hubby sick, coughing and sleeping

oneagleswings
oneagleswings Member Posts: 425 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
do you ever really get a day now and then of not worrying so much that as a caregiver I feel so helpless.
My hubby started folfiri with avastin almost 2 wks ago- it went fairly well and we are scheduled for round 2 this week- but he seems to be getting worse during the week off and not better...???
He has a fairly steady cough (not sure if related to possible lung mets in addition to his liver ones) or if the cough is due to a cold (nose is constantly running down the back of his throat?...so much so that he was vomiting a bit tonight

He is also really tired and sleeping most of the time- is that normal? I was under the impression that the week you were off chemo that you started to feel somewhat normal again ( when he was on adjuvant 5fu he felt better as the week wore on..
I am wondering if his latest symptoms are not really a result of the chemo but rather caused by the cancer and if so- do you think if the chemo can shrink some of the tumours he may start to feel a bit better...has anyone had experience with this??

I think I have been rambling- thanks for listening and any information you can provide.
Bev

Comments

  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member
    #2
    Oh Bev, I have no real answers at all for you -- but feel for your frustration. To watch a loved one so uncomfortable is very hard. I think my first thought was that your oncologist's office must have someone on-call. The questions you have deserve answers and your husband certainly needs to be in a comfortable state; I would call ASAP and feel very comfortable asking for help. If you are fearful, he must be as well. Sometimes, the chemo-nurses are quite helpful as well. Again, wishing you the best and I am sorry that I do not have anything "real" in terms of answers for your questions; but please push for them. I do remember driving myself to the Emergency Room....not quite sure how I did it, but it caused a stir with my onc...and more importantly, helped me. Wishing both you and your husband a restful sleep and a better day tomorrow. All the best -- Maura
  • kangatoo
    kangatoo Member Posts: 2,105 Member
    #3
    CAMaura said:

    Oh Bev, I have no real answers at all for you -- but feel for your frustration. To watch a loved one so uncomfortable is very hard. I think my first thought was that your oncologist's office must have someone on-call. The questions you have deserve answers and your husband certainly needs to be in a comfortable state; I would call ASAP and feel very comfortable asking for help. If you are fearful, he must be as well. Sometimes, the chemo-nurses are quite helpful as well. Again, wishing you the best and I am sorry that I do not have anything "real" in terms of answers for your questions; but please push for them. I do remember driving myself to the Emergency Room....not quite sure how I did it, but it caused a stir with my onc...and more importantly, helped me. Wishing both you and your husband a restful sleep and a better day tomorrow. All the best -- Maura

    Hiya Bev. I only did 5FU/Leucovorin so cannnot comment on folfiri but if you want some info the following link might help as well as give some insight into side effects etc.
    By typing in folfiri on a search engine...I used "google" you can find a wealth of info. While I was doing my chemo over 6 months I was advised to keep a thermometer handy as I was told to keep a check, very closely on my body temp.
    With the inevitable bad side effects and our immune system being almost out of action our susceptability to other illness's(such as colds/flu etc) is very great. I was also told to report any unusual symptoms or elevated body temperature immediately.
    Any concern is worth reporting......it may be nothing unusual for folfiri but keep in mind everyone reacts differently so suspicious side effects should be investigated..even if only for peace of mind.
    Have a look here if you like;
    http://www.esmo.org/reference/abstracts00/cc/187.htm
    I know at times Jen was beside herself coping with my illness especially during chemo. You are not alone Bev..hang in there!
    All our best to your hubby
    huggs, Ross and Jen
  • pjenks57
    pjenks57 Member Posts: 112
    #4
    Dear Bev, I know exactly how you feel. I too am a caregiver to hubby with mets to liver and lung. He was dx in Sept 03 and has been on chemo ever since surgery. He is off a week here and there but mostly on. He has done folfiri with avastin 3 times. He has done other drugs in between mostly Xeloda because the folfiri drains him so much that he has to have a break and we do that with the Xeloda. To answer you question, YES hubby is much worse the week in between treatments. He is drained, diarrhea, very cranky, very poor memory, and sometimes poor appetite. His onc dr said this is sometimes normal since the body is going thru a big change back and forth. He has very bad nausea from time to time but Dr. has that under control with meds during and after treatment. He also has a shot of neulasta for white blood count. That is 24 hours after removal of 5FU and it makes him ache all over.

    I know how you feel with the helplessness but I think being there to help them is worth a lot to them. The one thing I want you to remember is that you have to take time for yourself too. I forgot that for a long time and I came close to being down mentally so far that I couldn't get back up. This web site has helped me so much. There is so many supportative people that I just love. I thank God all the time for these folks. And during all of this my husband and I have found a church home that is AWSOME. We have both fallen in love with our church and are very active.

    I am sorry to ramble but I want you to know that your are not in this alone. There are many of us out there and we love and support you.

    God bless you and your hubby. I will pray for you often.
    Hugs. pj :)
  • glimmerofhope
    glimmerofhope Member Posts: 53 Member
    #5
    Like your husband, I have lung and liver mets and I developed a cough during the Spring of 05 and it got progressively worse until I started taking 5FU and Avastin and TM in the late Spring (you may want read some of my other notes on this stuff). My advice is to assure your husband gets exercise, even if he doesn't feel like it. I run a little over a mile every other day and while I don't like running, this makes me feel so much better for the rest of the day (PHYSICALLY and maybe more importantly, MENTALLY). If he's unable to run, start walking until he can work his way up. This and drinking a lot of water helps flush the chemo from your body. Doctors say that cancer cells hate oxygen, so I try to give the little devils a double dose. After my first thoroscopic lung surgery at Duke, I had convinced myself that I would always be short of breath after the surgery and due to the cancer, but I was really just out of shape. After coaching 15 year olds in rec league basketball, and getting back in shape, I found out that I could still beat the best player on our undefeated team! (I'm 47). Tell your husband that most people normally use only about 15% of their lung capacity, so he's got a lot left in spite of any cancer. Oh, and tell your husband that I thought I was about down for the count in July, 05 when I had that tickle cough every few minutes, but now even though I was still showing cancer in my lungs on my last PET scan a few months ago, I feel almost normal... and I'm not currently coughing at all...IT AINT OVER TIL IT'S OVER!
  • Shandle
    Shandle Member Posts: 204
    #6
    Hi Bev.. I'm not the caregiver, but I understand what you are going through. (I know my husband does) I'm on Avastin and Camptosar. Not sure about the other meds your husband is taking, but Camptosar increases mucus buildup. I cough.. Call up the cancer center and ask about the medication he is taking so you are clear on the side effects. If his resistance is down (due to chemo) then it could be a cold. If it is a cold, don't let it get worse! My thoughts and prayers are with you sweetie. Hang in there and keep us posted. Hugggs ~ Wanda
  • tmd
    tmd Member Posts: 39
    #7
    My wife had the same thing while doing floxin and avastin ( a cough once in a while ) The Doctor said that was from the treatment. It makes your throat cold, so he said it was normal. She has been done since june 05 and cough went away right away. She has two spots on her lungs. After treatment pet scan show no activity in the spots.
    Hand in there.

    Mike

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