It affects everyone differently, I'm a 28 year old male with Stage 4 colorectal bowel cancer which has spread to my liver and lymph nodes and they will not operate on me.
My side affects are from the first drug (Oxiliplatin) numb thigh, cold hands and finger tips, throat is sensitive to anything cold. I also have hair thinning, dry skin, achy joints and fatigue. You may experience constipation or loose stool. I take movicol daily to ensure i do not get a bowel obstruction which i've had several times. A stent in my bowel has been inserted to overcome this rather than a stoma bag.
In terms with dealing with it it's hard to say, it's easier said than done trying to stay positive and i am suffering massively from being out of routine and no longer independent which makes me teary almost every day.
The process for me is Oxiliplatin and Folinic acid over a two hour period via IV (picc line). I then have 5FU connected to me which is a drug that makes my bowel very leaky. it goes in over a two day period which makes showering a bit of a pain but it's a small ring of drugs that goes over 46 hours and then gets removed. This cycle os repeated every two weeks.
Thanks for your reply Robunknownuser. It's the loss of independence and the peripheral neuropathy that I dread. My main hobby which really sustains me at the moment is photography and potentially not being able to manipulate my camera with the dexterity I have now doesn't sit well with me .
Using a camera will be hard, i struggle to write now as the drugs make my hands unsteady and shaky. Obviously you nay not get this side effect but i know i do. I also had rashy skin on my chest and back but that has calmed down now. I have completed cycle 6 of 12 before i go on maintenance chemo for a year. Although my thigh is numb i havent lost use of my leg thankfully. One time i had Oxaliplatin via canula in my hand and my forearm was numb for a couple of weeks but feeling returned to it. It may not return to my thigh though.
