I just had my 2nd treatment last Monday. I experienced some side effects the next day. Mostly the tingling when touching cold things. Washing fruits and veggies for meals. Taking things out of the fridge and freezer.Solution- Wear gloves and wash things in warm water.

I also had a strange sensation in my throat. Kind of like a sore throat but a bit sharper. This happened when I drank cold or even room temp. liquids. Solution - drink only warm liquids the first 3 days after treatment, then I can have room temp. Not cold. If you forget and drink something cold - drink something warm to hot right away and that throat feeling will go away. ( it is a scary feeling - but that is all it is , a feeling. You can still breathe, nothing is closing up or anything. It is just the nerves in your throat that are stimulated by the cold)

I get tired on the second and third days. Solution- rest when you can. But make sure you do some exercise. Walk if nothing else. I makes you feel much better.

I have not gotten sick to my stomach, but felt a kind of sick feeling down there. I just try to keep some food in my belly. Usually ends up being bread or crackers. That last a couple of days.

Sometimes I get a metallic taste in my mouth. Solution- those round red and white peppermints. You know, the ones that have been around for ever. They get the taste out and if you feel sick, they help setttle your stomach. ( and 1 will last you over an hour!) I live on those things!! ( sorry, Em )

Well, those have been my experiences for the last 2 treatments. Everyone is different, so you may or may not get any or all of these side effects.

I have been taking martial arts now for 3 years. I go back and work out when ever I can. I know that it is the surgery that is holding me back, not the Oxyplatin. My suggestion, for what it's worth, is see how you feel. I haven't been sick or overly tired on this treatment. If you need to rest, try and get it. They have pills for the nausea, shots for low blood counts and a whole host of other stuff to help you thru this. Do what you need to feel as good as you can. Talk to the oncologist about any concerns.

And your thoughts on eating healthy are excellent. It will keep your strength up and give you the energy to fight this thing.

Best of luck to you. Great group of people here.

BTW - you firefighters are great. I live here in New York and have a great respect for all you do for us.

Barb

2bhealed said:

Hi there!

Welcome to the semi-colons.

I better respond here since you may wonder why barb and kanga are apologizing to me about the sugar! heehee

Cancer feeds on sugar so it is imperative to avoid sugar while you have active cancer....so read the labels and I suggest finding something other than Ensure to get your nutrients...such as fresh organic veggie juices full of live enzymes and green powders. (www.discountjuicers.com www.gardenoflifeusa.com)

I cannot give you any advice on what to do for the chemo since I did not do any. I was Stage 3 lymph pos zero mets but said NO to chemo and have done it all by Eastern Medicine (alternative to Western) and by using Western diagnostics. I am on a different healing path.

But if you do research you will find out about the sugar--that isn't an "alternative" theory--it's the truth. But as I said since I didn't do any chemo I cannot know how hard it is to find something for the nausea or the metallic taste.

Kanga is right for using ginger but the pure root grated in herbal tea would be better than the sugar lollies (sorry kanga) same for the peppermints.

I would highly recommend finding a naturopathic doctor who is knowledgable about cancer nutrition to help you manuever through this cancer gig.

We are here for you...any time...venting and ranting and whining are permitted. And the need to cry? well kanga is our poster child! :-)

peace, emily who is sipping her green tea as she writes this (which was recommended by her oncologist!)

unknown said:

Hi, my husband Bert was diagnosed last July (2003) with stage IIIc right colon cancer...had tumor removed, clear margins, but 4 nodes involved.

Started 5fu/leucavorin in August...only side effect was fatigue, diarrhea (big time to the point where it landed him in the hospital with a colon infection for 10 days in October), and extremely dry hands/feet. We both thought the the treatment that Bert was receiving was just not aggressive enough (high recurrence risk due to 4 nodes) but unfortunately, his insurance didn't cover treatment including Oxaliplatin, so I added him to my PPO and we researched and came up with another, much more aggressive onc who in January 2004 took over and put Bert on 5fu/leuc/oxal...administered much in the same way that you are getting yours.

To make a long story long (haha), he had less problems with this regime that the other one and never missed a day of work and he does not have a sit-down job either....it's go, go, go, with a lot of stress thrown in for good measure. Fatigue, yup maybe a day or two which usually hit on weekends (he got his treatment every other Thursday), dry hands and feet (tons of ointments...Bag Balm...helped that), minor neuropathy (sensitivity to cold and tingling/numbness of hands and feet) only about two or three days right after treatment, and he pretty much sailed through.

Chemo reactions/side effects are as individual and the individuals who are receiving the treatment. You may have none at all, you may have a few, you may have many. For the most part, it sounds like you are healthy otherwise and, although I am no doctor, will probably handle it pretty well.

As far as taking something to bolster the immune system, Bert's oncologist didn't want him taking anything other than a regular multi-vitamin and garlic supplements...that's it. Prior to treatment, Bert took many different supplements for the immune system, but they were all discontinued, on Doc's orders, once chemo started. Theory being that they would interfere with the chemo's strength in doing its job. There are many different opinions out there and controversy still rages about this subject, but it came down to trusting our oncologist and his way of fighting this beast and so we listened. Today, Bert is off chemo as was told that within two weeks of getting off, go ahead and start all the supplements again....to help in keeping the beast at bay.

Monika