Postby MikeManess » Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:38 pm
Judi,
Yes, chemo sucks. Butt - it does get easier as you go along the journey. I had 14 rounds after colon resection and prior to my liver surgery, and tomorrow I will be having my 6th round since liver surgery (mop-up). In all the chemo treatments I've had, I have found that each round presents side-effects differently each time. One time it's extreme diarrhea, another it's cold sensitivity that's worse, or extreme fatigue the next. In all that, I never had a mentally down day because I watched my wife of 16 years die of ovarian cancer several years ago. I made my mind up to do whatever it takes to beat this damned disease. I know deep in my heart I will beat it.
Attitude is everything. I still go to work every day, I mow the yard, watch TV, enjoy movies, play with my dog, go to church. I refuse to let cancer and chemo win. My best advice is to keep up as much normal life as you can. Learn to go around the side-effects. Take anti-nausea pills before you need them - get ahead of the nausea. Eat a large meal the day before chemo so if you don't eat for a few days you'll be better off. Have your oncologist give you anti-nausea in pre-meds before chemo. Chocolate milk - when nothing tastes good, I can always drink chocolate milk. Find a go-to food item that'll help keep your weight up. Boost is great.
Keep it up .. you CAN beat it. Just tell yourself that you'll do whatever it takes .. tell 'em to bring it on 'cause you can take whatever they dish out.
3/11/16 Colonoscopy - 9 benign polyps, 1 large cancerous tumor in right ascending colon
4/19/16 Right colectomy
6/3/16 Two liver spots detected, added Avastin to Folfox
12/20/16 Liver surgery. Pathology shows no active cancer cells
6/7/17 Final chemo
12/5/17 Port removed
05/23/18 Liver tumor discovered in scans
04/04/19 Radiation treatment
08/15/19 Additional radiation treatment
08/21/19 NED again