happy

KathiM said:

Oh, Phil....welcome to the family....sigh....35...just too young to be having to go through this!
I, too, was stage III, 1 node....chemo is HELL. But, the alternative is worse. Tell her to focus on something BEYOND this....plan a big celebration, or a trip, to treat herself after all of this fight with the beast is passed.
We ALL feel like giving up occasionally, but with the support from warm hearts like yours, we find the strength to go on....
My chemo was awful, too....I had every side effect in the book...and twice I felt like dying MUST be better than me drooling and not being able to lie down because my SKIN hurt!!!! But it passed, and I got VERY MAD at the beast...how DARE it try to take my life!!!!
If you have been reading the posts, you see that I am a BIG fan of water....contrary to others, all I could get down was ICE COLD....sips....
Hugs to you and your sister!
BTW, we become survivors the day we are diagnosed...share that with your sister, and encourage her to come here...we semi-colons are a great group to vent to!!!! (Been there/done that stuff)
Kathi

Hi Phil...nice of you to impart some kind words mate.I think the best part about our "family" here is that the "taboo" of talking about bodily functions is thrown right out tha door. There is no embarrassment here nor are replies judgemental. The great thing is that everyone here knows that there are good times and bad...and we are all supportive of anyone that has a question, no matter how trivial it may seem to the poster. Each of us, patient and carer alike have throughout their journey had physical or emotional issues that are difficult to deal with and it is a comfort to know that we are never alone. I can tell you that after coming here for almost 3 years I have read and shared many good and sad times. The beauty is that I know that these guys will always be here for a shoulder to lean on.
I hope that you may be able to convince your sister to join us and that you tell her that we are here to help her in any way she needs it.
Your input into this board tells us all how much you care for and love your sister.Good on yah mate.....via you we might make a difference to your sister coping with this.
Ross n Jen

kangatoo said:

Hi Phil...nice of you to impart some kind words mate.I think the best part about our "family" here is that the "taboo" of talking about bodily functions is thrown right out tha door. There is no embarrassment here nor are replies judgemental. The great thing is that everyone here knows that there are good times and bad...and we are all supportive of anyone that has a question, no matter how trivial it may seem to the poster. Each of us, patient and carer alike have throughout their journey had physical or emotional issues that are difficult to deal with and it is a comfort to know that we are never alone. I can tell you that after coming here for almost 3 years I have read and shared many good and sad times. The beauty is that I know that these guys will always be here for a shoulder to lean on.
I hope that you may be able to convince your sister to join us and that you tell her that we are here to help her in any way she needs it.
Your input into this board tells us all how much you care for and love your sister.Good on yah mate.....via you we might make a difference to your sister coping with this.
Ross n Jen

Hi Phil,

I'm sorry that you had to come find us and I hope you find us as helpful as we think we are. Actually, this site was a lifesaver for me. This cancer stuff is no joke. I too am a young survivor, DX 10/04 the day after my 27th birthday at Stage III 1 Node involved.

My Oncologist was a HUGE believer in dealing with a side effect (if it could be dealt with) before it spiraled out of control. I had a presciption for a light nausea med to be taken at the first sign of upset tummy and a HEAVY DUTY med to be taken only in the instance of really bad nausea. The second script was very expensive at somewhere around $5 a pill after insurance... but in the two times I had to use it, it did wonders. During chemo, I felt like crap (and had that too) but I only vomitted maybe twice and that was because I didn't deal with the issue before it got out of hand. Ginger is also a natural approach to try to settle the tummy.

Immodium A-D was my friend and I eventually learned to just take one the second morning of treatment and things didn't get so bad. Again, the key is to do something before it get's out of control.

same with the mouth sores... I was told to rinse my mouth with a solution every time I used the restroom to prevent them. Never did get one either.

If your sister is having this much trouble with the nausea and bowel movements, she needs to be communicating this to the Dr. They have lot's of ways to help. If she has a script for nausea meds and it's not working, they have other's to try. Same with the diahrea (still can't spell that darn word)...

The stomach pain will gradually subside. I remember having a bit of pain for quite a while after surgery. I found lots of easy to digest foods (I used chicken broth and chicken noodle soup a lot) and small frequent meals were best. It's hard to eat during chemo, but she should at least try to get something easy down. And, as Kathi said, Lots and lots and lots of pure water. It is excellent for flushing out the chemo as well as hydrating after the bouts of being sick. Plus, it helps the bowels a lot.

Your sister is very lucky to have such a caring brother. Sometimes family and friends have printed off stories and posts from these boards and given them to their loved ones. Maybe you can get her here to listen to us. We really are quite the family and there is a lot of support, smiles, laughs, and sometimes even tears.

It does get better. During chemo I just kept repeating, "this to shall end." Or my other was, "Only six months. I can do six months on my head."

Tricia

Hi Phil!!
Tell your sister about this web site. We are here to listen and help. What chemo is she on? There are meds out there that should help with these problems. Most of us have been where your sister is. Hang in there and fight! Do not give up!! It will get better with help from her docs, family, and friends. My prayers and thoughts are with your family. Terri