started # 4 today....

daydreamer110761
daydreamer110761 Member Posts: 487 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Well, this time around - at least for now, was as uneventful as the first 2 - thank goodness! Of course the cold hit me faster, and this time both of my hands keep cramping up (bad for a person that types all the time, but makes for some intersting typos!), and my face keeps doing funny things. It's 22 degrees outside today, thinking I should have broken out the shorts and hawaian shirts.....

I asked the doc about the eyes, and he said he had never heard of this, and I am in the 1% that is having strange things happen. I also managed to remember to ask about the emla cream - it really hurts when they stab you in the chest! I also told him that this time I was taking immodium - I have a real problem being the only female where I work, and some of those moments can be embarrassing - he said ok.

I read in one of the posts about cleaning the litter box - and forgot to ask doc - but is that really true? I have an excuse to have hubby do it?

And, I read about the chocolate - something I used to only eat once a month - and suddenly find myself hitting up the snack machine for a nestle crunch bar. Had to have doc explain to hubby that the taste of sawdust and cardboard is a normal side effect and that it's really not his cooking! I have found that I can't stand coffee anymore (never drank alot, but I sort of miss that one morning cup), so it's a cup of hot chocolate. Also, warm apple cider tastes good, and I bought hawaian punch that I keep at room temp. I actually lost 5 lbs. in the past 2 weeks....what a diet.

Hope everyone is well. I'll see how this goes in the next day....

Comments

  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #2
    sounds like good news!
    It's good to hear you doing so well! Some warm hot chocolate sounds good right about now! And the warm cider as well!
    mary
  • keepnthefaith
    keepnthefaith Member Posts: 36
    #3
    I am a huge coffee drinker,
    I am a huge coffee drinker, but while I was on chemo I could barely even stand the smell of it. Most food tasted like "warmed up vomit" - my husband did not appreciate the description too much - but oh how good the Oreos, Chips Ahoys and Milky Ways tasted!!! I think the most important thing for you right now is to just eat whatever tastes good and worry about the good stuff later on.
    The oncology nurses where I go always numb the port site with a little shot of lidocaine before stabbing me with the needle. You might ask about that if they don't have the Emla cream - which takes about 30 minutes to work once they apply it.
    Keep up the good attitude and it will be over before you know it - really.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    keepnthefaith said:

    I am a huge coffee drinker,
    I am a huge coffee drinker, but while I was on chemo I could barely even stand the smell of it. Most food tasted like "warmed up vomit" - my husband did not appreciate the description too much - but oh how good the Oreos, Chips Ahoys and Milky Ways tasted!!! I think the most important thing for you right now is to just eat whatever tastes good and worry about the good stuff later on.
    The oncology nurses where I go always numb the port site with a little shot of lidocaine before stabbing me with the needle. You might ask about that if they don't have the Emla cream - which takes about 30 minutes to work once they apply it.
    Keep up the good attitude and it will be over before you know it - really.

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • MoonDragon
    MoonDragon Member Posts: 183
    #5
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    I'm glad to hear you're both
    I'm glad to hear you're both doing well! Keep on keeping on! :)
  • daydreamer110761
    daydreamer110761 Member Posts: 487 Member
    #6
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Warmed up vomit???
    Never quite heard that description!!!

    I'm not a real big tea drinker, but will try some of the flavors. As for coffee, the smell is bad, but I also tried some flavored coffees, which were good the first 2 rounds, but after the 3rd its all yucky. I keep hot chocolate and tea bags everywhere, and at work when it's low, i use half a pack of hot chocolate and half coffe and that wasn't bad. was thinking of trying the international coffees....

    Nana B - good luck today. I have also put chocolate pieces on a china plate - lol - makes people laugh. I love American Idol. Unfortunately - yesterday, and because I live with a HUGE history buff - I was blessed with watching the Inaugeration at the hospital during the infusion, and then everything Inaugeration all night! he did flip between that and American Idol, but I missed alot. oh well....was thinking about you're muffins you made the other day - sounds good. Nick made homemade Baklava the other day - what a job that is! But overall, not bad.

    Sleep was hard to come by - this steriod thing just makes my mind race, and I find that I am mostly laying there. Off to work now. I am fortunate tho, I am only working half days - I live with my boss and he just lets me do what I feel like doing, so I have my assistant come in early. Not so sure I could do the 10 hour days right now (and I was before this), I get so tired around noon.
  • daydreamer110761
    daydreamer110761 Member Posts: 487 Member
    #7
    daydreamer110761 said:

    Warmed up vomit???
    Never quite heard that description!!!

    I'm not a real big tea drinker, but will try some of the flavors. As for coffee, the smell is bad, but I also tried some flavored coffees, which were good the first 2 rounds, but after the 3rd its all yucky. I keep hot chocolate and tea bags everywhere, and at work when it's low, i use half a pack of hot chocolate and half coffe and that wasn't bad. was thinking of trying the international coffees....

    Nana B - good luck today. I have also put chocolate pieces on a china plate - lol - makes people laugh. I love American Idol. Unfortunately - yesterday, and because I live with a HUGE history buff - I was blessed with watching the Inaugeration at the hospital during the infusion, and then everything Inaugeration all night! he did flip between that and American Idol, but I missed alot. oh well....was thinking about you're muffins you made the other day - sounds good. Nick made homemade Baklava the other day - what a job that is! But overall, not bad.

    Sleep was hard to come by - this steriod thing just makes my mind race, and I find that I am mostly laying there. Off to work now. I am fortunate tho, I am only working half days - I live with my boss and he just lets me do what I feel like doing, so I have my assistant come in early. Not so sure I could do the 10 hour days right now (and I was before this), I get so tired around noon.

    the end of round 4
    Well, no bad things happened this time - iv stayed together, no mouth sores, just tingly fingers and feet. I keep slippers at work now since feet warm up quicker outside of cold boots. Worked the whole day yesterday and gave my assistant the day off.

    also got a bit of good news - looks like my insurance is paying 100% of the chemo, the bad news is my out of pocket has been maxed since the surgery was first, now I am figuring out how to pay it.

    I learned today that lemonade at room temperature is quite tasty....
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #8
    daydreamer110761 said:

    the end of round 4
    Well, no bad things happened this time - iv stayed together, no mouth sores, just tingly fingers and feet. I keep slippers at work now since feet warm up quicker outside of cold boots. Worked the whole day yesterday and gave my assistant the day off.

    also got a bit of good news - looks like my insurance is paying 100% of the chemo, the bad news is my out of pocket has been maxed since the surgery was first, now I am figuring out how to pay it.

    I learned today that lemonade at room temperature is quite tasty....

    Taste Buds during chemo.....
    Things to try.....at room temps
    Crangrape by ocean spray
    Sunkist Orange...
    Nestea with lemon...
    Im a coffeeholic but can't stand the smell for 5-6 days after chemo....
    cottage cheese and peaches...
    reeses peanut butter cups...
    Cancer patients eat like their pregnant............LOL......
  • pamness
    pamness Member Posts: 524 Member
    #9
    Buzzard said:

    Taste Buds during chemo.....
    Things to try.....at room temps
    Crangrape by ocean spray
    Sunkist Orange...
    Nestea with lemon...
    Im a coffeeholic but can't stand the smell for 5-6 days after chemo....
    cottage cheese and peaches...
    reeses peanut butter cups...
    Cancer patients eat like their pregnant............LOL......

    please include fish in the things that small awful
    I like fish, normally, but during chemo, and for months after, the smell, ugh. Many of my friends who have been/or who are pregnant said the same thing. Shellfish were easier to tolerate once I was done, but even one year out anything that smells "fishy", no thank you.

    Still evolving,

    Pam
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #10
    Eyes
    Hey Daydreamer... You can add me to your lists of people who had symptoms with their eyes and Oxalpilatin when I was on it. Not only did it freeze up my throat if I went outside (and this was in the early spring so was not what I'd consider "cold" out, but colder than inside), my eyelids froze closed... I couldn't lift them open. Luckily they were not closed shut, so I could see just enough as a squint to walk into a building and then they were fine. But suffice it to say, I was leary about driving unless the car was warmed up on the inside first. With me, I was lucky that my chemo started in March 2007 and ended at the end of Oct 2007, so most of the time it was during a warm spring and summer.

    But I hear ya on the eyes!! I didn't particularly crave anything while on chemo, but since then.. I'm addicted to cold milk!! ;)


    Hugggggggs,

    Cheryl
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #11
    Buzzard said:

    Taste Buds during chemo.....
    Things to try.....at room temps
    Crangrape by ocean spray
    Sunkist Orange...
    Nestea with lemon...
    Im a coffeeholic but can't stand the smell for 5-6 days after chemo....
    cottage cheese and peaches...
    reeses peanut butter cups...
    Cancer patients eat like their pregnant............LOL......

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #12
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    cottage cheese and tomatoes
    on triscuits is really good as well! Miniatures is a good way to get what feels like a LOT of chocolate! And if you buy a mixture, you can have a milky way and a 3 musketeers and an almond joy and... :)
    mary
  • daydreamer110761
    daydreamer110761 Member Posts: 487 Member
    #13
    CherylHutch said:

    Eyes
    Hey Daydreamer... You can add me to your lists of people who had symptoms with their eyes and Oxalpilatin when I was on it. Not only did it freeze up my throat if I went outside (and this was in the early spring so was not what I'd consider "cold" out, but colder than inside), my eyelids froze closed... I couldn't lift them open. Luckily they were not closed shut, so I could see just enough as a squint to walk into a building and then they were fine. But suffice it to say, I was leary about driving unless the car was warmed up on the inside first. With me, I was lucky that my chemo started in March 2007 and ended at the end of Oct 2007, so most of the time it was during a warm spring and summer.

    But I hear ya on the eyes!! I didn't particularly crave anything while on chemo, but since then.. I'm addicted to cold milk!! ;)


    Hugggggggs,

    Cheryl

    Oh Cold Milk!!!
    I miss it sooooo much. I should be able to handle it by the end of next week! It's a shame, just as things ease up it's time to start over again!

    I made the mistake of trying to go to the store yesterday, when I walked out the winds had picked up (we are at zero today), i was walking across the road to my truck and my eyes completely froze, couldn't see a thing - very scary. Had to sit in the truck until my eyes defrosted! Won't be doing that again alone.

    I love OJ - it's doesn't love me as much. Been doing the lemonade, it seems to taste like lemonade. Was craving tuna fish - it was just too fishy. Wanted coffee this morning, but the smell made me nauseous, drank hot chocolate instead. Ritz makes baked sour cream and onion crackers that are tasty. breakfast yesterday was a nestle crunch bar - hey rice crispies and chocolate milk???? I love cottage cheese and peaches - maybe I'll try that. bought pineapples yesterday, sounded good but haven't eaten them yet. oh - and living off of sweet potatoes with brown sugar - yummy.

    this stuff just down and out sucks. I can't get anything done - its too cold downstairs, too cold outside. even emptying the diswasher or the washing machine makes my fingers go into shock.
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #14
    daydreamer110761 said:

    Oh Cold Milk!!!
    I miss it sooooo much. I should be able to handle it by the end of next week! It's a shame, just as things ease up it's time to start over again!

    I made the mistake of trying to go to the store yesterday, when I walked out the winds had picked up (we are at zero today), i was walking across the road to my truck and my eyes completely froze, couldn't see a thing - very scary. Had to sit in the truck until my eyes defrosted! Won't be doing that again alone.

    I love OJ - it's doesn't love me as much. Been doing the lemonade, it seems to taste like lemonade. Was craving tuna fish - it was just too fishy. Wanted coffee this morning, but the smell made me nauseous, drank hot chocolate instead. Ritz makes baked sour cream and onion crackers that are tasty. breakfast yesterday was a nestle crunch bar - hey rice crispies and chocolate milk???? I love cottage cheese and peaches - maybe I'll try that. bought pineapples yesterday, sounded good but haven't eaten them yet. oh - and living off of sweet potatoes with brown sugar - yummy.

    this stuff just down and out sucks. I can't get anything done - its too cold downstairs, too cold outside. even emptying the diswasher or the washing machine makes my fingers go into shock.

    SWEET POTATOS!
    Yes, I forgot how much I loved those! They are a super food anyhow, so they are really good for you! I used to cook them in my pressure cooker with regular potatos and make a soup with them... very comforting. Nothing but brown sugar and a small bit of butter and it's heaven! And I'm with you on the nestle crunch bar! It's got to be healthy! ;)
    mary

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