My wife had about 3 years of chemo and really tolerated it very well - very little sickness, loss of energy a bit and some flu-like symptoms for 24-36 hours a day or two after treatment.
What is it about the chemo that's worrying you?
I remember we walked out after her first session thinking "Was that it?" - I think it has a bit of an undeserved reputation, perhaps from the experiences people had 20-30 years ago.
It is a serious treatment all right not something to enter into lightly but I'm sure you wont find it as bad as you think
Hi Vontom and welcome to the forum. I couldnt agree with graham more - I remember feeling the same after all the hype leading up to my first chemo session. I have been on constant chemo (varying 24wk regimes) every three weeks since June 2012. Yep I feel really tired and tummy problems in the week following infusion but other than that it is very copeable. Please feel free to ask anything that is worrying you and I, and others here, will do our best to reassure/help you x
Hello Vontom and welcome to the forum. I couldn't agree more with Graham and Max. Before I had my first session of chemo, I had no idea what to expect and was even concerned about how I would be able to cope travelling home by public transport afterwards (would I collapse in a little heap on the floor of the bus?). Two people were less than helpful: one told me I would feel "lousy" and the other one said that it was a pity that I wasn't having radiotherapy (pardon?) as that wouldn't make me feel so bad! Both of these people had never had it but knew of "others" who had. So if you come across anyone like this do your best to ignore them; they really don't know what they're talking about. So, very apprehensively, I had my first chemo on a Tuesday. I felt fine afterwards (stayed upright on the bus) and was all right on the Wednesday (went shopping) and the Thursday day but on Thursday evening the, as Graham said, 'flu like symptoms started (mainly aching legs and weakness). I didn't feel good for a couple of days but come the Saturday evening I started perking up and by the beginning of the following week I was climbing up changing curtains. I found that taking the domperidone as instructed, drinking as much water as I could and not pushing myself (not that I could for those couple of days anyway) to do things that I wasn't ready to do helped me. And knowing that for two days roughly two days after treatment, I wouldn't feel as well as I did, I was able to plan things knowing that I would feel better within a week (if not sooner). This is just my personal experience, of course; others may be different, but I hope that this is of some help to you. Good luck to you and do come back to let us know how you're getting on.
Hello Sleepy valley and welcome to the forum. Yes, it is frightening before you go because until you know what it entails, your mind works overtime imagining all sorts of things. When is your first chemo session? Will someone be going with you? If it's any help to you in making you feel a bit easier in mind, at one session, I actually dozed off for a while! I used to take magazines, puzzle books and because it was quite recently, Christmas catalogues to browse through. "My" recliner chair was near the window so I could also be nosey without having to unplug myself. Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes (or wear uncomfortable ones if you want, but take slippers with you). And you'll feel so pleased with yourself afterwards and you'll have every right to. Good luck to you and do let us know how you get on.
You're more than welcome Vontom. I'm so pleased I was able to help, if only a little bit. Do keep in touch if you feel you want to. Take care and good luck.
I completely agree with the views on here. I was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2010 when I was 33. I was only eligible for palliative chemotherapy at that time and I was really apprehensive about it - you hear so much about how terrible it is. That wasn't my experience at all - I had no sickness and was so poorly at the start that I became stronger each session. And it worked so well that some tumours disappeared by themselves, which is never meant to happen. Now I tell people, especially younger ones, that I have had worse hangovers! Try your best not to be scared and think of it as a good friend, it really can do amazing things. I really hope it goes well for you xxx
