Chemo Side Effects

herdizziness
herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
So I'm new to this cancer. Diagnosed on 02/06/2010. Offered Hospice immediately.
I'd like to know a couple of things. First off, my first chemo, I came home and went to bed for two days, second chemo, same thing, this is now my 6th chemo and I come home and feel fine, if it wasn't for the cold symptoms of not being able to drink cold for a week and a half, and my fingers and toes being sensitive to the cold, I would feel normal.
I have two hours of Oxyplatinin (sp), 30 minutes of Avastin and two weeks of 3000 mg a day of Xeloda.
No nausea.
So the question is, do you get used to the chemo so quickly? Does it get worse later on?
The worst thing has been the way the oxy goes in the vein and tomorrow after six treatments I'm finally getting a port. (thanks sundance (sp)for that suggestion.

Comments

  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #2
    great you are doing so well!
    Every body is different and responds differently to chemotherapy. It sounds like you are one of the lucky ones and are having relatively few side effects! That's good news! Don't worry that you aren't getting "sick" enough, there is no correlation between side effects and the effectiveness of chemo! I pray you continue to do well and will be done with chemo soon and onto dancing with NED!
    mary
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #3
    msccolon said:

    great you are doing so well!
    Every body is different and responds differently to chemotherapy. It sounds like you are one of the lucky ones and are having relatively few side effects! That's good news! Don't worry that you aren't getting "sick" enough, there is no correlation between side effects and the effectiveness of chemo! I pray you continue to do well and will be done with chemo soon and onto dancing with NED!
    mary

    Thanks Mary, I appreciate
    Thanks Mary, I appreciate the answer back very much. Just got my port in this morning and was surprised how quick and painless it was. I was soooo worried.
    Winter Marie
  • vhtqm1
    vhtqm1 Member Posts: 107
    #4
    quite common
    it's quite common to make it through the first round of chemotherapy with minimal to even no side effects at all. as long as the chemotherapy is working i wouldn't worry too much about being asymtomatic to treatment. have you had CT and or PET scans yet? if there showing improvement then you doing great!!! i'm also not sure what stage your cancer is??

    ed
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #5
    herdizziness said:

    Thanks Mary, I appreciate
    Thanks Mary, I appreciate the answer back very much. Just got my port in this morning and was surprised how quick and painless it was. I was soooo worried.
    Winter Marie

    port install
    I think it was probably one of the easiest (ok, two of the easiest, I had 2 ports placed, different times!) procedures I've had done so far! Glad yours has gone well and I am SURE you will be very grateful for it come infusion time. I can't even imagine what getting your chemo through your veins has been like!
    mary
  • classicman
    classicman Member Posts: 34
    #6
    My side effects seem to be
    My side effects seem to be like yours, the worst part of mine was i did most of my chemo during the winter months, which caused me alot of pain, but a couple weeks into the IV chemo, i felt better, altho its been 6 months since i had my last Chemo, i still have troubles with hands fingers and feet, everyone is different, but hang in there, it does get better
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #7
    vhtqm1 said:

    quite common
    it's quite common to make it through the first round of chemotherapy with minimal to even no side effects at all. as long as the chemotherapy is working i wouldn't worry too much about being asymtomatic to treatment. have you had CT and or PET scans yet? if there showing improvement then you doing great!!! i'm also not sure what stage your cancer is??

    ed

    I'm stage IV with mets to
    I'm stage IV with mets to right ovary, right kidney, and liver. Liver isn't able to resect, the doc says it's the liver that'll get me. I just had my CT last Monday, next Onc appointment is Friday of next week. I originally had tumor marker of 20,007 (yep that's right) and last appointment he mentioned I had a 20 fold drop, down to 594.
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #8
    classicman said:

    My side effects seem to be
    My side effects seem to be like yours, the worst part of mine was i did most of my chemo during the winter months, which caused me alot of pain, but a couple weeks into the IV chemo, i felt better, altho its been 6 months since i had my last Chemo, i still have troubles with hands fingers and feet, everyone is different, but hang in there, it does get better

    Thanks, I'm hoping that it
    Thanks, I'm hoping that it just stays in the fingers and toes, although, it's summer and I miss swimming, just too painful when getting out on those fingers and toes. It's the little things you miss it seems. Like drinking ice water. Although it has cured me of my ice chomping, gosh I loved that, almost as much as my ice coka cola, at least I can have them for a week!!! Something to look forward to.
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #9
    herdizziness said:

    Thanks, I'm hoping that it
    Thanks, I'm hoping that it just stays in the fingers and toes, although, it's summer and I miss swimming, just too painful when getting out on those fingers and toes. It's the little things you miss it seems. Like drinking ice water. Although it has cured me of my ice chomping, gosh I loved that, almost as much as my ice coka cola, at least I can have them for a week!!! Something to look forward to.

    Ah ...but Alas the Starfish
    with 5 appendages thought that if one appendage was lost it was doomed to peril, but then only to find that the appendage that had been taken off was to grow back even healthier than before. The liver is another that will regenerate itself if given the opportunity to do so. So as the Starfish thought the loss of a leg was soon to be its doom, it turns out that it was a blessing in disguise to be replaced by a healthier one. Yours Im sure will turn out the same some day. To become resectable and then offered the capability to regenerate itself, and there my hopeful one will be the answer to your diliema and the start of a new journey in life...Love and Hope to you ......Buzz
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #10
    Buzzard said:

    Ah ...but Alas the Starfish
    with 5 appendages thought that if one appendage was lost it was doomed to peril, but then only to find that the appendage that had been taken off was to grow back even healthier than before. The liver is another that will regenerate itself if given the opportunity to do so. So as the Starfish thought the loss of a leg was soon to be its doom, it turns out that it was a blessing in disguise to be replaced by a healthier one. Yours Im sure will turn out the same some day. To become resectable and then offered the capability to regenerate itself, and there my hopeful one will be the answer to your diliema and the start of a new journey in life...Love and Hope to you ......Buzz

    thank you buzz, I trully
    thank you buzz, I trully need all the hope and love I can get when it comes to this cancer.
    It seems so unreal, my friends truly think I'm full of it, because, as they say "you look so healthy", and I do, I look healthy, my world is crumbling around me, yet I look good. Hmm, got on the pity party there for a sec didn't I?
    My sister, such a doll, offered me a sliver of her liver if I ever needed it. She was diagnosed Hepatitis C, years ago, and I had offered her some of mine. Turns out they misdiagnosed and she didn't have Hep C after all. I think the world of her for returning the offer to me. Although I had to turn her down because they informed me that I wasn't a candidate for transplant.
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #11
    herdizziness said:

    thank you buzz, I trully
    thank you buzz, I trully need all the hope and love I can get when it comes to this cancer.
    It seems so unreal, my friends truly think I'm full of it, because, as they say "you look so healthy", and I do, I look healthy, my world is crumbling around me, yet I look good. Hmm, got on the pity party there for a sec didn't I?
    My sister, such a doll, offered me a sliver of her liver if I ever needed it. She was diagnosed Hepatitis C, years ago, and I had offered her some of mine. Turns out they misdiagnosed and she didn't have Hep C after all. I think the world of her for returning the offer to me. Although I had to turn her down because they informed me that I wasn't a candidate for transplant.

    Pity Parties are no fun to attend.........
    But we all go there at some point in our trip.....It is how we respond to them that matters...To much pity party and seratonin production is reduced causing more pity party and a creation of a "Black Hole" syndrome evolves if you will...Turn the pity party into a Live for Today party and the seratonin starts to be produced again which just seems to make me feel , excuse my french " A Hell of a Lot Better".....Life has a bad prognosis only if you believe it does.......I think its how we live it not how long we live it that matters....to me sitting on that beautiful beach would be ideal for my inner emotional healing.....More Love and Hope to you and yours......Buzz
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #12
    Buzzard said:

    Pity Parties are no fun to attend.........
    But we all go there at some point in our trip.....It is how we respond to them that matters...To much pity party and seratonin production is reduced causing more pity party and a creation of a "Black Hole" syndrome evolves if you will...Turn the pity party into a Live for Today party and the seratonin starts to be produced again which just seems to make me feel , excuse my french " A Hell of a Lot Better".....Life has a bad prognosis only if you believe it does.......I think its how we live it not how long we live it that matters....to me sitting on that beautiful beach would be ideal for my inner emotional healing.....More Love and Hope to you and yours......Buzz

    Thanks Buzz, I live by that
    Thanks Buzz, I live by that beautiful beach was watching my son boogie board. I am a lucky woman to be sure.
  • hoya1973
    hoya1973 Member Posts: 37
    #13
    herdizziness said:

    Thanks Buzz, I live by that
    Thanks Buzz, I live by that beautiful beach was watching my son boogie board. I am a lucky woman to be sure.

    Hope For Herdizziness
    Very sorry to learn of your condition. I am also a new stage lV (April 19, 2010). I have received an incredible amount of hope from every source possible and I am seeking them out! Your strength and faith will get you through the difficult times. My experience with chemo treatments has provided psitive PET results to date. All the best for many positive days ahead. I also love the view from your beach. Stay strong, let the surf sooth you and enjoy every breath!
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #14
    hoya1973 said:

    Hope For Herdizziness
    Very sorry to learn of your condition. I am also a new stage lV (April 19, 2010). I have received an incredible amount of hope from every source possible and I am seeking them out! Your strength and faith will get you through the difficult times. My experience with chemo treatments has provided psitive PET results to date. All the best for many positive days ahead. I also love the view from your beach. Stay strong, let the surf sooth you and enjoy every breath!

    Thank you for your wishes.
    Thank you for your wishes. I'm anxious to know my ct scan results this Friday, I keep thinking please show the tumors in the liver shrinking. I'm scared they won't be.
    As I told one of my brothers, I've got my fingers and toes crossed, makes for difficult typing and walking, but oh well.
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #15
    classicman said:

    My side effects seem to be
    My side effects seem to be like yours, the worst part of mine was i did most of my chemo during the winter months, which caused me alot of pain, but a couple weeks into the IV chemo, i felt better, altho its been 6 months since i had my last Chemo, i still have troubles with hands fingers and feet, everyone is different, but hang in there, it does get better

    Thank you, I'm going to hang
    Thank you, I'm going to hang in as long as this cancer will let me. My six months live to date is in August, I'm going to beat that, I'm going to see Christmas and beyond by golly.

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