What to expect...

[Lipsticklover62]

Hello

I was diagnosed on Monday with stage3B NSC lung cancer. My treatment is chemo and radiotherapy. Could someone please tell me what to expect, I’m absolutely terrified of being sick...

Thank you x

[Feelingblessed2013]

You said you are terrified of being sick, but you have been sick, you've had cancer, you just didn't know it.

I think the reaction to treatment can be as individual as we are. Let your doctor or oncologist know of any issues you are having, and any side effects. There is usually something they can give you to help.

Keep in touch, let me know how you are doing.

[Lipsticklover62 in reply to Feelingblessed2013]

Thank you so much for responding. Your reply made me sit up and think. Yes, I was worried about vomiting, upset stomach hallucinating etc whilst having to travel each day for treatment, so until you said I am sick, I hadn’t thought about the actual having cancer and being unwell. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel Ill, apart from a tiresome dry cough. But thank you for making me think x I wish you wellx

[Feelingblessed2013 in reply to Lipsticklover62]

Keep in mind, no matter what side effects you experience, your doctor can help you manage them.

[moowife]

my husband has a recurrence of his lung cancer. He is stage 3B non small cell lung cancer. He treatment will be concurrent radiation and chemo. I am scared too. I am afraid for him of the side effects he may receive. He has not started treatment yet.

[Lipsticklover62 in reply to moowife]

Thank you for responding. I know how you must be feeling. My husband had cancer 9 years ago and I was in your shoes, but you will be so busy looking after his needs you will forget how scared you are feeling right now. I guess it’s the fear of the unknown. For me I’m terrified of being sick (or worse) in public.

I hope all goes well with your husband and if you want to chat, I will be here x

[Jenniferroseolson]

If you are willing to share what chemo drugs, you will likely find others here who have had the same ones who can speak more specifically to the side effects of those. I have had carboplatin and pemetrexed, as well as two immunotherapy drugs called Yervoy and Opdivo. I still receive Opdivo each month. I have also had radiation to lesion in my lower left lobe of lung. That radiation brought almost zero side effects. The carboplatin has the most difficult regularly-occurring side effects of those I have had. I was on a 21 day cycle in which I would receive the chemo on day 1 (I planned mine to land on Monday). Fatigue, some nausea but no vomiting on Wednesday-Thursday-friday and then I would force myself back to my routing Saturday to attend (or coach!) my kiddo’s volleyball team. I am 49 and otherwise was very healthy at diagnosis stage IV in April 2015. It isn’t easy, but if you communicate well with your oncologist (and get a palliative care doctor who can focus specifically on symptom management), you can hopefully feel pretty well most of the time.

[Lipsticklover62 in reply to Jenniferroseolson]

Thank you for responding. As soon as I know my cocktail I will ask again. Your response has given me much hope that I won’t embarrass myself in public....x

[moowife in reply to Jenniferroseolson]

the plan is for my husband to have low dose chemo weekly along with radiation 5 days per week. the chemo drugs are carboplatin and taxol. I am concerned about neuropathy from the taxol. The doctor also wants to do biomarker testing. My insurance company won't pay for the testing with the company the doctor's office selected so hopefully they will work with us as far as payment goes.

[Jenniferroseolson in reply to moowife]

I have had biomarker testing with Foundation One and with Caris. Both have been extremely generous in converting the testing. My second time tested with foundation one, they waived the entire bill...I had to fill out a request form, but that was 30 minutes well spent.

[moowife in reply to Jenniferroseolson]

thanks for the info. did you get the request form from foundation one or from your doctor's office?

[Jenniferroseolson in reply to moowife]

From foundation one after I got the bill.

[moowife in reply to Jenniferroseolson]

thank you

[JanetteR57]

Sadly we may have experiences or images in our head of how rough chemotherapy can be from years gone by - when it seemed patients were taken to 'the edge' for it to be seen to work. lung cancer in recent years has been treated differently - and so much more is known now than when I was diagnosed in Jan 2011 about different characteristics of tumours, mutations in patients, other conditions, and much more about side effects of combining treatments from a myriad of clinical trials. not everyone experiences them, not all have them to the same degree and these days there are treatments for every side effect so never be afraid of asking for treatments to counter them if you experience them. good luck. you may find the enclosed information helpful - Roy Castle lung cancer foundation does a similar one about radiotherapy too. roycastle.org/about-lung-ca...

[Lipsticklover62 in reply to JanetteR57]

Thank you so much for responding. I find comfort in your reply x

[Lambrettaman]

Before Chemo I was given 3 double sided A4 sheets of possible side effects that worried me greatly. Had no side effects whatsoever ! The anti sickness drugs and steroids have been developed brilliantly over the years. We're all different go without fear and see what happens, the staff can help with any side effects. Good luck 🤞

[moowife]

Keep your doctor informed of all side effects. My husband will also be going through similar treatment. We were told he could have swallowing problems so I am concerned about him not being able to eat or drink and possibly choking. Let us know how it is going for you