I have just finished my 2nd cycle, in a series of 12, biweekly 50 hours of 5FU, Leucovorin and Oxaliplatin, not even 24 hours into the second cycle, I began having a very red face, felt like a 104 degree temp, but my body was 96.3, my fingers and toes would constrict in place, I couldn't grip stuff, severe nausea and abdomen cramping, my tongue swelled up and so did my neck and face, I had red pinpoint spots all over my legs and arms, I had terrible joint pain, my heart rate was up, etc.,
I am stage IIA, out of 16 lymph nodes they all came back clear, but it did eat through the 4th wall of the colon which made me stage IIA. My cancer is genetic, I have HNPCC, I also have had a total colectomy regarding surgery, I have no large intestine anymore.
I have decided through this last ordeal that chemo isn't for me. I feel that I am doing more harm to my body than good. I feel terrible for 5-7 days after chemo where even going to the bathroom requires too much energy.
They can't tell me that it will help me, if it does, it's only a 2-3% chance and it will put me in menopause-I am 29 btw.
Have any of you decided this was not for you and decided not to do chemo? Or had such a terrible experience with the regimen I described that you got put on something different?
My main battle, is the internal conflict, of if it comes back am I going to be satisified knowing I tried everything? It took me a while to get here, but I feel the answer is yes for me. My polyp was only 3.2 cm, but I had my whole colon removed as a means of prevention for reoccurance. I am going to change my diet and exercise more too.
TIA for any responses.