Fatique etc

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MKC70
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat May 20, 2017 8:39 pm

Fatique etc

Postby MKC70 » Sun Feb 04, 2018 8:17 pm

I am almost done with my 5 weeks of Xeloda pill and radiation. I have two more sessions. I feel like i have done well so far, but right now I just cant seem to eat and when I do I feel nauseous. I know eating is crucial. I have lost about 20 + pounds since Aug. I have done better today, but anytime I get up and walk through the house I am weak and feel a lump in my throat/nauseated. My husband is so frustrated because he is seeing me go from a energetic woman (47yrs old) that eats on a regular basis, to this. I have tried to drink Protien drinks, vitamin smoothies, but as far as meals I just have to force myself. Are there any suggestions from those of you going through this. I am getting frustrated with my self and a little emotional. This is not who I used to be......ugh

Aqx99
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 7:28 am
Facebook Username: aqx99
Location: Pfafftown, NC

Re: Fatique etc

Postby Aqx99 » Sun Feb 04, 2018 8:44 pm

I had to force myself to eat. I scheduled my meals and set an alarm. Try adding calories where you can. Add butter to bread when making toast or a sandwich. Use the full fat versions of foods. My favorite go to was peanut butter toast, with butter on the bread before the peanut butter. When using milk, add milk powder to it to fortify it. That will add calories and protein. Talk with a nutritionist at your cancer center for more ideas.
Anne, 40
Stage IIIB Rectal Cancer
T3N1bM0
2/21/17 Dx, Age 39
2/21/17 CEA 0.9
3/23/17 - 5/2/17 Chemoradiation, 28 treatments
6/14/17 Robotic LAR w/temp loop ileostomy, ovaries & fallopian tubes removed, 2/21 lymph nodes positive
7/24/17 - 12/18/17 CapeOx, 6 Cycles
7/24/17 Dx w/ovarian cancer
9/6/17 CA 125 11.1
11/27/17 CEA 2.6
12/5/17 CT NED
12/13/17 CEA 2.9
1/11/18 CA 125 8.6
1/23/18 Reversal
3/21/18 CT enlarged thymus
4/6/18 PET NED
7/10/18 CT NED
7/11/18 CEA 2.6
9/18 Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy

MKC70
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat May 20, 2017 8:39 pm

Re: Fatique etc

Postby MKC70 » Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:18 pm

Thank you for your time and suggestions :) Take Care

Joannerogers
Posts: 260
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 4:50 pm

Re: Fatique etc

Postby Joannerogers » Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:36 pm

Marijuana if it's legal where you are. It really helped me.
53yo married 27 years, 2 children, 24 and 25
Diagnosed april 23,2015 rectosigmoid
Starting CEA 1845
Port placement and liver bx April 27
Folfox started april 29
Avastin added on May 6
Stage IV crc with mets to 50% of liver

10/13/15 dc'd transfusion #12...toxic
Pet/ct scan on 11/3/15
20% liver resected all margins clear 11/30/15
8/18/15 cea 21.
9/15/15 cea 13.9
10/13/15 cea 14.4
1/22/2016 cea 2.5
LAR 02/15/16 all clear

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Fatique etc

Postby NHMike » Sun Feb 04, 2018 10:23 pm

Maybe Anti-Nausea drugs? You could ask your oncologist. The nuisance about the chemo/radiation is that it does all kinds of things to your GI system.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

User avatar
susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: Fatique etc

Postby susie0915 » Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:49 am

I also had problems with losing weight during treatment. I probably lost 35-40 lbs during the course of my treatment. I had issues with diarrhea so hard to keep anything in. My chemo nurses suggested as Anne did to add calories wherever your can. I would eat white rice to help with diarrhea so added butter, etc. Also, tried the protein drinks also. I know how difficult it can be when you don't have much of an appetite and no energy. Anti nausea can help as well. It's difficult but you have to force yourself to eat as much as you can. I know my doctors were not happy with my weight loss.
58 yrs old Dx @ 55
5/15 DX T3N0MO
6/15 5 wks chemo/rad
7/15 sigmoidoscopy/only scar tissue left
8/15 PET scan NED
9/15 LAR
0/24 nodes
10/15 blockage. surgery,early ileo rev, c-diff inf :(
12/15 6 rds of xelox
5/16 CT lung scarring/inflammation
9/16 clear colonoscopy
4/17 C 4mm lung nod
10/17 pel/abd CT NED
11/17 CEA<.5
1/18 CT/Lung no change in 4mm nodule
5/18 CEA<.5, CT pel/abd/lung NED
11/18 CEA .6
5/19 CT NED, CEA <.5
10/19 Clear colonscopy
11/19 CEA <.5

zephyr
Posts: 362
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:31 am

Re: Fatique etc

Postby zephyr » Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:30 am

For nausea, a Sea Band helped me. You can buy them at the drugstore but here's an Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F731N0/re ... ail_0?th=1

I got by with wearing one on my right wrist (3 finger lengths below the wrist) but if your nausea is severe, you may need to wear one on each wrist.

Warm drinks made me more nauseous. Ginger helped - I have a ginger tincture I put in my water. You can also make ginger tea or try a good quality ginger ale.

I couldn't tolerate the side effects of the anti-nausea meds but I've heard from other patients that Zofran wiped out the nausea.

If you can fix the nausea and start eating, your energy levels might improve.

Wishing you relief.
Nov-2009 Early stage CRC, routine colonoscopy
2010-2014 F/U colonoscopies, all clear
Jun-2016 CRC during F/U colonoscopy, surgery, Stage 4, KRAS, MSS
Aug-2016-May-2018 Folfox, 5FU, Folfiri & Avastin
Aug/Sep-2018 YAG laser surgeries (Germany), 11 nodules removed
Nov-2018 clean CT scan
Mar-2019 New lung nodules
Apr-2019 Dec-2020 Xeloda/Avastin, SBRT, cont. Xeloda/Avastin
Mar-2021 Forfiri/Avastin
Mar-2022 Ablation & Thoracotomy
Feb-2023 Folfiri & Avastin
Nov-2023 Xeloda & Avastin

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Fatique etc

Postby NHMike » Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:41 am

One thing that I found that helped with fatigues was going for a five-to-ten minute walk outside. It was completely counter-intuitive though because my basic instinct was to go and take a nap.

It's possible that it might help with the nausea too.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

CAGirl
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 4:55 pm

Re: Fatique etc

Postby CAGirl » Mon Feb 05, 2018 1:45 pm

Not sure of the difference between Xelox and Folfox nausea-related side effects, but I found that snacking helped a lot during my "on" weeks. Always having something in my stomach staved off the nausea. I forced myself to eat a handful of Cheerios, popcorn or walnuts/almonds when awake, even if not hungry. Also, I took prophylactic Ativan (only 1/2 a pill) the night before my Chemo cycle started, as well as 1/2 a pill each night during. I also took Zofran round-the-clock during the 3-4 days of the cycle. I really think managing/preventing the nausea was the key to not letting it get out of hand. Like pain, it is harder to come back from it once it's gotten bad. My first cycle, I was trying to tough it out, but I found subsequent cycles -- especially down the line -- to be much easier, nausea-wise. And you are feeling more fatigue and other side effects from the cumulative chemo, so it's preferable to get the nausea in control if you are able. My weight remained totally consistent throughout, and my appetite was pretty good. (Also, are you hydrating/drinking as best you can the day before? Are you getting oxaliplatin injections? If so, can you ask for IV fluids, too? I did an hour or so of that with each disconnect and that helped a lot.)
Dx 2/2017, age 45, 2 kids: 6 yrs & 3 yrs
History of Crohn's disease - dx in 1997; in remission, thus no colonoscopy in over 10 years
Anemia dx 11/16: GI doc assured me "the likelihood of colon cancer" was "very low".
Stage 3C - T3N2b
8/64 lymph nodes; clear margins surgery 3/17
12 cycles of Folfox 4/17-9/17
3-month CT scan midway through chemo, no changes
2-3-mo CT scan post chemo 11/17 slightly larger lung nod (incr. from 7mm to 8 or 9mm)
CT scan 3/18 - NED
clear CT scan 1/2019 NED

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Fatique etc

Postby Lee » Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:05 pm

Ginger is helpful with nausea. Ginger snap cookies, Ginger Ale, Ginger root.

Try eating several small meals/snacks through out the day vs 3 meals. Do certain foods sound/feel better than others. Guess what I'm asking, maybe avoid heavy type foods, greasy types, etc. And if certain foods sound good, eat them.

As others have said, medical marijuana has helped many people deal with the side effect, especially while on chemo. Also walking could help a lot too.

Good luck, nausea is the worst.

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Fatique etc

Postby Caat55 » Mon Feb 05, 2018 11:15 pm

Little meals, calorie rich. Avocado toast. Whole fat yogurt smoothies. Use cream in mashed potatoes. Keep something to snack on with you all the time. Does the food taste strange or just no appetite?
Take care

Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

MKC70
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat May 20, 2017 8:39 pm

Re: Fatique etc

Postby MKC70 » Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:07 pm

Both, but mainly no appetite. I am trying hard though. :)


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