1st chemo treatment

dorookie
dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Well had my first chemo treatment on Thursday, it went pretty well. I had two IV bags of drugs, and then they hooked me up to a pump that continued giving me chemo drugs for the next 22 hours. I didnt really feel bad at all on Thursday. Got up about 4am on Friday feeling a bit sick, took the meds they gave me for that. Went back to the chemo place for another round of drugs and to refill the pump thingy I had to wear for another 22 hours. Wasnt feeling so great on Friday, and got worse on Friday night. A nurse came saturday to unhook the pump and boy was I sick, I think I spent the entire evening on friday and the entire day on saturday in bed or in the bathroom. Got up about 10 this morning and have been feeling a little bit better, only got sick once. So that is how my 1 chemo went, only 11 more to go...

I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will get a bit better. Wishfull thinking RIGHT!!! I am going to stay positive and take it one day at a time. I have such great friends and such a wonderful partner in my life, I am truly blessed! and now I have found this site, cant get much luckier then that!!! :>

Comments

  • robinvan
    robinvan Member Posts: 1,012
    #2
    Hey Rookie!! Way to go!
    Thanks for the report. It is always nice to get the first one over. (even nicer to get the last one over!) But now you have a sense of what to expect in terms of process and side-effects. I found the "actual experience" to be less onerous than I had dreaded. I remember that after my 48 hr infusion I generally started to feel better each day. By the end of the cycle I was feeling great, enjoying long walks, and hearty meals. I hope it goes well for you.
    Rob; in Vancouver
  • NWmom
    NWmom Member Posts: 80
    #3
    Hi Rookie,
    First one down! Was curious (in reading your post) if you were taking premeds for nausea on a regular basis. If you take them when you need them- sometimes it is too late. (This coming from one who knows). You might try and take them regularly every 4-6 hours or as recommended by your doc even if you feel you don't need them. It is easier for the meds to work when you are taking them at regular intervals rather than trying to play catch-up when you feel bad.
    There are also many different anti-nausea drugs you can try if the ones you have are not working for you- talk to your doc.
    Peace,
    Carl and Heather
  • claud1951
    claud1951 Member Posts: 424 Member
    #4
    Rookie,
    Glad your first treatment is over. The first one is the scary one cause you don'tknow what to expect.

    I know we all different side effects but let us know if you have any different side effects than tired or sick. Maybe we can give you some tips.

    Just remember to rest as much as you can cause fatigue can do different things in different ways..I know...I learned that. Oh...and drink plenty of water.

    I have side effects from cold things. Can't eat or drink cold or touch anything cold. That goes away (somewhat) as the days go on.

    Anyway.....you hang in there and keep up the good energy for getting better

    Claudia
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    #5
    Hi Rookie,

    Well, you are not a rookie any more. Congratulations on getting the first one over with. For me, not knowing what to expect was harder than dealing with it once it got going.

    The best advice I can give is to stay hydrated, avoid touching cold things and drinking cold drinks. Eat when you can (smaller meals or snacks through the day rather than large meals once or twice a day), walk when you can (you will feel better) and keep your sense of humor.

    You will find that the chemo nurses and fellow patients are an invaluable source of inspiration and practical advice.

    I can't wait until you post that you have gotten your final treatment!

    Kirsten
  • jerseysue
    jerseysue Member Posts: 624 Member
    #6
    I hope it gets easier for you and make sure you tell your onc about your sickness he or she should be able to give you something different. I tried 3 different "pukie" meds and Amend worked best for me. Make sure you ask then you only have to deal with the pump and being tired. It's much easier to deal with if your stomach feels better. Lots of luck.
  • apache4
    apache4 Member Posts: 272 Member
    #7
    I remember my first chemo treatment as the worst. I have had 15 and felt mostly better each time. Nausea was not too bad...just a kind of quesy feeling in the morning. I also had the pump for the 44 hours. That was no fun as it is hard to do much with thte damn thing attached, but I found that the time went faster then I thought it would. At night, I buried it under a couple of pillows so I would not hear it's whirring noise. Today Dr. decided to stop my chemo and wait and see with a scan scheduled for a month from now. I am Stage IV and saw my CT scan today and there sure are a lot of tumors in that liver! The whole thing looks freckled in each view. Not a good thing. Best of luck to you.
  • keturah
    keturah Member Posts: 5
    #8
    You made it through the first one! Hooray! The joy of feeling better as you come out of it is so wonderful! That "I made it and I can do it again" is a great feeling!
    I try breaking the cycles down into fractions - one more to go and done with 1/3, done with 1/4th, one more to go and halfway done..etc. It helps to conquer the short goals on the way to wining the journey. Another idea that has helped me to have a better time while on chemo is to read (and watch) comedy. I like the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evonavich, so I keep them as a reward for when I am doing my chemo. There are 12 novels in the series- so I read one per cycle. I also picked up some Lance Armstrong books to read. He is such a fighter- and his attitude is wearing off on me. He rode 6 hours on his bike when he started chemo- but I don't think I could do that when I am healthy! So, a bit more ativity is my bike race1
    I am on the pump for my 5th cycle right now- and I am pushing the water and eating as best I can. I am concentrating on controlling what I do during this cycle so I act instead of re-act to the drug reactions. This has also helped. Anyway- I am so glad that your family made it through the first cycle. Stay strong and I will be praying for you.

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