chemotherapy and cardiomyopathy

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg131/documents/colorectal-cancer-full-guideline2

Hi Boz34

Welcome to the forum ! Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. I have included a link to the NICE guidelines at the top of the page ,  that is the foundation for the NHS practice . If you skip to Chapter 4 for metastatic spread they cover intolerance to 5FU which I think is one that can be problematic but has an alternative recommendation.

Others have also reported having a reassessment from a cardiologist and the specialist often seek guidance from other disciplines to ensure the best care is taken . 

Take care ,

Court 

Had my phone appointment yesterday. The oncologist was very positive and clearly well-informed. She explained the problems associated with cardiomyopathy, and said she'd selected chemo drugs which would avoid risk to the heart.  She also talked me through the side effects, which sound a lot less alarming than I'd feared. I'm to have a PICC line fitted next week, and start the chemo the following week. So I'm nervous, but glad to have a plan - and clearly a good team in place to run it. 

Hi Boz34. Good to hear that you’re being well looked after. I had a PICC line fitted after experiencing really bad arm pain during and after my IV and it was the best thing I did! You can’t play tennis or golf but they can take bloods out and put the chemo in which was so much easier. The fitting was painless and they will advise you or give you a prescription to get a limbo arm cover which you wear when showering.

Take care

Karen x

Sounds very reassuring Boz34. Such a boost to know you have a good team working on your behalf . 
So glad it has lessened some of your fear ! My mum was anxious about the first one , totally understandable really but once she had met the staff , understood the routine of the hospital and got the first one over with it bad a big difference.

Now for some significant shrinkage !

I hope it all goes well for you . Let us know how you get on ! 
https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/f/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/221768/chemo-care-top-tips--
This is our forums preparation for chemo thread ! If you are having Oxaliplatin some of it will still be relevant . Also once you are experienced you could add your experience with your chemo as it’s always good to develop a resource for others coming behind !

take special care ,

Court 

Many thanks, Karen and Court, very helpful and encouraging. My long-delayed travel plans will have to stay on hold for a while, but this journey does have the same mixture of fear and fascination raised by travel into a strange country, full of unfamiliar challenges and opportunitities; and the experiences of other travellers are so helpful.

Brilliant analogy! It all happened so fast for my mum that all I could think was we had turned a corner to a destination we could not change and it was a one way system ! So many unknowns and I think when people read how others are not only living a good life where possible but also some getting to fully recover gives a lot of encouragement and hope ! 
Take care ,

Court 

I had my PICC line fitted and received my first chemo on Friday. Both went as smoothly as I could possibly have hoped. No significant side effects so far, except dry mouth - they gave me some mouthwash, which helps with that - and tiredness, but I have managed a 4k walk each day. I'm going to try to keep that up.