Radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Hi Happy 14

Glad to hear you are doing so well ! Others will pop on with actual experience. I am a relative and it’s also been a while for my mum but she had the same combination which was very effective !

Straight after her Oxaliplatin she had to wrap her face up with a scarf to prevent any cold reaching her mouth ! She also had little cotton gloves for around the house due to cold sensitivity. Especially door handles , fridges and bathrooms .

I use to pop a little hot water in all her cold drinks to bring them up to room temperature. Others have reported first bite syndrome . 

You might also want to stock up on moisturisers for your hands and feet . 

We used to take a small flask with Lukewarm water for coming home from chemo as she used to have a sensation in her throat and small sips helped ! However ensure it’s not boiling water as some people have done that ! Only lukewarm !

Anyone else out there with any tips ? 
 
Hope it goes smoothly for you . You sound as though you are coping ok so far !

Take care ,

Court 

Hello Happy 14,

I had the same as youthough I had the radiotherapy first (5 weeks) with a lower dose of the capecitabine to help the radio. Then I had the LAR and an ileostomy, then the Capox.

My team immedately offered me a PICC line which I had fitted at Guys. If you have the i/v through a canula in your arm people say that it can be s little painful while being administered and quite often your arm is wrapped to keep it warm. You don't need that with a PICC line.

As Court said, cold affects you but with current temperatures I hope you wont feel the effects quite as much just after the i/v. This can be a tightening of the throat (which I didn't get) which goes away helped by warm drinks. The first days after i/v my jaw would feel as if was locking slightly, but free immediately. It was just a sensation really.

Treat the fridge with caution to begin with, cold will set your fingers tingling as will the cold water tap, this is the peripheral neuropathy. Capecitabine can cause your hands and feet to go red and the skin to peel.

It can upset your stoma so get a good supply of loperamide on prescription and, if needed, take a couple half an hour before each meal.

After the second round I was down a bit, tired, lost appetite (I actually lost weight over Christmas!) I went back to the oncologist for the usual between sessions review and she gave we an extra week's break and reduced the dose, so do tell them how you really feel and if you have problems.

All this sounds grim, but it wasn't all that bad and the neuropathy and hands/feet wore off quite quickly. It also seems to have helped as, at the moment, I am clear.

I hope it goes well for you too,

All the best,  John