First chemo cycle

Hi Jane, you are going to find people who love you would be hurt and angry if you fail to ask for the help you need over the next year or so.

Love is just as much being able to trust to ask for help and accepting help as giving help.

take care,

Don't worry about posting anything negative and don't worry about scaring anybody. How you are feeling is how you are feeling, nothing to feel bad about. I think you should present to the emergency department at your hospital (call an ambulance if you are having trouble getting out of bed) and tell them what's happening, Your oncologist would not want you struggling, it's their job to get you through this. I was admitted 3 times with dehydration during chemo, no matter what I did I kept getting sick. We are all so different and chemo affects us in different ways,

Hazel xx

 

 

 

Hi, I feel your agony and how hard this is for you. My daugher just reminded me thatmy first chemo cycle was really terrible too, (and that was with only me to look after, and my adult daughter giving me heaps of time and help all the time my husband was at work) 

I felt so terrible most of the time I could not imagine how I would get myself into the oncology chair again for my second treatment. I knew I had to get through this treatment because I wanted to live and be there for my daughter when she has her children etc.

But  it was hard, because I blew up 7kg in one day at the start, and had constipation, then diarhoea, bad insomnia and felt sick in my stomach, and could not sleep because of the sick feeling and could not cope with the distress of it all because I was so sleep-deprived.  I did not know if I could do it.

First I had to figure out that the stomach problem was not nausea but reflux.

I did read up the scientific research about my main symptom, reflux, and learnt that they had done trials of Somac to help people with reflux during chemo, and rang and asked my oncologist if I could take it and she said yes. She gave me a prescription, and from then on with my worst symptom beaten, I was quite a bit better and slept better and that helped a lot.

I guess you are now being careful to drink a lot more since becoming dehydrated. If you don't drink enough you feel pretty toxic and nauseous so that might be part of the problem, and part of the solution.

We were told that we needed salty or sweet drinks, and weak tea and watery soup, not just plain water because water  is not well absorbed during chemo. I had a struggle to find things I wanted to drink because that taste of oily phlegm is the only taste for a lot of the time. Fresh juice or weak tea were sometimes the only things I could make myself drink.

My onc gave me maxilon for when we first got nausea, and then atavan if the maxilon did not work immediately or the problem continued. Did you get atavan where you are? And then we were told if the nausea continued to ring in and they would either advise or we would come in and be hospitalised.

There must be some help available to help you with your little girl. Your shire may offer some home help services for a mum on chemo who has  a young child. Does your health insurance help with this?  The breast care nurse at the clinic or social worker there may have some services they can call on for you. The Cancer Council has a lot of help available free and can possibly either fund a home carer or tell you who could help. Your doctor's surgery may  also have some suggestions.

I am sure that once you have got some good working solution for the nausea, and some real reliable help with your little girl that works for you and for her and is not a drain on family finances, you have a much better chance of handling the treatment physically and psychologically. You are brave, you are just carrying too big a load when you are too ill to do so.

 

Hi, I feel your agony and how hard this is for you. My daugher just reminded me thatmy first chemo cycle was really terrible too, (and that was with only me to look after, and my adult daughter giving me heaps of time and help all the time my husband was at work) 

I felt so terrible most of the time I could not imagine how I would get myself into the oncology chair again for my second treatment. I knew I had to get through this treatment because I wanted to live and be there for my daughter when she has her children etc.

But  it was hard, because I blew up 7kg in one day at the start, and had constipation, then diarhoea, bad insomnia and felt sick in my stomach, and could not sleep because of the sick feeling and could not cope with the distress of it all because I was so sleep-deprived.  I did not know if I could do it.

First I had to figure out that the stomach problem was not nausea but reflux.

I did read up the scientific research about my main symptom, reflux, and learnt that they had done trials of Somac to help people with reflux during chemo, and rang and asked my oncologist if I could take it and she said yes. She gave me a prescription, and from then on with my worst symptom beaten, I was quite a bit better and slept better and that helped a lot.

I guess you are now being careful to drink a lot more since becoming dehydrated. If you don't drink enough you feel pretty toxic and nauseous so that might be part of the problem, and part of the solution.

We were told that we needed salty or sweet drinks, and weak tea and watery soup, not just plain water because water  is not well absorbed during chemo. I had a struggle to find things I wanted to drink because that taste of oily phlegm is the only taste for a lot of the time. Fresh juice or weak tea were sometimes the only things I could make myself drink.

My onc gave me maxilon for when we first got nausea, and then atavan if the maxilon did not work immediately or the problem continued. Did you get atavan where you are? And then we were told if the nausea continued to ring in and they would either advise or we would come in and be hospitalised.

There must be some help available to help you with your little girl. Your shire may offer some home help services for a mum on chemo who has  a young child. Does your health insurance help with this?  The breast care nurse at the clinic or social worker there may have some services they can call on for you. The Cancer Council has a lot of help available free and can possibly either fund a home carer or tell you who could help. Your doctor's surgery may  also have some suggestions.

I am sure that once you have got some good working solution for the nausea, and some real reliable help with your little girl that works for you and for her and is not a drain on family finances, you have a much better chance of handling the treatment physically and psychologically. You are brave, you are just carrying too big a load when you are too ill to do so.

 

Im really unwell i just cant do this. Waiting to hear back from clinic. My throat is so sore, im weak and cant get out of bed. I cant continue with this treatment if this is how i feel. There must be another way

Thanks so much! Don't worry - I'm exceptionally optimistic. I don't know why but nothing seems to be scaring me now. I think the diagnosis is the worst bit, emotionally at least. I'm pretty resilient and have never had a health issue so hopefully I cope well. If not, at least I'm not alone. I actually just remembered that I need to charge my iPad before I saw this! That will be my lifesaver! Haha. Thanks again :)

Oh, are you doing three-weekly treatments? I opted for weekly  

 

 

 

 

I finished chemo 13 months ago:) The first cycle is by far the worst,because you really have no clue what to expect,even though you can read a lot here.Until you actually go through it,you just don't know.Some time ago,there was another lady on here whose husband was cranky at her during chemo.Lots of people came on here and had their say about him,(me included)but I feel with something like chemo,the people who love you are also the most scared.And fear often presents itself as anger! I think you will find that the second cycle will be easier.Can you perhaps download some if the brochures on here that your husband may read? It might help him to understand. Try leaving them laying on the coffee table?:) Try to remember also,the first 3 or 4 days after chemo,you have to drink at least 3 litres of water.It flushes the toxins from your body,and is so important.Squeezing a little fresh lemon juice into it makes it easier to drink so much.Like you,I had nausea( especially the first round) but I didn't vomit.My oncologist told me that the thing to do,is take all the medication you get given,BEFORE you have any symptoms.I used to take my nausea tablet and my constipation medication,as soon as I came home from chemo!!!You are at day 7 today,and usually by about 8 or 9 you will see that you are starting to feel better.Just stay away from crowded places in the second week.By the third week,you will be back to normal and thinking,hey I can do this,then it all starts again!!!!!!!!Stay connected on here,as it really can help you through the tough days.You CAN do this,and you WILL.Sending you a big cyber hug.xoxoxCheers Robyn

Thanks for your reply. I think my hubby is just scared too. Good luck for your chemo tomorrow. I hope my negative post hasnt made you more frightened, Im sorry if it did. None of these things may happen to you. I have another health issue too which may have impacted things. I saw on your other post you are Her2+. Me too! Looks like we will both be in it for the long haul with Herceptin ;) I found it good to have my phone/ipad to look at during chemo. You could take some light reading too. The time passes pretty quickly during the infusion. You will feel fine tomorrow, all the pre meds work really well. The dr/nurses all said I should have been over the worst of it by Tues (my chemo was on Friday too). So hopefully you will bounce back quickly.