hi

very worried husband
very worried husband Member Posts: 88
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Dear All,

As some of you may remember, I am a caregiver to my wife, who was diagnosed with 3B cancer in January. I did not post for long time because i was too depress about the loss of some wonderful people on this board.......and also actually there were not some good news about my wife.....low white blood cells, port blockage, stopping chemo and delaying chemo...something suspicious coming in CT Scan.( relived to find out later that it was a cyst only )....you name it and she had it.....so you can imagine, the last three months were very stressful......

Thank God, she finished her chemo 2 weeks ago and is now recovering after that. she felt great after finishing but as always is the case with this episodic disease, she does not and do not want to get up from her bed...she complains extreme tiredness.......and the worst is that in china, where she is getting her treatment, they are not giving her any medicines after chemo. they did not do the CT Scan after finishing chemo, since her tests according to the doctors are good and there is no need for that. They want to wait till December when she will have her colonoscopy and her CT scan....her CEA and other tests are good . but the only complain is extreme tiredness......she is planning to come to Canada next month and we already bought tickets, but her this tiredness make me and her worry..... she is also under treatment of a TCM. she felt not as bad as she is now even we had many setbacks in the journeys.....so i wanted to ask what is the normal protocol of medicines after finishing chemo...she did flofox+ oxi, 11 treatments to be precise, the last one cancelled since her WBC were too low, even though they increased the shots from 2 to seven...( gradually increasing. 2, then 3, then 5, and at the end 7!!!)....
her Liver test were also high but have now stabilized.
what are the normal vitamins, supplements etc are generally given in here ?(US , CANADA, UK AND AUS). can you please recommend any special products/ medicines she can use so that she feels a little better and full of energy?
according to her onc in china, she needs rests after chemo and let the body heals itself.....i know from here that almost all the cancer patients are low in vitamin D, so what is the name of the recommended products we can buy? is it just the normal multi vitamins i need to check in drugs stores or there is something specific?

please give a list of what you are taking or you were given after chemo, and what are the products name and where can i buy them in canada?

Thanks to all.....

Comments

  • Jamietesta
    Jamietesta Member Posts: 10
    #2
    Hi, its just my opinion, but
    Hi, its just my opinion, but i see an integrative doc who advises me on what supp n vitamins to take in conjunction with chemo. Your wifes immune system is so low her body needs help with good cell regeneration....or the bad ones take over again and guess what...recurrence. I really believe you need to consult with non onc to get real advice on this....yes rest was good but nothing else? Does that make sense to you? Take control, so many products out there. Best, jamie
  • Jamietesta
    Jamietesta Member Posts: 10
    #3
    Hi, its just my opinion, but
    Hi, its just my opinion, but i see an integrative doc who advises me on what supp n vitamins to take in conjunction with chemo. Your wifes immune system is so low her body needs help with good cell regeneration....or the bad ones take over again and guess what...recurrence. I really believe you need to consult with non onc to get real advice on this....yes rest was good but nothing else? Does that make sense to you? Take control, so many products out there. Best, jamie
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #4
    Worried husband -

    Re:
    "please recommend any special products/ medicines she can use so
    that she feels a little better and full of energy?"

    "according to her onc in china, she needs rests after chemo and let
    the body heals itself....."

    This is just another reason I don't care for western medicine's
    mentality......

    We shouldn't try to rush Mom Nature. Taking substances to
    provide instant energy works against the real healing event
    and hinders it, not helps it.

    When we feel tired, depressed, or pain, it's our body telling us
    to slow the hell down; we're hurt and need some rest. Taking a
    damned drug to "get moving" is working against the body's
    requirements.

    It is so, so unfortunate that the industry has brain washed so
    many people. They have a drug for everything, to be able to
    get the sick back up and out. Everyone's in so much of a rush
    to feel "healthy", that they pop a pill and forget that their
    body is still too sick to do what that pill is going to allow
    them to do.

    That Oncologist is absolutely correct, she needs rest to allow
    her body to make the repairs it needs.

    Give her my best wishes..... and the best to you too!

    John
  • laurettas
    laurettas Member Posts: 372
    #5
    John23 said:

    Worried husband -

    Re:
    "please recommend any special products/ medicines she can use so
    that she feels a little better and full of energy?"

    "according to her onc in china, she needs rests after chemo and let
    the body heals itself....."

    This is just another reason I don't care for western medicine's
    mentality......

    We shouldn't try to rush Mom Nature. Taking substances to
    provide instant energy works against the real healing event
    and hinders it, not helps it.

    When we feel tired, depressed, or pain, it's our body telling us
    to slow the hell down; we're hurt and need some rest. Taking a
    damned drug to "get moving" is working against the body's
    requirements.

    It is so, so unfortunate that the industry has brain washed so
    many people. They have a drug for everything, to be able to
    get the sick back up and out. Everyone's in so much of a rush
    to feel "healthy", that they pop a pill and forget that their
    body is still too sick to do what that pill is going to allow
    them to do.

    That Oncologist is absolutely correct, she needs rest to allow
    her body to make the repairs it needs.

    Give her my best wishes..... and the best to you too!

    John

    I totally agree, John!
    Ditto to John's comment.
  • northernlites
    northernlites Member Posts: 96
    #6
    I agree with John...let her
    I agree with John...let her rest. some days i am in bed all day because i am so tired.


    tessa
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #7
    As for Vitamin D
    I was advised by my doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to take vitamin D3. If she is low, she may want to take 5,000iu/day or more. It is best to get advice.

    I currently take 10,000iu/day, because my vitamin D levels have been very low.

    In terms of other medications after chemo - I was given nothing. The chemo is done, and now she must recover.

    Wishing you both well,
    Alice
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #8
    abrub said:

    As for Vitamin D
    I was advised by my doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to take vitamin D3. If she is low, she may want to take 5,000iu/day or more. It is best to get advice.

    I currently take 10,000iu/day, because my vitamin D levels have been very low.

    In terms of other medications after chemo - I was given nothing. The chemo is done, and now she must recover.

    Wishing you both well,
    Alice

    2 years after Folfox.......
    I actually felt like my old self again...I am not in bad shape but chemo just kicks the butt...It simply takes a long time to recoup. Its not something as simply as pneumonia (which is nothing simple either ) but in the grand scheme she just went through chemical warfare, and came out the other side , not unscathed but able to start living again, no matter how slowly. Life is the root word here...Celebrate it, Largely....her body physically and mentally will get better everyday, but it will be a long time before she gets back to her "new normal self".......the best to both of you........buzz
  • marqimark
    marqimark Member Posts: 242 Member
    #9
    Potassium
    I was very low on potassium and had to have RX doses. After I was done I evenually got my appetite back and made up for all the months of not eating (lost 55 LBs). After a few weeks went back to work and built my strength up. When my daughter got out of school we started walking, she was on a diet, too. I might get into better shape than before surgery and chemo if keep this up.
  • very worried husband
    very worried husband Member Posts: 88
    #10
    Jamietesta said:

    Hi, its just my opinion, but
    Hi, its just my opinion, but i see an integrative doc who advises me on what supp n vitamins to take in conjunction with chemo. Your wifes immune system is so low her body needs help with good cell regeneration....or the bad ones take over again and guess what...recurrence. I really believe you need to consult with non onc to get real advice on this....yes rest was good but nothing else? Does that make sense to you? Take control, so many products out there. Best, jamie

    Hi Jamietesta,
    Thanks for
    Hi Jamietesta,

    Thanks for your reply. that was what i was thinking. her white blood cells were too low. and she feels v v tired. Although we are looking to anything that is gonna help, but still she feels v bad lately. she used to bounce back two three days after chemo. when her treatment finished about two weeks ago, she was still ok, but now after 2 weeks she is so tired all the time, and it makes me worried.
  • very worried husband
    very worried husband Member Posts: 88
    #11
    John23 said:

    Worried husband -

    Re:
    "please recommend any special products/ medicines she can use so
    that she feels a little better and full of energy?"

    "according to her onc in china, she needs rests after chemo and let
    the body heals itself....."

    This is just another reason I don't care for western medicine's
    mentality......

    We shouldn't try to rush Mom Nature. Taking substances to
    provide instant energy works against the real healing event
    and hinders it, not helps it.

    When we feel tired, depressed, or pain, it's our body telling us
    to slow the hell down; we're hurt and need some rest. Taking a
    damned drug to "get moving" is working against the body's
    requirements.

    It is so, so unfortunate that the industry has brain washed so
    many people. They have a drug for everything, to be able to
    get the sick back up and out. Everyone's in so much of a rush
    to feel "healthy", that they pop a pill and forget that their
    body is still too sick to do what that pill is going to allow
    them to do.

    That Oncologist is absolutely correct, she needs rest to allow
    her body to make the repairs it needs.

    Give her my best wishes..... and the best to you too!

    John

    John 23, thanks for your
    John 23, thanks for your reply. I appreciate it. I know its still too early, but rather than gradually coming back to the new normal after surgery in January and 6 months chemo, she is complaining more and more about tiredness. Now she is so tired that she cannot drink Soup on her own. her hands are shaking. she has become so week, and that makes me worry so much. This is such an unpredictable disease. she is also taking the TCM, from a wonderful Phd doctor and that is really helpful, but now this makes us worry. and that is why i wanted to ask about the supplements. we need the best of both worlds, western and eastern medicine to fight this disease. All what we are getting is a guess, no one knows what works and what does not......
  • very worried husband
    very worried husband Member Posts: 88
    #12
    northernlites said:

    I agree with John...let her
    I agree with John...let her rest. some days i am in bed all day because i am so tired.


    tessa

    Northernlites,
    thanks for
    Northernlites,

    thanks for your reply. I hear you about tiredness .. This whole thing is so unpredictable...sometimes she feels good for no apparent reason and sometime bad equally for no reason........
    best of luck with the journey...
  • very worried husband
    very worried husband Member Posts: 88
    #13
    abrub said:

    As for Vitamin D
    I was advised by my doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to take vitamin D3. If she is low, she may want to take 5,000iu/day or more. It is best to get advice.

    I currently take 10,000iu/day, because my vitamin D levels have been very low.

    In terms of other medications after chemo - I was given nothing. The chemo is done, and now she must recover.

    Wishing you both well,
    Alice

    Abrub,
    Thank you so much for
    Abrub,

    Thank you so much for your reply. we are gonna ask the doctor to check the vitamin D level.

    Best regards....
  • very worried husband
    very worried husband Member Posts: 88
    #14
    Buzzard said:

    2 years after Folfox.......
    I actually felt like my old self again...I am not in bad shape but chemo just kicks the butt...It simply takes a long time to recoup. Its not something as simply as pneumonia (which is nothing simple either ) but in the grand scheme she just went through chemical warfare, and came out the other side , not unscathed but able to start living again, no matter how slowly. Life is the root word here...Celebrate it, Largely....her body physically and mentally will get better everyday, but it will be a long time before she gets back to her "new normal self".......the best to both of you........buzz

    Buzzard,
    you are such a
    Buzzard,

    you are such a wonderful person. God Bless you.... You are always kind enough to answer my queries. I have a special place for you in my heart. I do cry for you and for some of other on this site, when i hear a bad news about you and them.... although i don't express it here, i am too bad in expressing myself. i Don't blame myself...English is not my first language, neither it's my second language......that is what happens when you know and speak many languages .... i know how it feels.... I just pray that we have a cure for this disease, just like we have for others........when i see people fighting and killing each other for gold, power, oil.....it makes me so sad... They don't value the most important thing in this world...Life!!!!!!!!!!! what we need for us is CANCER FREE LIFE....nothing else......only cancer free peaceful life.....
    Best of luck with the new journey...you are always in my prayers....
  • very worried husband
    very worried husband Member Posts: 88
    #15
    marqimark said:

    Potassium
    I was very low on potassium and had to have RX doses. After I was done I evenually got my appetite back and made up for all the months of not eating (lost 55 LBs). After a few weeks went back to work and built my strength up. When my daughter got out of school we started walking, she was on a diet, too. I might get into better shape than before surgery and chemo if keep this up.

    Mariqmark,
    Thanks for your
    Mariqmark,

    Thanks for your reply.. you lost 55 Lbs? wow that's a lot. My wife lost a few kgs, and now she gained it back . her appetite is very good also . but i don't know where this extreme tiredness came from? we are gonna ask for the potassium level checking also.

    Regards
  • Fight for my love
    Fight for my love Member Posts: 1,522 Member
    #16
    very worried husband said:

    Mariqmark,
    Thanks for your
    Mariqmark,

    Thanks for your reply.. you lost 55 Lbs? wow that's a lot. My wife lost a few kgs, and now she gained it back . her appetite is very good also . but i don't know where this extreme tiredness came from? we are gonna ask for the potassium level checking also.

    Regards

    If you understand how chemo
    If you understand how chemo works,you will know 12 rounds of chemo takes a big toll from your wife.In the U.S,after you finish the treatments,doctors don't give you more medications either.Nothing wrong with that,because the doctor doesn't want to over treat the patient.She may feel tired for a while,the body will heal itself overtime.Please let her listen to her body,if she feels good enough,let her do the things she wants to do;if she doesn't feel good,please let her rest.She may have good days and bad days,and this may go through a circle.Time is the best medicine.
    Gaining weight back is a very postive sign.Hope your wife will recuperate soon.Take care.
  • very worried husband
    very worried husband Member Posts: 88
    #17
    Fight for my love said:

    If you understand how chemo
    If you understand how chemo works,you will know 12 rounds of chemo takes a big toll from your wife.In the U.S,after you finish the treatments,doctors don't give you more medications either.Nothing wrong with that,because the doctor doesn't want to over treat the patient.She may feel tired for a while,the body will heal itself overtime.Please let her listen to her body,if she feels good enough,let her do the things she wants to do;if she doesn't feel good,please let her rest.She may have good days and bad days,and this may go through a circle.Time is the best medicine.
    Gaining weight back is a very postive sign.Hope your wife will recuperate soon.Take care.

    Thanks fight for my love for
    Thanks fight for my love for your reply. hopefully she will get better and better soon...

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