New to this

Hi ,

Welcome to the forum and glad you reached out . What a long journey you had from diagnosis to surgery . Corona really did cause havoc . You have done so well enduring all that .

I will leave others to address the chemo issues as I am a carer but it might be of some use to know that some people actually , under normal circumstances, able to work through chemo and only experience mild symptoms. My mum was not one of them but she was able to have it for two years . The team were able to make small adjustments to her dose which made it a lot more manageable. They are very skilled in that department. They meet with you before each cycle to make sure your bloods are fine and to see how you have been coping . You can also phone the chemo units with concerns between appointments. I think once the first one was under the belt we had a better understanding of the process and how to get the support she needed .

Others will give more insight into the actual process .

Glad you popped on though as reducing the fear of this is what we are all about .

Take care ,

Court 

Thank you for responding.

I never thought I’d be on a forum to be honest but just reading through other posts and doing this helps more than I ever thought it would.

You are welcome . I don’t even do Facebook!! But this was a lifeline to me . Just to know others get it reduced the sense of isolation. It’s a strange thing but it really helps .

take care ,

 Court 

Hi ,

Sorry to hear of your problems and I remember well the bowel prep etc. You asked if you will cope with the chemo, the answer is you WILL cope because we all do and you are going to have to!

I'm a 74 year old male and was diagnosed with cancer of the colon 18 months ago, I had radiotherapy with a course of capecitabine, then an operation to remove the tumour and followed up with three months of XELOX, so an infusion of Oxaliplatin followed by two weeks of Capecitabine, a weeks rest and then off again.

If you were healthy before all this you may find that you don't get affecetd by many of the side effects that are on the list. What you should find is that your oncologist will take care of you and if some side effects are not so good they might reduce the strength, stretch the treatment out over a longer period or even change the drug. They will work with you to make the treatment work with the least problems for yourself.

You will cope with it ok, just stay as positive as you can and look forward to the future. These amazing NHS proffessionals have given us a chance for a longer and better life. Go for it and I wish you the best of luck

John

Thanks John

hearing from those that have been through it makes so much difference 

Hi,

your diagnosis has been quite a journey!

i was via disgnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in April, and the time between colonoscopy and diagnosis was about 1 week!

following initial radiotherapy, I have just completed 3 months on xelox.

we are all concerned about side effect - I remember dreading the first cycle - but the Macmillan site will tell you what you can expect, but remember everyone is different, and while you may have some side effects, you won’t get them all. 
My experience was certainly much better than I feared. Yes, I had some days where the nausea was a problem, and was often very tired - mostly on the 4-5 days after the start of the cycle. The oxaliplatin also caused a bit of numbness, but this generally went away after a week or so.

more importantly, there were plenty of days where I felt pretty well fine and was able to get out and about normally (although shielding was far from normal!)

take each day as it comes - you’ll get drugs to help with nausea etc - and on days when you’re not feeling great just take it easy. On days you’re feeling better, get out and about and do things that make you happy. 

hope all goes well,

Sandy

Hi Sandy

Thanks for the info.

Its mainly the fear of the unknown and as everyone is effected differently, you don’t know how you’ll react.

But just reading on here and speaking to people like yourself helps a lot.

Chemo starts on the 25th with PICC line fitting on the 19th. Hopefully things are over quickly!!! 

thanks again

Matt 

Hello,

I've been at this since Sept 2016. I've lost count of the infusions, I don't bother counting anymore, I've had Folfox, Folfiri, Y90, xeloda (capecetabine) and an operation. I've had more side effects than you can throw a stick at. My wife went to see family in the Caribbean just before Covid and still can't get back.

Rule No 1. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, if you're not, don't start. 

Rule No 2. You're not the 1st.

Rule No 3. Life as normal a life as possible, 

Rule no 4. If it helps do it. So if worrying helps do that too, but I assure you it doesn't. Complaining doesn't help either, it's very maudlin. Be normal, the people around you like it that way and don't cut you off.

Rule no.5. This experience is life changing, Make the most of it, you're alive.

You will cope because the alternative is no alternative. Don't let it grind you down, Never give in.  

Take Care

I think your correct . Once the fear of the unknown is reduced it gives you more insight into what your dealing with and helps you prepare . Once my mum gained confidence with the staff and the process it was surprising how she got into a routine . Make alterations as required and plan more effectively knowing her requirements.

Also be kind to yourself . This is a big interruption to your normal life . A lot of work and planning has gone into this aspect of medicine to assist people in the early stages gain confidence and help to ease them through the process . 

take care ,

Court 

thanks for the honest advice. 

I know you right no alternative and I’m not going to give in 

Matt