Just wondering....

Ginx525 said:

Just wondering...
Mom is doing the pill form. I have read both good and bad but her doctor's make it sound like it will be a walk in the park...I am just wondering how much of it is true.

Just watch for fatique and as Greg says the "runs"
other than maybe minor sunburn on the "bum" she should do fine.....also hydration is a great player in all of this...good hydration never hurts anything.......Good Luck, Buzz

herdizziness said:

Xeloda
Xeloda has pretty much been a walk in the park for me. Remembering to take them 12 hours apart has been the only downside so far. Of the 3 chemo's I've down so far, Xeloda is the one with the least side effects (none for me)and has worked very well at shrinking the tumors.
I have not done radiation so I can't help you there, but plenty of others have and I'm sure can be of help to you.
Prayers and thoughts your way and your Mom's.
Winter Marie

Watch out when the radiation ends.....the next two-three weeks
will really make your burn sear. I used both Aquaphor and Silver Sulfadiazine for the burning-radiologist will assist here. Everyone reacts differently to treatment; in my case,Xeloda was nothing compared to the oxi tho since tumor was still in me then, diahrrea was a constant, no nausea for me but loss of appetite and energy and alot of weight and muscle loss.Once chemo and rad ended, started feeling better as I tried to strengthen self for upcoming surgery, which left me weaker than I had ever been, followed by postop chemo, which further did me in.But here I am, five months after Tx ended and you'd never know my ordeal if you saw me hobbling down the street with my cane. Keep your doctors informed of any difficuly you may encounter as there are usually remedies for each and never give up......steve

PS:the preop chemo/rad shrunk my tumor considerably tho I still needed permanent colostomy

Ginx
I did a 6 week course of Xeloda (1500 mg twice a day) and radiation tx. The first week I had some nausea which went away by the second week. I didn't fool around with it. I called my onc, got some compazine for the nausea, which I took as needed (which wasn't often) and that didn't really bother me anymore. Some fatigue by mid-treatment, but not everyday. I had some minor peeling on my thumb and a couple fingertips towards the end. The worst thing was "The Burn." My anal and moreso, vaginal and perineal area was so raw and sore--probably by week 3 or 4. (Stupid me thought maybe I was special and it wouldn't happen to me or it wouldn't be so bad.) Like others have said, Aquafor and Preparation H helped a lot, along with the softest toilet paper that can be had (I used Charmin soft, and I patted, not wiped--yes, there is a difference), flushable wipes (unscented), unscented soap, and eventually Silvadene.
Like Steve (coloCan) said, the couple weeks after treatment is done is also a bear. I know this sounds disgusting, but I experienced a vaginal discharge that was like a bad cold "down there." It made my butt itch like crazy and I didn't know what was going on at first, called my gynecologist and cried to him, "I don't know what's normal anymore!" I started using Calmoseptine to protect my anal area, which works wonders by the way. (I wouldn't use Calmoseptine on a "burned" butt but it worked well to protect the anal area when there's discharge--rectal or vaginal.) I still use it on active days, since I continue to have mucous excrete from my rectum, which I learned to live with. Sorry if any of this sounds gross, but I thought if this information is helpful, maybe you could use it.

hope this is helpful. We are open to any and ALL questions.
Holding you in the Light for a not-so-unpleasant treatment, healing, and hope.
~Audrey