Session 2 of the first cycle is done, that is 25% of the killing of the Cancer! This blog might be a little bit of a ramble … Chemo fogs the head a little
Next week involves no treatment, a chance to get over the last two weeks and regroup ready to start Cycle 2!
It is important to state up front that Chemotherapy is very different for everyone, and there are very many cocktails and durations depending on the treatment for Cancer. It is both a black hole of fear, and yet an experience like nothing I have gone through before. Finding out what it was going to be like was frustrating for me, as I tend to like to be informed, yet there is little direction.
Chemotherapy is one of the hardest parts of treatment. It is a lifesaving medicine that pretty much makes you feel like you have a combination of flu and a bad hangover without any of the fun.
The cocktail for me is GemCarbo (Gemcitabine and Carboplatin), administered Intravenously by a line into the back of the hand. Week 1 is an hour and a half of the 2 chemicals, Week 2 is just half an hour.
For the duration, the bag of clear liquid looks so innocent as it slowly drips into the tubes you have attached to the back of your hand, but the effects of nausea and fatigue that follows over the next few days is all consuming!
Key things I have learnt to aid my survival
Rest
A phrase used in the East Midlands I hear occasionally is “Ooh-Yah-Beg!” which roughly translates into the surprise you feel when hit by a freight train (or similar)! The Fatigue smacks you for six and is the most common of the side effects. Plenty of rest and avoid pushing yourself too hard. Be patient while waiting for normal levels to return.
Audio books are very relaxing and stop you going crazy with frustration. I have been listening to The Emperor of All Maladies: by Siddhartha Mukherjee. In a nutshell the biography of Cancer and its treatment.
Hydration
Drink plenty of water during treatment. I have stuck to flavoured waters and squash to avoid dehydration. You need to keep your liver function on point.
Eat when you can
With chemotherapy there is often a sense of nausea and lost appetite. I have only taken anti- sickness meds a couple of times, more as a precaution. My taste buds are a little off tilt and there is a bit of a metallic aftertaste at the moment. I know that will go.
Avoid soya at all costs (recent research shows it is extremely negative for cancer patients.
Avoid grapefruit on any chemo as it has a negative affect and can even stop it from working.
Ginger is my new food of choice, especially biscuits!
Routine
I am trying to keep to a routine, mostly work. It would be too easy to roll up in a ball and hibernate right now! I am taking breaks and sleeping when I need to. Listen to your body! If it means you wake and do colour by numbers on your mobile at 4 am in the morning, so be it!
Accept help and support
It just helps! As much as you are the only person enduring the chemicals, it helps to know that you are not on your own. My friends (you the readers) have been amazing, and keep me determined to fight this … Thank you!
Remain open to advice
From pineapple to help keep your mouth healthy, it contains the enzyme Bromelain, which is a dietary supplement for reducing pain and swelling, especially of the nose and sinuses, gums, and other body parts after surgery or injury. It is also promoted for osteoarthritis, cancer, digestive problems, and muscle soreness.
