Please can someone tell me that chemo really isnt that bad. Im due to start carbo/taxol on monday and have heard such horror stories that im dreading it. I'm convinced that i will get every side effect going and that i might as right off my life until next year!! How does anyone get through it?
Lisa (sorry to be so dramatic)
Hi Lisa.
Please dont get your self in a state about chemo. Everyone feels worried about
starting it ..that is only natural. You may not even get any side effects or you may
get just a few side effects. I did suffer with pains in my legs and feet but if this happens
to you then ring the chemo ward and they can prescribe some painkillers for you.The
day after chemo you will feel on top of the world and full of energy - if you get any
side effects they usually start on the next day. It isn't anything you cant cope with.
If you feel tired then have plenty of rest. If you get constipation (which I did) then
take Senna tablets at night movicol satchets from doctor and gwyns tip is eat lots of
pears. Also drink lots of fluids.
Hope this will put your mind at rest a little.
Take care ((X)) angie x
Hi lisa,
a positive thought, instead of a negative thought makes things easier to cope with. Your body will tell you what it wants, listen to it, you will be given anti sickness tablets (I never need them after 6 different courses!), and if your body tells you it wants to rest let it. If you get any problems too bad just a phone call will help sort things or, so take I t in your stride. If you don't have it, what is the alternative? Stacey positive and take it in your stride. Good luck.
Viv
Hi Lisa,
if Babs is around she would tell you she worked right through chemo, even though she lost her hair, first cutting it short, then she had a fab wig. She has been active throughout, even though she has had days of feeling tired. I know there are horror stories but so many of the wonder women on here cope well and think if it's making them feel tired, it's just the fight that's going on in their body to kill those b****y cancer cells.
Let us know how it's going, and good luck and hugs to you
Love Wendy xx
Thank you all so much, its amazing how hearing that it isnt that bad from someone who has been through it and out the other side, can really help. I will try and stay positive and will let you know how i get on
Lisa xxx
Hi Lisa, Babs her Wendy mentioned she has told you how I coped with chemo. I am not saying its fun but I was like you at first and thought it would be all bad. I was ok and I have worked all through my chemo. Im a waitress in a very busy restaurant so its not an easy job. I did take a few days off after each chemo but that's all. Yes all my hair fell out but I have two great wigs and I am saving a fortune on hair cuts and hair dye. The only real problem I had was constipation but then its something I often suffer from I just got Movical from the doctor and added lots of bran products to my diet. Im going in for my operation on the 8th October as the chemo has shrunk my tumour enough to operate so the chemo does a good job. That is the way I saw it. Keep positive and visit Ovacome regularly its full of fun and very good advice and we are all friends together here Lots of Love Babs x x x
Hi Babs,
thanks for your re assurance, i hope im like you and cope with it well. I think the thing with me is that ive had my op and they removed all the cancer and there was no sign of it having spread and so its almost like am i having it un necessarily but i suppose the docs know what they are doing and i just have to put my trust in them. I think youre pretty amazing to have worked all through it. I hope your op goes well.
Love Lisa xx
Lisa,
Try not to worry, it wont be as bad as you think. You'll probably be given ant-nausea drugs and pre-meds that help with the chemo side effects (if there are any). If your Dr believes you should have chemo, then he's probably right. I used to actually 'enjoy' going for chemo as I had the chance to meet other women who were also fighting OvCa. We had some lovely chats on chemo day. I felt it was a special occasion and I made a new outfit every time I went. I believed that every chemo I had was burning out the cancer and I visualized it doing just that. If you do the same, maybe you wont be so afraid.
Take care ...
Sandy.
Hi Lisa, me again,
I also had my op before chemo but my surgeon wanted me to have the chemo
to make sure all cancer cells were killed off. He told me there could be cancer
cells in my blood stream ready to start up again but he wasn't sure as my
ca125 was low...... So when I started my chemo all I could think was WHY AM
I HAVING THIS -I DON'T REALLY NEED IT..... but when you get into the chemo
it makes you realise it's all part of the treatment and if you were offered it then
you really need it, the NHS wouldn't spend money on you if the chemo
wasn't needed.
Love Angie xx
I agree with Angie, this was also in my case too.
Chemo offers us the best chance of suvival and is so worth it.
I was warned that the paxitaxol could only offer me an extra 3% suvival AND it may make my chronic illnesses much worse because I have a weird immune system anyway.
All I could say at the time was `And it might not`, I wanted to take that risk, even though that risk was massive.
I`d describe chemo a bit like having a baby - some of us have it tougher than others, but however it effects us, afterwards and when our hair has grown back we soon forget it.
At the time, I remember saying I will never put myself through this again. Now, I would say ` ofcourse I would`!!!! See where I`m coming from?
Women all over the world would describe child birth as the worst pain in their life but it never stops them having more children. Chemo was misearable but if it gives us a better chance I`d say bring it on.
I feared about having to go back into hospital, catching a cold or virus or infection and having little to no immunity. I didn`t get as much as a sniffle.
I still had a take away, I still went out and about but you just need to be more sensible than normal.
Self help things to do:-
1)Use sanex hand gel and wash hands often, sanex kills 99% bacteria. Wipes are helpful to keep in your handbag but don`t be too paranoid otherwise you`ll be an axious wreck.
2)Only eat out or order take aways from places you are useto and those you have never had a previous tummy upset .
3) plan trips out the week before the next chemo, this is when your immune system will be the strongest.
4) Avoid crowded places such as supermarkets or shopping malls 14 days after each chemo, this is when your immune system will be at its weakest, of course you may not be able to avoid hospital or doctor appointments.
5) if you do have a doctors appointment with your GP, explain that you are having chemo and ask if you can wait in an isolated bay to other patients.
6) Tell all your family and friends no visiters if they have colds, obviously you cannot avoid those who live with you but they must also take as much care not to bring germs into the house.
7) AND remember to have your FLU vaccine NOW ( I didn`t know about the importance of this but I still had it in the middle of a chemo cycle).
8) If you are worried about ANTHING call the chemo nurses!!!!!!!
Others may be able to add to the list but these are all I can think about at the moment - hope it helps.
Love from Tina xxx
Thank you Tina,
I am going to print off this list and carry it with me. I feel a bit easier now after all these replies. Im going to try and put my positive head on and go for it.
Lisa xx
Dont worry it will make you worse. I know that's easier said than done. Every symptom has a medicine that will help I finished in July. I had similar issues as many others have mentioned. I kept a diary of tablets and symptoms helped me to monitor what worked for me. Also meant on the bad days I could look at the same day on last cycle and know the next day would be easier. Rest when you need to but try and do some exercise when you can even a walk round the block helps gets you out of house. Someone here will have a solution to every problem. I also did yoga and meditation from a cd a friend got me really helped me
Good luck and look after yourself
Sharon
Hi Lisa
I had carbo and taxol first time round, and this time, so far. I would say the best thing to remember is if you start to feel unwell during treatment, tell the nurses immediately, they won't mind, they would rather reassure you that everything is normal, than you left it and did have a reaction. (i had reactions during treatment which were very quickly treated with antihistamines) Having said that, hopefully you will have o problems.
After treatment, you will be given anti sickness medication. The original ones I was given did not work for me, so the onc department suggested another which did. I find I have to take them about 30 minutes to an hour before eating for them to be affective. During the first 7 days after chemo I still find it a struggle to eat, I still feel a little sick, but I am not actually sick! Tiredness is a killer! I have to rest.....my husband won't let me do anything else, and as he's working from home a lot, I can't get away with anything!
There are all sorts of guidelines for what you can and can't eat, I was told no takeaways, but another nurse said pizza would be ok, just no vindaloos, or dodgy chicken or burger places! I was told all meat, eggs etc had to be really well cooked, and no seafood whatsoever! Yoghurt has to be uht, no live or probiotic ones. Overall, its not been as bad as I thought it would, I also found that the first session was the worst, and I began to feel better after about a week to 10 days. After that I was on the mend after about a week.
I also keep a diary, it helps me remember any symptoms I need to mention to the onc, as well as reminding myself from one treatment to another that the way I'm feeling is normal for that stage in the cycle!
Good luck! I hope everything goes well
Hi Lisa,
I also did what Sharon did, it was one massive diary and I wrote in it every day, after the first couple of chemos I could look back and see there was a pattern to how I felt each day of each cycle. It made it easier to plan around the days and easier to accept the days I`d be quite poorly.
Another thing I did, was batch cook, so if I made a chilli for example on a good day, I`d make enough to freeze for a poorly day. I did this with just about every meal that was freezable. That way we always had a cooked meal. Train hubby is a good idea, men love food and they won`t starve. If you need to send him for a take away more often than normal, don`t beat yourself up over it.
I never even felt sick the anti-sickness steroids worked like a dream come true for me, but be prepared to gain a stone or two.
Like Chris I had carbo and taxol. I have to say I wasn`t given any no, no`s about foods. My oncologist said takeaways were fine as long as I know the place well and have eaten there many times before without a tummy up set sooooo, that is what I did. I think its just a matter of being a bit more sensible really. I have to say I avoided takeaways through my low immunity weeks but by the third week I would eat anything I fancied.
My friend practially hybernated for her 6 months of treatment, she was scared at catching something. Life is too short to do that, she was over the top paranoid and was so un happy. We need our loved around us I even continued to spend as much time as possible with my grandkids cos they were my tonic and they helped to get me through, if they had a cold I just didn`t kiss them on the lips and made sure I washed my hands often.
Best of luck always
love from Tina xxx
Hi ladies..
I have had a good...
Advise please
hair loss
CA125 wisdom please!!
