Post chemo blues
Tina xxx
Comments
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Hugs
Dear Tina, what you are describing is pretty normal, but make sure you talk to your oncology team about them. The nerve stuff is neuropathy and L-glutamine can help that if you take each day. Now allow yourself to rest rest rest and if the blues don't go away, then ask about an anti-depressant.. with no hormones and all your body is going through sometimes a person needs a little help.
Now congratulations on the fantastic results, that is awesome results. Hugs ♥ Prayers Bonnie0 -
Nancy and Bonnie are right....
The biggest "deal" is the neuropathy (typically tingling of extremities, toes and fingers feeling "asleep", etc). Notify your oncologist ASAP if this happens. Neuropathy can be temporary, but if it gets too bad they may need to try a different combo of drugs, because it can also cause permanent nerve damage. Every time I see my doc, he asks, "How are your fingers and toes?"
I guess I am an odd ball because instead of each treatment getting worse, the side effects have actually decreased as my treatment progressed. I have had 5 sessions of Carbo/Taxol and the first was by far the worst. This time around I had some fatigue, but nothing else. I do take precautionary meds for nausea, however.
Pamper yourself and do NOT feel guilty about staying in bed, if that's what your body says you need. Chemo is rough, even at its best, and you are entitled to curl up and let everyone else wait on you, hand and foot. Often it's good therapy for them, too. Husbands, especially, feel helpless at a time like this and letting them fuss over us helps. My husband would not leave the house for the first month, unless he got a "sitter" for me. It was kind of funny....he would call my daughter and ask if she could "stay with your mom on Wednesday" because he wanted to play golf, but refused to leave me alone.
I had the "blues" befre chemo, and have gradually gotten over them (for the most part). The odd scene on TV, or comment from family can still make me weepy. I think that's just human nature. Over Christmas break my 17 year-old granddaughter stayed with us (she lived with us for several years) and we were talking about the cancer. She said, "It just makes me so sad", and as soon as her voice broke, mine did, too. First thing you know, we were both boo-hooing. It's okay to cry. Tears wash away a lot of bad stuff, too.0 -
number 3 was the worst
Everyone's experience is different, but for my mother carbo/taxol number 3 was by far the worst one. My brother (the animal doctor) even went over the dosage with the oncologist before number 4 because we all thought something was over the edge. It was okay, and her experience was overall better with the later treatments. We make nightmarish sounds when we talk about Chemo number 3. Incidentally, her CA125 drops were biggest after the 4th and 5th treatments, so hang in there.0 -
Hang In There!
Prayers coming your way! There have been a few days I laid in bed sleeping/relaxing for 15-18 hours. The rest of the time was watching TV. Each time was 2-3 days after treatment, and just like you have described. Be careful to continue to drink as much water as you can, dehydration is the enemy. Tell your doctor all of your side effects - physical and emotional.....now is not the time to tough it out, they can give you meds to help you. I found the effects cumulative but I slowed myself down and didn't push too hard when I did feel good. It made the "blue" days easier.
MK0 -
blue day
Hi Tina, I think you are totally normal. Take care of yourself, sleep, take a hot bath, and whatever feels good. If you are up for a walk, getting the body moving helps move the toxins through, but don't push yourself. I do think the platinum especially can trigger depression, and recently read a study to that effect. Once I was off the platinum, I did see a huge difference in my mental attitude.
When I was on carbo/taxol, it didn't get worse, every cycle was just a little different, but I think generally the chemo is cumulative in your system. Is this first line for you, or a recurrence?
Hang in there,
Hugs,
kathleen:)0 -
Thank-youkayandok said:blue day
Hi Tina, I think you are totally normal. Take care of yourself, sleep, take a hot bath, and whatever feels good. If you are up for a walk, getting the body moving helps move the toxins through, but don't push yourself. I do think the platinum especially can trigger depression, and recently read a study to that effect. Once I was off the platinum, I did see a huge difference in my mental attitude.
When I was on carbo/taxol, it didn't get worse, every cycle was just a little different, but I think generally the chemo is cumulative in your system. Is this first line for you, or a recurrence?
Hang in there,
Hugs,
kathleen:)
Thank-you everyone so much for replying to me. All of your comments have made me feel so much better - don't feel quite so alone in this fight. I did spend all day in bed where I felt the most comfortable & had a lovely bubble bath before I had my dinner. I feel so much better today and am hoping to be able to go to my running club tonight. I was a runner before I got cancer half marathons etc. I have started to go back to the meetings and am managing to do a bit of track running in an effort to get a bit of normality back into my life.
Now I know that these symptoms are the "norm" I think I will be able to cope with them better the next time. This is my first round of chemo as I was diagnosed Nov 09 with Primary Peritoneal Cancer and chemo is the only option I have to manage the cancer as there is no cure, but I am hopefull it will work & I can go into remission. They haven't given me the option of surgery as the thickening of my peritoneum is too small & even if they do the cancer cells will just come back. My oncologist said the surgery is extremely invasive and wouldn't cure the cancer. However I am a positive person by nature and hope to be one of those people who can live with cancer for years!
Much love to you all Tina0 -
Helping other to help youTina Brown said:Thank-you
Thank-you everyone so much for replying to me. All of your comments have made me feel so much better - don't feel quite so alone in this fight. I did spend all day in bed where I felt the most comfortable & had a lovely bubble bath before I had my dinner. I feel so much better today and am hoping to be able to go to my running club tonight. I was a runner before I got cancer half marathons etc. I have started to go back to the meetings and am managing to do a bit of track running in an effort to get a bit of normality back into my life.
Now I know that these symptoms are the "norm" I think I will be able to cope with them better the next time. This is my first round of chemo as I was diagnosed Nov 09 with Primary Peritoneal Cancer and chemo is the only option I have to manage the cancer as there is no cure, but I am hopefull it will work & I can go into remission. They haven't given me the option of surgery as the thickening of my peritoneum is too small & even if they do the cancer cells will just come back. My oncologist said the surgery is extremely invasive and wouldn't cure the cancer. However I am a positive person by nature and hope to be one of those people who can live with cancer for years!
Much love to you all Tina
Hi Tina,
You've gotten the word here about the depression most of us have had during treatment. I'm on my second go with chemo, and have noticed that, although I've been taking Zoloft since I was in my first chemo, I'm still having some really "blue" days, and have considered talking to my doctor about my dosage. Fortunately, that feeling seems to pass after a day, and I do try to do something special for myself during the spell or shortly after.
I think your plan to go to your runner's club is an excellent one! Anything you can do that's been a good thing for you is a step in the right direction (a rather bad pun, I'm sure).
Good luck with the chemo; is it being delivered intraperitoneally (IP), or IV?
Sue0 -
Hi Suegroundeffect said:Helping other to help you
Hi Tina,
You've gotten the word here about the depression most of us have had during treatment. I'm on my second go with chemo, and have noticed that, although I've been taking Zoloft since I was in my first chemo, I'm still having some really "blue" days, and have considered talking to my doctor about my dosage. Fortunately, that feeling seems to pass after a day, and I do try to do something special for myself during the spell or shortly after.
I think your plan to go to your runner's club is an excellent one! Anything you can do that's been a good thing for you is a step in the right direction (a rather bad pun, I'm sure).
Good luck with the chemo; is it being delivered intraperitoneally (IP), or IV?
Sue
Hi Sue
I'm having chemo through IV. I'm on day 6 post chemo and am feeling much better physically. As for my mental state going up to the running club was just the therapy I needed. I saw many of my friends who were all so kind and caring. I went on the track and the coach looked after me well and told me to stop when he could see I was tired. It was such a lovely sensation to feel "normal" again and talk to my friends.
Is Zoloft an anti-depressant? I think now I know this is temporary and will improve, I should be able to cope with it next time I have chemo. I hope you are alright and what kind of "special" things do you so to keep your spirits up? I would to have a massage or facial but I don't think you can have them when you're on chemo.
Tina xxx0 -
It's An Adjustment.Tina Brown said:Hi Sue
Hi Sue
I'm having chemo through IV. I'm on day 6 post chemo and am feeling much better physically. As for my mental state going up to the running club was just the therapy I needed. I saw many of my friends who were all so kind and caring. I went on the track and the coach looked after me well and told me to stop when he could see I was tired. It was such a lovely sensation to feel "normal" again and talk to my friends.
Is Zoloft an anti-depressant? I think now I know this is temporary and will improve, I should be able to cope with it next time I have chemo. I hope you are alright and what kind of "special" things do you so to keep your spirits up? I would to have a massage or facial but I don't think you can have them when you're on chemo.
Tina xxx
Hi Tina,
Yes, what you are feeling is very normal.
After day 2 to 3 of my chemo, my family and I prepared for the ritual of my being out, (for
me roughly a week to the date of my chemo) as well as for my depressive state.
Without fail, I would lay there wanting to do this or that. Then I'd get angry then sad be-
cause my body just would'nt cooperate. It was just enough to get out of bed to use the rest-room.
For me, I started treating that anticipated week out as a vacation and I began working my
entire schedule around it. See how flexible we can become?
When that week was over, I would surface like a new-born baby and I had so much I wanted to
do. So use your "normal time" to be you again and truly get out to enjoy life.
In fact, never have I accomplished so much as I do now, until I embarked on my cancer
journey.
I started out on lexapro and it's only 10 mg, but it has worked just wonderfully for me.
Hang in there Tina, it's just another adjustment to your life that's all. Just look at
like that, okay?
Love,
Sharon0 -
Hi Sharonmsfanciful said:It's An Adjustment.
Hi Tina,
Yes, what you are feeling is very normal.
After day 2 to 3 of my chemo, my family and I prepared for the ritual of my being out, (for
me roughly a week to the date of my chemo) as well as for my depressive state.
Without fail, I would lay there wanting to do this or that. Then I'd get angry then sad be-
cause my body just would'nt cooperate. It was just enough to get out of bed to use the rest-room.
For me, I started treating that anticipated week out as a vacation and I began working my
entire schedule around it. See how flexible we can become?
When that week was over, I would surface like a new-born baby and I had so much I wanted to
do. So use your "normal time" to be you again and truly get out to enjoy life.
In fact, never have I accomplished so much as I do now, until I embarked on my cancer
journey.
I started out on lexapro and it's only 10 mg, but it has worked just wonderfully for me.
Hang in there Tina, it's just another adjustment to your life that's all. Just look at
like that, okay?
Love,
Sharon
Thank-you for your words of wisdom. I really like your positive approach to "the week after" chemo and I think I will adopt it for myself. I have another 3 treatemtns scheduled so I will forward plan for "the week after" and then use the rest of the time to catch up with housework & jobs etc.
Much love Tina xxxx0
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