Not sick enough??

lizbiz
lizbiz Member Posts: 120
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I've read (and heard before) that the sicker you feel from chemo the better it's working to rid your body of residual cancer. This worries me because I don't feel like I'm getting "sick enough" from the chemo. Granted, during the infusion, I feel pretty sick, but it's not debilitating. I still go to work every day (except for the days I'm being infused), I still run and play with my dogs and I still do things with my husband. I mean, I do have periods of fatigue, periods of nausea, and neuropathy. But, overall, I feel healthier than I've felt in 2 years...even my hair is healthier than it's been in a very long time. This is very confusing to me!!!

Has anyone else felt this way during treatment with FOLFOX???

Comments

  • wallyhc
    wallyhc Member Posts: 5
    #2
    Not Sick enough
    Hi Liz

    I have had two resections, one in 2006 and the other in this last april. I went through 6 months of folfox the first time. I never felt really sick. I woulld have 3 hours of chemo on wednesday , then do 2 days of infusion thursday and friday. went to work and out and about thursday and friday.

    Now on Saturday I would crash. Just tired and slept all day mostly then sunday , poof alls well and this would repeat every 2 weeks.

    I did have neurapathy in toes and hands, but not bad as long as I kept my toes and hands warm. The worst thing for me was a complete loss of taste. The only thing that I could tolerate was a fatty macDonalds and I still lost 40 lbs

    But to be honest, I cannot say I really felt sick...

    Now, even tho I had the chemo, I did have a recurrenc 2 years later but I think I have lynch's syndrome so the Chemo was not effective for me...
  • lizbiz
    lizbiz Member Posts: 120
    #3
    wallyhc said:

    Not Sick enough
    Hi Liz

    I have had two resections, one in 2006 and the other in this last april. I went through 6 months of folfox the first time. I never felt really sick. I woulld have 3 hours of chemo on wednesday , then do 2 days of infusion thursday and friday. went to work and out and about thursday and friday.

    Now on Saturday I would crash. Just tired and slept all day mostly then sunday , poof alls well and this would repeat every 2 weeks.

    I did have neurapathy in toes and hands, but not bad as long as I kept my toes and hands warm. The worst thing for me was a complete loss of taste. The only thing that I could tolerate was a fatty macDonalds and I still lost 40 lbs

    But to be honest, I cannot say I really felt sick...

    Now, even tho I had the chemo, I did have a recurrenc 2 years later but I think I have lynch's syndrome so the Chemo was not effective for me...

    Thanks for the response.
    Thanks for the response. I'm sorry about your recurrence. I just recently had my blood sent out to be tested for Lynch's Syndrome. I'm really hoping it comes back negative.

    I find that my taste buds are going too. Things just don't taste right, yet I'm hungry all the time. The nurses keep hounding me to gain weight but it's really hard when nothing tastes good.

    =)Elizabeth
  • Monicaemilia
    Monicaemilia Member Posts: 455 Member
    #4
    I was on Folfox for 12
    I was on Folfox for 12 cycles and you are pretty much describing how I felt except that as my liver was much more heavily compromised my energy levels never go to the point where I could go back to work. I also had a newborn, and I had a lot of help with him. I think it is great you are feeling good. My doctor had told me it meant the chemo was working. And you are right, I could have lifted weights with the strength of my hair. Enjoy feeling good so that you can fight this fight with your full strength. Monica
  • KierstenRx
    KierstenRx Member Posts: 249
    #5
    Hi Liz,
    Chemo is
    Hi Liz,
    Chemo is different for everyone. For myself I had 8 rounds of Folfox and Avastin. I was able to work everyday with the exception of treatment day. I also felt healthier than I had mainly because I no longer had a giant tumor feeding and my iron levels had improved greatly. I had very little neuropathy during treatment (that came after) and with proper medication little nausea and vomiting. As treaments went on my fatigue did worsen (along with the insomnia) so it did take me longer to bounce back. My last 3 rounds I would get treament on Wednesdays then head back to work on Monday.
    Anyway, overall my chemo experience was much less horrible than I initially expected. I don't feel like the sicker you get the better it is working. I am coming up on my two year mark and really feel good overall. I have been NED since June 2007. Best of luck to you, hope you continue to have really good days.

    Kiersten
  • lfondots63
    lfondots63 Member Posts: 818 Member
    #6
    Not sick enough?
    Hmm, Like someone said it is wonderful that you aren't sick. I think what someone might have ment is that in there thoughts since they were very sick it made them feel better to think that was because the chemo is working. I really don't believe there is a correlation. I worked all through chemo. I was lucky enough to be able to work 1/2 days on infussion days from home. My symptoms were cumulative. The more chemo, the more tired and run down I felt. I had to take neulasta and also something to help red blood cell count. My neuropathy got worse also as time went on. I know that going outside in the sunshine made me feel better and anything you can do is good. Don't feel guilty that you aren't sick. I also felt overall better then before I found out I had cancer. I was so sick for about a year and wasn't sure why. I was told I had IBS. Congrats!

    Lisa F
  • Limey
    Limey Member Posts: 446 Member
    #7
    Not Sick Enuff
    Hi Liz. I feel that the sicker you are does not relate to the effectiveness of the chemo. I have done chemo 5 different times now. other than this last time, I went NED everytime and I did not feel sick for the first few treatment protocols. over the years the type of chemo changed and I struggled more with good health, I got much sicker from the chemo.

    I beleive it is far more related to what you are doing mentally and physcially to keep you healty. Are you mentally focused on long a life of good health - cancer free? are you staying off sugar and providing your body with good nutrition, vitamins and even juicing? The more I did to help my body handle the chemo (I juiced, took vitamins my onc did not want me to take, and I focused daily on beating cancer) and I am convinced that It worked. I certainly did crash, and I certainly did get neuropathy and naseau. It just did not effect my daily life that much. Today, It effects my life in a significant way as I am not able to keep as healty now.

    stay positive and do not accept any thoughts that are not focused on good healty, and cancer free. be happy your body is so strong it is handling the negetive side effect toxins from the chemo.

    Never Ever give up
    Mark.
  • kat1960
    kat1960 Member Posts: 14
    #8
    Hi Liz,
    I just finished my
    Hi Liz,
    I just finished my 12th and final cycle of Folfox-leukovorin and I was also wondering (and checked w/my onc) about this. I never really felt terrible. I also worked throughout except the infusion days. The first 3 cycles I felt nothing. Since then I got more tired (slept all weekend) and weak, some loss of appetite, and finally, neuropathy in my fingers and feet.
    But at the very first meeting with my onc I received a big folder size booklet called "Chemotherapy and you" (I think put out by ACS) and it answers so many questions including this one. In no way does how sick you do or don't feel relate to how chemo is doing its' job. And it does work. My stage III was removed in November and just had my post-chemo CT's - negative! I think everyone just responds differently - some people can't take even just a few treatments. So if you start feeling bad, talk to onc and just remember, there is a light at the end of this tunnel.
    Cheers and continued good feelings!
    Kathy
  • livefreeordie
    livefreeordie Member Posts: 45
    #9
    Ditto, what everybody else

    Ditto, what everybody else said.. I didnt get really sick either.
    And now the chemo isnt working anymore. So who knows. Its differant
    for everybody.. Did the FOLFOX, etc, etc...

    Feel even better now that I am off chemo though. But I still have neuropathy
    in my feet..
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #10
    Hi Liz,
    I went through 10
    Hi Liz,

    I went through 10 treatments of Folfox + Avastin & I must say I didn't get nearly as sick as I thought I would have & I did very well on it- I had many, many tumors and by the end of my 10th infusion, my scans showed most was gone. I was then able to have a liver resection (I wasn't a surgical candidate at first because of too many tumors).

    As a Christian, I found myself talking to God after my 3rd treatment when I didn't think I felt nearly "sick enough" and was wondering if that meant the chemo wasn't working...
    Don't think I'm nutty, but for the first time in my life, right as I was praying about this in my mind to God asking Him "If the chemo isn't affecting my good cells then how could it be working on the bad cancer cells?", a thought (which I believe was the Lord) popped into my mind so loudly that it startled me saying, "Don't you know that I know your good cells from the bad- I made you" Like I said, it was so real that it startled me and I quickly looked up and my response was "Whoa Lord- you're right- thank you!" The tears then came and I just knew I was being taken care of.
    Enjoy the fact that you're feeling so well!
    Blessings to you-
    Lisa
  • vchildbeloved
    vchildbeloved Member Posts: 133
    #11
    wallyhc said:

    Not Sick enough
    Hi Liz

    I have had two resections, one in 2006 and the other in this last april. I went through 6 months of folfox the first time. I never felt really sick. I woulld have 3 hours of chemo on wednesday , then do 2 days of infusion thursday and friday. went to work and out and about thursday and friday.

    Now on Saturday I would crash. Just tired and slept all day mostly then sunday , poof alls well and this would repeat every 2 weeks.

    I did have neurapathy in toes and hands, but not bad as long as I kept my toes and hands warm. The worst thing for me was a complete loss of taste. The only thing that I could tolerate was a fatty macDonalds and I still lost 40 lbs

    But to be honest, I cannot say I really felt sick...

    Now, even tho I had the chemo, I did have a recurrenc 2 years later but I think I have lynch's syndrome so the Chemo was not effective for me...

    Not sick enough
    Valerie here, also a lynch syndrome cancer patient. So are you saying that for a person such as myself that chemo treatment is not effective for us? Why not?

    Thanks for your reponse!!!

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