Newbie here

Hello Trying to be strong

First of all, a warm welcome to the forum although I am sorry you have to be here at all.  But almost everybody on here has either been through the treatment or is going through it right now so you have come to the right place.  We have lots of tips and coping strategies and above all, you are not alone and can safely talk about anything here.

I am really sorry you have had such a bad reaction to the chemo, it does happen and can be really unpleasant.  It is really important that you keep the team treating you informed of anything at all that you are finding hard; they have a range of potions and lotions at their disposal and can usually prescribe something the same day.  So please let them know the reaction you had to the first lot of chemo before you reach week 5.

And hopefully you will feel less nauseous now that chemo is over for the time being.  The treatment is tough, there is no doubt about that, but very effective so please hold onto that in the coming weeks.  And count off those days, it is really helpful to see the end of treatment looming and hopefully, a cancer-free life.

Also, now is the time to call in help from friends and family; you need to be very kind to yourself in getting through this.  Your body will be in a state of fatigue trying to repair itself from treatment so take all the rest you need.

We are always here to help support too should you need it, you are not alone when you are on here.

Irene xx

Thank you for your kind words of support,  when you are feeling ill everything can feel overwhelming.  I am hoping over the next few days that the body will improve.  I have let my nurse know all my reactions and I have been given more drugs to take to combat the nausea and reflux.  I just feel my digestive system is broken and am hoping  it can correct itself.  Do you have to continue to take anti nausea drugs the whole way through or does it go away on its own? I have been told to take the reflux tablets the whole way through now.  Does anyone know if they have been able to change the type of Chemo through your treatment e.g. from the pump of 96 hours to tablet form.  I will be asking my specialist next time I see her but that will be the week before I start the next chemo round (week 5, I am only going into week 2 of radiation this week)

Hello again

Different hospitals have varying protocols for giving the chemo - I had a bolus the first day and then tablets alongside the radiotherapy.  I don't know if they would change your chemo now, and I am relieved that your nurse is keeping an eye on you with the meds.  I wouldn't have thought that your nausea will continue once you are off the chemo, radiotherapy has side effects but nausea wasn't one of them (for me).  I think it is important that you get set up for the final week of chemo so you don't end up feeling so dreadful.

I did suffer from diarrhoea during treatment and am not sure if this was due to the radiotherapy or the chemo but more or less managed to keep it under control and took to wearing Tena pants for the duration of the treatment.

I really hope you are feeling a bit better now.

Irene xx

Hi Trying to be strong 

I'm 1.5 weeks the other side of treatment. I had my chemo via a pump the same as you and felt sick and the anti sickness didn't work. I told the team when it was coming up for the next lot and I was given different anti sickness however I didn't need them I was fine, they think it was the mitomycin that made me sick which you don't have in the last week. Hopefully that's the same for you. I don't know If you can swap to pills or not. I understand the hesitation of week 5 chemo I was the same and considered not having it, but I went ahead and I was fine. Speak to your medical team. Sending hugs. Xx

Hi Trying to be strong ,

Like you, I had some nausea with my first lot of chemo but the second lot they give you doesn't include the mitomycin so hopefully you won't have the same reaction.  I didn't even really notice the 2nd lot of chemo fingers crossed it will be the same for you.  I found the nausea and food tasting funny lasted about 2 weeks and after that I felt much better.

Hi there,

As others have said, the nausea from the chemo should settle and I understand the second chemo doesn't affect people so much, so hopefully that will be the same for you. I would definitely make sure your medical people know about the issues you have had as they have loads of different things they can do to help you, so please don't live your life dreading the next chemo; try to focus on taking good care of yourself and fast forward in your mind to the days ahead when you will have finished your treatment and can move on with healing and getting your life back.

Please let us know how your are keeping. Most of us don't know anyone who has anal cancer and we find this group invaluable for support.

Wishing you all the best

Hi Trying to be strong ,

Another warm welcome to our little corner of the MacMillan Online Community although I’m sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis.

It makes complete sense what others are saying about the nausea being related to the mitomycin, I had a slightly different chemo regime, I had a mitomycin infusion day 1 of treatment & oral capecitabine thereafter each day of radiotherapy, those first couple of days I had some nausea & it was a tiny infusion that only took 5 minute or so, I had anti-sickness but I also got mouth ulcers, once those first couple of days were over I had little to no side effects from the capecitabine. Hopefully you’ll not have the severity of the side effects with your second dose.

The feelings of isolation are awful when you’ve nobody to share your thoughts & feelings with but that’s why we’re here, we’ve all been where you are no to some degree or another so please keep posting, we’re here to help support you through this. 

Nicola 

Thank you so much for your response, this gives me hope that I won't react as badly to the chemo in week 5.  

thank you for your reply, I am feeling less isolated with all your lovely  responses.  Its nice to be able discuss worries with people who have been or are going through the same experiences.  I am now experiencing a really sore mouth and gum so will be getting this checked out this afternoon at clinic.  I am rinsing as advised with salt & bicarbonate of soda but once again it will be my body reacting to the Chemo and I am beginning to believe it must be the first mitomycin I had seven days ago.

Thank you for your kind words, it certainly is helping being able to reach out to you all.  I feel every time I see my nurse I have more reactions to add to my complaints.  More prescriptions and more drugs to take.  I guess I am struggling with all of this because I was a person that never needed to take any forms of prescriptions and only ever took healthy vitamins.  But you are right I need to focus on the end result and look forward to the treatment being finished.