Oxaliplatin and Capectabine

Following with interest 

Hi Kell Sug and Doris58. I’ve just condensed the chemo top tips post and the link is below. The gloves I wore were to avoid the cold touch shock when getting things out of the fridge or freezer and they were just a cheap pair from the local market with little knobbly bits on the palm for grip.  I’ve looked online at gloves for peripheral neuropathy but they seem to be more for helping once people have got PN rather than preventing it?

My nurses recommended moisturising hands and feet with Aveeno with Shea butter which you can buy in supermarkets and the high street 

Cold drinks are best avoided but I found blackcurrant juice with a splash of hot water to take the edge off quite nice

Good to read that he’s got the radiotherapy ticked off

 CHEMO TOP TIPS UPDATED 

Take care

Karen x

Thank you so much Karen.

I will take on board everything that you have said.

We are so glad the radiotherapy is nearly finished, the travelling and waiting around is so draining for us both.

My husband is looking forward to a little bit of a break as it has been full on for him this past 5 and half weeks.

Hope you are well 

Take care Kell

Hi. I had 12 cycles of IV oxypalitin (Folfox) and have ended up with neuropathy in my hands and feet. The dose was reduced so as to not make symptoms worse so I would say speak to your oncologist if neuropathy becomes a problem. As others have said use gloves when touching anything cold and I found a scarf wrapped round my face useful when I came out of the hospital in the cold winter months. Cleaning my teeth the first few days after having the chemo also made me have a cramp like feeling in my jaw. But we are all different and you might not have any of these. 
I am now on capacitabine tablets on their own after having a break from chemo for an op. So far the side effects have been minimal but I am being very careful to moisturise my feet and hands twice a day and at night I lather them in moisturiser and wear cotton gloves as I have heard a common side effect is sore hands and feet. 
I also don’t touch the tablets. I wear disposable gloves when taking them. 
Good luck and I hope side effects are minimal for you. 

Hi Kell just a gentle warning; the sensitivity to cold starts immediately. I didn’t realise this, and turned on the tap at the hospital and got the most awful shock. It caused me to lose my voice and my blood pressure shot up. This wasn’t because of the neuropathy, just my reaction made me do that. Made me feel like a real drama queen! The nurses looking after your husband will tell him to let them know if he experiences anything he’s not sure of. They genuinely mean it. Don’t let him suffer any unnecessary side effects as often they can be nipped in the bud. I hope you’re both able to enjoy a break from the hospital until the next phase of treatment begins. Good luck.

So glad to hear it's nearly done Kell. It felt like a milestone for me when I reached the last day. Weirdly enough though this gap of a couple of weeks waiting for the next stage has been challenging in its own way. It's like I finally accepted o had cancer! Not sure why that is I just put it down to not having a daily focus on getting through the 5 weeks and then having time to reflect . I hope you can both enjoy the rest from the treatments x