Hi everyone, I'm new here. Diagnosed 3 weeks ago with stage 1c high grade ovarian cancer. Had complete hysterectomy and bi lateral salpingo-oophorectomy 7 weeks ago as had a melon sized teratoma removed on my right ovary. Cancer was all removed but had erupted onto surface so 6 rounds of carboplatin and paclitaxel, 3 weeks apart, to get rid of anything floating around my body. I'm nervous of tomorrow as it's all unknown, but keen to get going to get rid of any cancer left. I've decided against cold capping as drawbacks outweighed benefits for me, so ordered a wig on weekend in readiness for hairloss in next 10 to 14 days.
Goodluck and strength to all here on the forum
Hello Nursetina,
My cancer was in my womb but I had the same surgery as you and the same chemotherapy for the same reason.
Hope that you are feeling recovered from your hysterectomy. I can remember feeling very tired.
It is understandable to feel nervous before the chemotherapy- I was scared stiff walking in but the nurses were so kind and experienced they made a difficult day somewhat easier.
If it helps - this is what happened on my first day. Everyone is different though......
I arrived at the hospital first thing and had bloods taken. Was able to eat and drink as normal. I was met by 2 nurses who took me to the unit. It was like a big ward but no beds. There were recliner chairs- 6 to a bay. Everyone was surprisingly upbeat and it was not as I imagined. First thing was height and weight were measured (Dose depends on it) It was then normal obs- blood pressure etc. Then a cup of tea and a chat with the nurses looking after me. I felt much more relaxed after that.
Next for me was a canula into the back of my hand- they were so skilled that I barely felt it and it was over quickly.
I was given anti sickness tablets. Through the drip I had some sort of saline solution followed by a steroid. First chemo drug was the paclitaxol. It took around 3 hours to go through. Some people bought books/magazines/tablets with them but I kept falling asleep!
After the first drug, they did more saline. That was followed by the carboplatin. That one took only an hour. But I found the time goes quicker than you think.
Neither drug made me feel particularly unwell at the time- just tired but I think that was from being so worried.
The drip stand had wheels so I could walk to the loo etc. They had Macmillan volunteers who came round regularly with tea and biscuits and were a friendly face. At lunchtime they bought sandwiches around to chose from.
The nurses kept a close eye on me all day. Before I went home I was given a booklet to write any side effects in, and phone numbers and other advice. I was also given meds to take home. From what I remember they were more anti sickness, steroids mainly. I was prescribed other medications that were symptom dependant later on. When I got home from chemo days I always felt very tired. The side effects for me accumulated as the cycles went on but because I knew more what to expect, in that way is way a bit easier. I found the first few days were the days I felt unwell and then would feel a bit better and able to do things until my next cycle begun.
I opted for the cold cap and for me it worked- my hair thinned but I kept it- it is a personal decision. It did add around 2 hours to my day but to be honest the time in there went quickly. I too had a wig on standby as it's good to be prepared I felt. My first shed started about 10 days after first chemotherapy. My head felt itchy and uncomfortable and then I noticed hair loss when brushing and washing my hair.
Chemo for me was not easy but it was not as bad as I was expecting and as the cycles started it was like getting into a routine. I had a hospital bag ready, took my own cosy blanket it- the nurse suggested it. I made sure I had shopping in and food that I fancied in the freezer.
I hope that your chemotherapy goes well and that you are as well looked after as I was.
Welcome to the online community- I hope you find us as helpful as I did.
There are groups by cancer type and there is one specific one for Ovarian cancer that you may wish to look at and there is also one for Chemotherapy . I found it helpful to talk to people who had been in similar circumstances.
There is an Ask the Nurse section that I personally found helpful. There is also a phone line if you prefer.
Please let us know how you get on and if there is anything else you need. The ladies I have met on here are lovely
Good Luck!
Jane
That's great. I remembered how I felt - scared stiff! Once I got there and the first drug was going in- I felt so much better. It was the unknown really for me. I slept on and off through most of the day. I also met the same people some times as although people were all on different regimes for different reasons I did find there were some that were on the same 3 weekly cycle.
I also took squash in with me as I found my mouth got quite dry. Whatever makes you feel comfortable and able to relax as much as possible I was told.
Any questions please ask.
Jane
Hello Nursetina
I was wondering how it had gone.
Glad that the first one is out of the way but sorry to hear that you had a reaction. It's good that they could adjust the infusion and that worked. I found I tolerated the carboplatin better too.
I remember the heavy limbed feeling and the upset stomach. My tummy tended to settle after about 3 days but everyone is different. It's good that you are writing it down in your book as otherwise it is easy to forget and when you have your next cycle you will know more what to expect.
Don't suffer in silence though with any side effects as a lot can be treated and the nurses can give you advice on how to manage them.
A chilled day or actually a few days is advisable- with me it was also the emotional aspect of it, the build up too.
One thing I found is that it is easier to take your anti sickness as prescribed than wait until the sickness kicks in.
Taste changes seem to be common. I found I went off quite a few foods. I drank a lot of flat lemonade instead of cups of tea. My mouth did get sore and I was prescribed a mouthwash which made a big difference.
I don't know what your medication regime is but I found day 3 was my worst and that was when the steroids stopped. On my second cycle the consultant put me on a tapered dose and I was much better with it.
I can remember feeling washed out, chilly and spent time on the sofa with a duvet and hot water bottle, watching a bit of tv and not a lot more. I also did jigsaw puzzle on my tablet to pass the time.
I found my legs were a bit wobbly for a few days, just a bit weak and washed out.
Checking your temp is also good. If it goes higher or lower than normal that is a good time to call your nurses help line. Mine only did once- dropped lower than normal and I had to go into hospital and have antibiotics- and take my book.
I bought some thin ginger and lemon biscuits from amazon and they helped with the sicky feeling. I ate little and often when I felt hungry but drunk lots. Also found it helpful to have things close by so I didn't have to get up and down.
I hope the next few days goes ok and don't be afraid to post on here with any worries or if you just need a bit of support. It's a massive thing to go through- chemo and there are lots of us on here who understand
Take care
Jane
