Fellow mPCa Warriors, I just had my second CHEMO a week ago and I am dealing with SIDE EFFECTS. My wife found a free, 54 pg-booklet in the Cancer Center that I can share with you too. Here's a link to a pdf of it, "Chemotherapy and You" on website cancer.gov.
Published by the National Cancer Institute. Link to pdf cancer.gov/publications/pat...
Being sick during Christmas sucks, Hang in there with me!
For prostate cancer patients probably doing Docetaxel, this government booklet is very disappointing. I could say worse things.
1. Nothing about bags of ice and neuropathy. Lots of hospitals offer this; there's no research really that proves it. It's also tricky to do well.
2. To keep your mouth moist, ice chips are suggested, but ask any dentist and they will say that ice chips in the mouth are not a good idea because they can create micro cracks in your enamel due to the heat difference and then later those cracks are the beginnings of cavities.
3. Yes you can drink liquids including fruit juices. Multiple fruit juices and other high carb things are suggested. Especially fruit juices are going to send your sugars up and down. Are these people nuts? Cancer loves out of control glucose.
4. But no surprise, fasting the day before and the day of or even 3 days of fasting is not mentioned at all. Even though there is good beginning research about how fasting could protect healthy cells and at the same time possibly make cancer cells more vulnerable. No harm in a liquids-only fast; and possibly a good upside.
5. I didn't read it but did the document mention the importance of an anti-infection injection for Docetaxel? I had it and assumed that everyone did, but have found it on here that this is not a universal practice.
This document reminds me of so many government and NGO guides to cancer and health. There's something annoyingly generic about them. That's when they aren't actually giving you bad advice.
John, Wow, you sound angry, relieved you didn't say WORSE things than you did, I'm too tired from chemo to argue with anyone. Just sharing a resource that you are free to disagree with.
1. Although this document didn't mention it, I did use ice bags on my hands and feet.
2. I sucked on ice chips WITHOUT biting them. Popsicles also were available during my chemo but I didn't take one
3. I drank water and Gatorade zero sugar, no caffeine nor alcohol since last May.
4. I'm not fasting cause I want something healthy in my gut before I get the steroids, anti nausea and docetaxel. I agree it would stress the body to overeat on chemo day. Perhaps next chemo I might experiment and just have half my normal veg smoothie in the morning and then not eat at all during chemo, wait til later that evening to have another veg smoothie. It might help lessen gastrointestinal side effects.
5. My DO does give me both anti nausea and a steroid about 30 min prior to Docetaxel.
6. When I got diarrhea, which is very unusual for me, the next few days my wife gave me herbal tea after it cooled to room temperature with chamomile and slippery elm and it may have helped at least it made the water taste better.
John, Nobody needs bad advice and I doubt that is the National Cancer Institutes goal.
Fantastic report ELOfan! And a big success with your Docetaxel! (I think that's what you're doing.) I reread what I wrote and it was probably my "edgiest item". I appreciate your critique. Not sure what's next.
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