[Cancer] Chemo: What is it?

tbh

Hi - maybe there might be a few people who have their first chemo session coming up - maybe one of the old hands would be able to give an account of how it works and what it's like to try to normalise it a bit?

Scenic911

Folks,

Chemo is different for everyone and for every cancer. There is no one stop shop to normalise it. The only sure way that I had found is to eat healthy and try to eat organic. There are loads of sources that mention nutrition and organic benifits.

I also take supplements that I think helps me. I would not mention these here as each person is different. Another controversay supplement is B17 that are derived from seeds of apples/pears/apriocot kernals. This is only available on prescription and is illegal in the some countries. Do a google on it and see for yourself. Me personally I eat the apriocot kernals. There is a place that sells them in Waterford and again google it for the info. Note I eat healthy and take supplements to compliment my chemo. I will not stop my chemo just because of the other stuff I am taken. It is also wise to let your oncologist know what you are taking.

One main thing that you have to remember. The medical personal are there to help you and not to dictate to you. If there is anything you think is not right consult them asap.

One of the nurses had advise a chemo buddy of mine to take ginger to boost his white blood cells.

One final point. The web had loads of information. Sometime it is too much to take in especially when going for chemo for the first time. Talking about it is good...don't shrink and shy away from it. Use the resources that are available.

Later,

S

CathyMoran

Just a few days out of my second batch of chemo - I have it for 4-5 days a month intravenously. Just reitterating again that everyone cancer experience is different - I am just speaking from my own experience of oesaphageal cancer.

I think that one of the best things that I did was NOT read up that much about the symptoms, but that was just me, I wanted to have as few symptoms as possible and am still trying to (and suceeding, though I still am having some).

One thing that is fairly common afterwards though is that you will feel the cold more afterwards (too bad about it being winter), I have the central heating on full at the moment!

I was told not to use any alternative therapies without telling my doctors and nurses so have only had massages (wonderful things), yoga, eating more healthily and will be going to relaxation classes...there are some available at the local cancer support services and I am using them.

I think that the best thing that you can do when you are having chemo is have a possitive attitude - in my case I lost my hair, I took that as a sign that well at least the drugs are working! Also, when it makes me sick I think well at least it is really making the cancer suffer!

Cancer gives you a fresh perspective on life - a few months ago eating a strawberry would not have made me blink an eyelid, yesterday it made me cry tears of joy as up until recently with my cancer I had not been able to do that.

I am still not used to chemo yet, I am not sure if it is something that you get used to, you take each chemo as it comes, my first chemo was not what I expected and the second one was different from the first...there are some things that you can do. I am in hospital for mine so I found that a portable DVD player was a lifesaver for the first few days, especially when some family members were not able to visit me as they were ill. I also saved as many magazines from the weeks between chemo and read them in the first few days of chemo when I was feeling better. Chemo can tire you and you can feel a bit ditzy during and afterwards - you are not loosing your mind, it is just the chemo and you feel better after a few days honest!

I hope that this helps some people - keep up the good fight.

tbh

Guys, do you mind me asking - have you any idea how far into your treatment you are? For example, do they give you a fixed amount of treatments, so Cathy is 2/say 10, or is it open-ended? Thanks for posting, obviously I'm sorry ye both have to go through this, but I think your posts have helped others already.

CathyMoran

tbh wrote:

Guys, do you mind me asking - have you any idea how far into your treatment you are? For example, do they give you a fixed amount of treatments, so Cathy is 2/say 10, or is it open-ended? Thanks for posting, obviously I'm sorry ye both have to go through this, but I think your posts have helped others already.

Well, for me they said that it was provisionally I will be having 2 to 3 treatments but I think that I am having less than most - they will send me for scans during the next chemo to see what is happening and review things from there. From what I can see they seem to have a treatment plan set out for you but this is subject to change. If the next scans go OK I will be having surgery about 6 weeks after the next chemo and then will be cancer free (well that is the plan). I hope that this helps.

Scenic911

In my case I am halve way...I had six sessions now to six more to go. My frequency of chemo is every two weeks.

I had a CT scan and Thyroid scan this week. Also a far as cancer markers goes the one for bowel cancer had reduced by 30% at the 4th session. I get these test done every 2nd session and they take a week and half for processing.

As for the CT and Thyroid scans these take 10 days for the peps to write there report.

Again each cancer and each case is different..

Later,

S

E@gle.

For me i was told at start of chemo that i would be having 8 sessions altogether and i would be in for a week and a half at a time. just finished there about a month ago and had exactly 8 sessions