14 days post op blues & chemo to come

Hi McDuck and welcome to the board. Wow - you had a good number of lymph nodes removed but 1 was positive - how annoying grrr. Please bear in mind that you’ve had a major op and you’re looking at about 5 weeks recovery. The bowel does not like being manhandled and it can take several weeks to settle down post op. You’ve also had part of your bowel removed so things will move through your system more quickly meaning that less liquid is absorbed and looser stools. You could maybe ask on Friday if taking loperamide would be ok. Hopefully the sharts will disappear over time - I always wear a panty liner even now but not sure how practical that would be in mens underwear?

At an educated guess chemo would be Capox/xelox which is oxaliplatin by iv then 2 weeks of capecitabine tablets then a week off x 4. 

 Recovery can be frustrating - I remember telling my husband that I just wanted to feel like me again. Why do you feel trapped? Are you getting out and about or is it the prospect of more treatment when you were hoping that the op would be the end? 

Does a ‘few’ beers make a difference? Oh yes! If you’re having a few beers then make sure you have something to eat as well - when your liquid intake exceeds your food it can unexpectedly get very messy and embarrassing. 

Please let us know how Friday goes and if you let us know which chemo you’ll be having then we can maybe tell you what to expect? We’re all at different stages of treatment and recovery on here so we totally ‘get it’. 
Feel free to post and rant, laugh, cry, whatever you need and we’ll listen and support you

Take care

Karen x

Karen x 

thank you ! My wife bought pant liners yesterday, they kind of work. Peace of mind to i guess.trapped, in that,yes !! I wanted to be normal again as soon as possible, but then....chemo.

I'll take what they recommend and face chemo with the same solid attitude of a positive outcome. Just going to take longer I guess. We have 2 dogs and I'm allowed to drive again. Living here in Northumberland is another blessing, but, yet I feel guilty of "resting" 

 Any advice on things to help me feel less tense with people ? Or do I need to let the healing continue and feel.stronger.

You’re welcome. Just remember that you are actually now cancer free - the tumour is in the bin. Chemo is the belt and braces - bit like digging a dandelion up and then blasting the soil with some weed killer just in case a few clocks escaped.

Yes I hated being reliant on people and guilty that my husband was doing a full days work and then having to come home and make tea when I never knew what I fancied eating! I know people were just trying to help but I found it frustrating and annoying that I couldn’t do what I used to.

Dont expect too much of yourself - it’s still early days. Do a little walk each day and go a bit further each time (if the rain ever stops). Unfortunately others will be running your life for you for a bit longer while you have the chemo but I used the mantra of ‘this too will pass’ and ticked off each completed session.

Ive attached a link to a paper that a lot of people find helpful in moving through the various stages of recovery. It might feel to early for some bits but you can always pop it under your hat for later?

https://www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf

The support desk on the number below is there if you want to chat to someone ‘in person’ and tell them how you’re feeling? There’s also free counselling sessions if you feel that they might be beneficial. 

I found people did treat me a bit differently after my diagnosis - I hated being told I was brave - I was just doing what I had to do and that, to me, didn’t qualify as brave. One friend apologised for moaning about having a cold when I was ‘going through so much’ worse but I told her that I just wanted to be treated normally and talk about what we would normally talk about. 

Hope this has helped a bit

Take care

Karen

Hi McDuck. I did send you a long reply last night but it’s gone to the moderators but hopefully they’ll release it shortly - not sure why?! x

Hey Karen, thank you for taking the time to reply.

Your advice is GREATLY appreciated,  and spot on. Sorry I didn't get the Chance to reply, beach walk with the hounds, see, I did take note. 6km well needed, AND without rain (happy days).

Chemo meeting tomorrow afternoon, so will get to find out which way we go. Then I can actually PLAN fir my recovery and an end to this (hopefully). On the original scan pre/op they found some nodules in my lung, which they measured. They'll give me another scan on the 7th to make sure they haven't grown. 

Oh, and I've swapped beer for GnT , not that im some alky....promise, boys in the pub last night were taking out second mortgages for my drinks  our village has a great placed owned by one of our friends. 

Thank you again.

Kenny 

Hi Kenny. Just wondered how your meeting with the chemo specialist had gone? x

Let the healing continue and you will get stronger don’t put to much pressure on yourself 

take care 

caroline x

Hi Karen, yea really well thank you. Had two options, the first was a 24 week tablet only regime of "Capecitabine" thought it wad a holiday destination at first  or a slightly move aggressive 12 week cycle of the intravenous Xelox, then a week off and then the tablet, an so on.

Disused both options and side effects there and then with Professor Dobrowsky and  my wife, and I've gone for the 12 week combination. No issue with hair or weight loss, just more fatigue,  maybe a little sickness and the dreaded diarrhoea....but hell, I'll take that. 

Get rid and get life back !!

We can do this people, CANCER DOESN'T NEED TO RULE. We can rule it.

The great Doddie Weir said. 

KEEP FIGHTING, THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY.

Sounds like you’ve got your big boy pants on and are ready to go! I found the main side effect of xelox to be the reaction to the cold so make sure you wear gloves to get things out of the fridge or freezer and no ice in your gin and tonic. Wrap up when you leave the chemo unit and cover your mouth with a scarf - the cold can make your face spasm and unless you’ve got a black quiff and a white jewelled suit you will get some funny looks as your lips curl like Elvis!

More of a League girl myself but totally agree with Doddies attitude 

Take care

Karen x

Just to let u no I got the same results stage 3 one lymph note .I'm on my second  round of caplox 4 infusions and 2 weeks chem tablet 

The 1st one was tough I thought I was orginised bt wasn't ! 

As Karen said everything warm 

Warm plain food warm drinks . Gloves for everything ! 

I also  tried to get out of bed every half hour r so the 1st 2 days and kept moving my legs in bed so nt to spasm 

 It gets better after a few days then just tired bt do able  

This time so far nt to bad just sleeping the day away .

Good luck with everything 

This will pass x