Cherry Pie and Chemo

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Fern60514
Fern60514 Member Posts: 8
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Thanks all for all the good words and encouragment. Thought I'd let you know how the first day of rads/chemo went, but first the cherry pie. Hubby's favorite dessert is cherry pie. Since my baking skills are seriously lacking I found a a wonderful place in the city that makes artisonal pies and delivers to the burbs on Sundays. So I ordered a cherry pie for him as a surprise for Sunday, On Sunday morning, we went out to lunch with my brother and hubby announced to us, that he didn't know where he was getting it but he was going to eat a whole cherry pie for dinner that night! Well I just laughed and said its done! So they delivered the pie Sunday afternoon and it was delicious! (He didn't eat the whole pie, but he did have a very big piece with ice cream!)

Monday was rads first then chemo. Chemo was supposed to start at 1 but when I left hiim there at 1 they still didn't have the IV in....I went back later after work and he ended up being released at 7:30, so long day. I dd pack him a turkey sandwich, a banana, and some other little snacks. They also offer bottled water and 1/2 sandwiches in the oncology dept I guess. He is getting Cisplatin, which I understand is notorious for causing nausea. He took the Emend before chemo and I think the nurse said they gave hiim some anti emetics in the IV too but he was feeling queasy before we left. He took the compazine and I got him home, made him some peppermint tea and he took the Zofran too and went to bed.

This morning he was still queasy but ate some oatmeal and when I took him to his rads apt at 4 today he was doing much better. He ate dinner tonight. So...so far so good. Thanks for all the tips and good words. I know its going to get worse....

I'll be checking in.

Fern

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  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
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    Good...
    MMM Cherry Pie is my favorite also....

    Did he have the Emend today also...usually you take it for three days, starting he first day of chemo.

    I had Cisplatin also,along with others simultaneous. It effects everyone differently. I actually never got sick, but if I dwelled on it, I would become nauseaous. It's kind of like when you eat something that makes you sick, just the thought of it will make you queasy.

    He might not get any worse than he is now during chemo...you just never know.

    The main thing is to keep him vey well hydrated. It's really easy to get dehydrated without realizing it...not a good feeling. The less hydration, the worse you feel, the more you wanna sleep, the worse you feel...spiraling circle until you have to go in to the hospital.

    Stay ahead of the game on that.

    For me (if you are on the three weeks cycle, the first week you lose your taste, feel kind of crappy, second week you start feeling a little better, third week back to normal, then you start the cycle again.

    On my second weeks, I'd get a Neulasta Injection, helps to regenerate bone marrow )white blood cells)...makes you feel like you have the flu with aching bones for a few days.

    Best,
    John
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Good...
    MMM Cherry Pie is my favorite also....

    Did he have the Emend today also...usually you take it for three days, starting he first day of chemo.

    I had Cisplatin also,along with others simultaneous. It effects everyone differently. I actually never got sick, but if I dwelled on it, I would become nauseaous. It's kind of like when you eat something that makes you sick, just the thought of it will make you queasy.

    He might not get any worse than he is now during chemo...you just never know.

    The main thing is to keep him vey well hydrated. It's really easy to get dehydrated without realizing it...not a good feeling. The less hydration, the worse you feel, the more you wanna sleep, the worse you feel...spiraling circle until you have to go in to the hospital.

    Stay ahead of the game on that.

    For me (if you are on the three weeks cycle, the first week you lose your taste, feel kind of crappy, second week you start feeling a little better, third week back to normal, then you start the cycle again.

    On my second weeks, I'd get a Neulasta Injection, helps to regenerate bone marrow )white blood cells)...makes you feel like you have the flu with aching bones for a few days.

    Best,
    John

    Hi Fern

    Sounds like he is doing well for the first day on the job, one down so far on his journey to the finish line. Keep him eating as long as possible and like John said keep him drinking, hydration is very importance while doing chemo.

    Take care and keep posting on how he is doing
    Hondo
  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    #4
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    Hondo said:

    Hi Fern

    Sounds like he is doing well for the first day on the job, one down so far on his journey to the finish line. Keep him eating as long as possible and like John said keep him drinking, hydration is very importance while doing chemo.

    Take care and keep posting on how he is doing
    Hondo

    Not Enough
    I agree with so many on this wonderful site, hydration is extremely important. Rule of thumb thought.... when you think it is enough, it's not enough, drink more and more.

    John
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #5
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    fisrpotpe said:

    Not Enough
    I agree with so many on this wonderful site, hydration is extremely important. Rule of thumb thought.... when you think it is enough, it's not enough, drink more and more.

    John

    New business
    I agree that hydration is critical and I also know that patients simply get too tired or pained to drink as they should. I'm going to open a new business and rent my wife to new patients. I guarantee she will (need another word for "nag" in case she reads this) entice you to drink in a very strong manner. I'll bet she could get OJ to confess.
    and unelenting manner.

    Gotta think about this after I drink tis Gatorade

    PS Glad first treatment went well.
  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    #6
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    Love it
    I love the cherry pie story!

    About Zofran - it is a preventive drug, as in it doesn't help much once the nausea develops (kind of like how looking out the front window to prevent car sickness doesn't help much once you actually get sick). Therefore, take it as directed, with as-close-to-clocklike precision as possible. I have an odd schedule (like, I work out at 4 am) so the idea of setting an alarm for the middle of the night to wake Doug and make him take pills was not all that heroic.

    Compazine is good for when the nausea has already happened - personally, if he is already asking for it, I'd give it on the listed schedule (every 6 hours, I think) but not do the middle-of the night one unless he's already awake. After day 7 or so, you could ease off and wait until he feels he needs it.

    It might not get worse - we tell the scare stories, but not everyone gets it all, especially on the first round. Glad to hear that things are OK so far. . .

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