Life after Folfox

cowman
cowman Member Posts: 61
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I have a question for those of you who have been through the Folfox treatment after rectal surgery. My husband will finish 12 treatments in April and we are just wondering how long it takes for the energy to come back. Yes, we know everyone is different but just would like to get your input. I am thinking just the mental relief of knowing you are done has to be big. So once you were done with Folfox, what type of work were you able to do? Did you get fatigued during the day after finishing? Thanks to everyone on this board. It truly helps in many ways to read your thoughts, questions, and responses. May everyone have a Blessed New Year.

Comments

  • Fight for my love
    Fight for my love Member Posts: 1,522 Member
    #2
    Hi there,my husband is going
    Hi there,my husband is going to finish the same treatment next April too,also for rectal cancer.For the time being,my husband has problems on the week of chemo,he usually recuperates after the chemo week is over.On the week without chemo,he tries to work.My husband is an engineer for a laser manufacture company,he works on very very expensive and delicacy laser systems, so his fingers are very very important,because one small mistake may damage millions of $.He got grade 1 neuropathy after 4 round of folfox,the oncologist doesn't want him to end up with permanent nerve damage on his fingers,so on the round 5,the oncologist suggested to skip the Oxaliplatin,if my husband's neuropathy reduces,on round 6,he may be back on the whole folfox.This morning I just asked how his fingers feel like,my husband said they are feeling better.Hope everything goes very well with your husband's treatment.Happy new year.
  • KATE58
    KATE58 Member Posts: 299
    #3
    Fight for my love said:

    Hi there,my husband is going
    Hi there,my husband is going to finish the same treatment next April too,also for rectal cancer.For the time being,my husband has problems on the week of chemo,he usually recuperates after the chemo week is over.On the week without chemo,he tries to work.My husband is an engineer for a laser manufacture company,he works on very very expensive and delicacy laser systems, so his fingers are very very important,because one small mistake may damage millions of $.He got grade 1 neuropathy after 4 round of folfox,the oncologist doesn't want him to end up with permanent nerve damage on his fingers,so on the round 5,the oncologist suggested to skip the Oxaliplatin,if my husband's neuropathy reduces,on round 6,he may be back on the whole folfox.This morning I just asked how his fingers feel like,my husband said they are feeling better.Hope everything goes very well with your husband's treatment.Happy new year.

    I was on folfox for 10
    I was on folfox for 10 months.
    I felt really crappy for 3-4 days,
    then sorta crappy for another 3-4 days then just
    fatiqued.By the time i started to feel better
    it was time for my next treatment.
    when I finished folfox, it was 2-3 months before I
    got my energy back, and I wouldn't say back to the level it was BEFORE I got sick, and only a month for the neuropathy to completly go away.
    good luck
    God bless
    kATE
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #4
    Fatigue
    My fatigue went away during my off weeks and I didn't have much fatigue after chemo. I'm 4 1/2 months out from chemo and feel great. I do still have fingertip and feet neuropathy, but I'll gladly live with that.... LIVE with that. :o)
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #5
    dianetavegia said:

    Fatigue
    My fatigue went away during my off weeks and I didn't have much fatigue after chemo. I'm 4 1/2 months out from chemo and feel great. I do still have fingertip and feet neuropathy, but I'll gladly live with that.... LIVE with that. :o)

    I finished in April 2009.....
    and I can honestly say all of its not back yet but I can do almost everything I did before...Buzzard
  • lmliess
    lmliess Member Posts: 329
    #6
    Buzzard said:

    I finished in April 2009.....
    and I can honestly say all of its not back yet but I can do almost everything I did before...Buzzard

    Feeling good!
    My last chemo was Sept 8. Every week after that I started feeling better and better. As of now, I really feel great. I just have a little neuropathy in my hands and my feet and my rear end where I had radiation and surgery still hurts a bit but a small price to pay to have gotten the beast out of my body!
  • patsy1954
    patsy1954 Member Posts: 85
    #7
    Off Folfox since October
    I got my last of 12 treatments on October 19th. Was geeling pretty good by November 1st. Started working part time on that date and back to full time work on December 1st. I am on Xeloda and Avastin and doing fine. Counts dropped two weeks ago, had a one week delay in treatment and now back on track. Still feeling fine, just hate the neuropaty in hands and feet.

    Pat
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    #8
    I think the big factor is
    I think the big factor is the oxy- I got like 5 treatments full dose, then three reduced dose and then 4 with no oxy. I would say that oxy is the meanie, kick ones butt to the curb and back again drug. I think your husbands energy level in April will depend on when they start to reduce that drug or totally omit it. I was hospitalized for a week after my 8th treatment and took probably several months before I could function. Seriously, those months on oxy and regaining my energy level were the worse times and definitely I felt and looked like a cancer patient. I am a teacher and went from full days to part days to 1-2 days a week at half time.

    Everybody is different with this- you really will get a wide range of responses.

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