Chemo honeymoon is over

Thank you so much Suzie - yes the dvt clots were a huge curve ball and pushes mum absolutely over the edge - I hope and prayed it wouldn't break her but she bounced back the next day with a little dose of Valium to help and injected herself at 6 in the morning and has been doing it ever since - she is a such a champion fighter. I think the hardest thing on this journey is the not knowing! You just can't imagine what's coming and it's been like that since the beginning. I'm still in shock that my mums 9cm by 10cm tumour could not be seen on mammogram or ultrasound! It petrifies me x

melclarity said:

Lynda, what a wonderful daughter! My daughter was 18yo last year as I went through 4.5 months of Chemo and it is a very lonely journey inspite of having support. Just you being there honestly is enough! Nexium is fantastic and will stop any reflux/heartburn, it really is good! I remember my Oncology nurse saying how I reacted and was after the first infusion dictated the rest. Unfortunately I was very ill through the process and the 'OFF' feeling never let up. So what I found important only was 'just focusing on a day' not the next or next week. Its so super hard, I too had a blood clot in my arm from chemo which was so awful and painful. You don know how on earth you will get through it or the next thing that pops up, but let me tell you, somehow you do, remember so key...one day only...I never thought Id feel good again but honestly 11 months post chemo now and yes side effects but overall feel GREAT! and I never would have thought so in the depths of chemo...I had moments where I didnt want to continue being so very ill...so hang in there! Youre doing a wonderful job with your Mum! Melinda xo

Thank you so much Melinda for your positivity - I definitely think the one day at a time outlook is so extremely important. I'm so glad you feel better - you give me great hope that this shall pass xxxx

I meant ginger beer not ale. Karen 

What a wonderful daughter you are, and how brave is your mum.  Good advice about various drugs for nausea.  I found ginger ale good and small packets of salty plain chips, Baked potatoes and a few steamed carrots and beans. Also boiled eggs and toast.  Cheddar cheese and biscuits.  Smoothies with protein powder, banana and blue berries, soy milk as I am lactose intolerant.  Nothing spicy.  No big meals.  Plenty of protein.  Lots of fluids.  Some people find turmeric drinks helpful but I couldn't face them when a kind friend made some.  Also worth trying the sea sickness pressure point wrist bands.  I found they worked a bit but pressed on a sore vein so I couldn't wear them.  

I hope things improve as she goes along.  Chemo seems endless but eventually it passes.  Karen 

another option is for the community nurses to come in and give her injections... 

Hi Lynda .. your mum has an amazing daughter!  It must be difficult to see your mum going through this, just remember to take some time out for yourself and take care of you too!  Nausea is revolting and can be unrelenting.  It's really hard to eat and drink.  My daughter would bring me a smoothie, usually milk and sustagen or fruit and I would tolerate that.   It's important to keep the fluids up even if you can't eat much.   So sorry to hear your mum ended up with a DVT, another side effect you are not always made aware of. Make sure your mum is able to move around, some days it will be hard, even going to the letterbox is an effort.  Take her for a walk, slowly up the street if she is able to manage it.  It is really important to keep moving and keep your legs elevated if sitting.  I fell in a heap with the injections but came up with a brilliant plan that worked for me :) ... I made a visit to my GP twice a day for the injections until I could get my head around it and into a good headspace and then they helped me do it myself.  Never in a million years did I think I would be able to do it, but this treatment throws you curved balls and I have managed to catch a few!  It is really hard going but each day is a step closer to feeling better.
Take care.
Susie xx

@Brenda5

Gosh go figure!!! I agree with what you say, but I couldnt eat barely at all through Chemo and I put on 5kg!!!! 11 months on cannot shift it at all, frustrating!!! but I actually put it down to the loss of all activity and being so ill and unable to do anything let alone walk to the letterbox. My team say it was more that which put on the weight as I didnt really eat. Uuuugh!!!! Onward and upward!!! Melinda 

Don't be surprised if your mum really doesn't want to eat much during treatment. I lived on custard, weetbix and Yakult pretty much but I could afford to lose a few kgs and it wasn't too much of an issue. I had that heartburn really bad and the meds I think were almost as bad as the complaint. I learned to eat a whole lot less and just have a little bit of food more often. Re the water, I had and still have a drink bottle of water and while I don't drink quite as much any more, I do still sip it all day and night. Little and often is the key and if your mums losing too much weight then get on to the Up and Go drinks. My dad is on those and its often all he can tolerate during chemo. He sometimes drinks up to 8 of them a day and that's all apart from an occasional cuppa.

Lynda, what a wonderful daughter! My daughter was 18yo last year as I went through 4.5 months of Chemo and it is a very lonely journey inspite of having support. Just you being there honestly is enough! Nexium is fantastic and will stop any reflux/heartburn, it really is good! I remember my Oncology nurse saying how I reacted and was after the first infusion dictated the rest. Unfortunately I was very ill through the process and the 'OFF' feeling never let up. So what I found important only was 'just focusing on a day' not the next or next week. Its so super hard, I too had a blood clot in my arm from chemo which was so awful and painful. You don know how on earth you will get through it or the next thing that pops up, but let me tell you, somehow you do, remember so key...one day only...I never thought Id feel good again but honestly 11 months post chemo now and yes side effects but overall feel GREAT! and I never would have thought so in the depths of chemo...I had moments where I didnt want to continue being so very ill...so hang in there! Youre doing a wonderful job with your Mum! Melinda xo

Thanks Ladies - I'll look out for the ginger lollies and the oncologist has just added nexium to mums medications so maybe that will help! Thank you for being such a knowledgable resource!