Chemo newbie

Morning Mar42, 

I am so sorry you find yourself here. 

You can do this, I hope you know that you will come out the other side. One step at a time. 

Keep drinking lots, flush those chemical out and you will get stronger and stronger especially when you know they are working to do what they have to do. Eat what and when you can, fresh air, gentle walking or exercise will help even if you don’t feel like they will, don’t push yourself too hard, rest when you have to, listen to your body but keep going. If you need the meds they gave you take them! 

I am flip side of my 4th EC and have found day 4-6 hardest, day 1-3 the steroids keep me ticking then they wear off and the fatigue, chemo brain kicks in, mild sore tummy and mouth etc, but I have found them all manageable so far without use of extra meds. I did have an episode after first EC with tummy and cramps etc ( no details needed) and upped my fluids, although I get sore etc, this hasn’t repeated yet. I hope it’s the same for you. 

I focus on the cancer being blitzed and am thankful for the treatment, I don’t like the way it makes me feel but neither will the Tumor, mine showed shrinkage after 2 EC’s, which really lifted me. 

You will start to feel better soon, please try to stay positive. You can and will do this xxxx

Morning MAR42 sorry to hear your feeling so pants and that your son has found this upsetting totally understandable I hope this will help but I know everyone is different   I found with EC the first couple of days were bad but as the days passed it got better and I could get out and if not live my life as normal at least do things the first 3-4 days nausea was very bad but so long as  I took the tablets and ate bland food  it could be kept under control diarrhoea was helped by making sure I ate and drank even when I didn't feel like it .the tiredness /weeknesss was harder as the wobbly legs ment that ultimately I have ended up needing to use a stick but when I was on EC little walks helped I was on EC fortnightly so didn't get a huge gap but normally felt almost like myself by day 5 which gave me 2days to do things and see people before I had to go back for more chemo  but hopefully of you follow this pattern you will have a week of feeling better and be able to do things with your son and if he knows your going to feel rubbish for a few days every 3weeks but will be ok afterwards it might help sending hugs and hoping your soon feeling a bit better XXX D

Thanks Harrigoose. In the nicest of ways this platform helps by showing us we are not alone and we are fortunate to have the best cancer treatment in the world!

We'll fight the bugger till it's gone - together xx

Hi Kentish maid.  I guess it's worse for the loved ones because they feel helpless. And even worse for children when they are so used to seeing you healthy and doing everything. I've explained to him that I'll have down days. They are resilient, thank the lord.

Tank you for sharing your experience, that helps. I'll stick to bland food too I think. Love to you all, we'll get through this xxx

Your right MAR42 it is so much harder on our family's especially as most of us now have to do all the visits on our own where pre covid we would have been able to take someone along that then  makes them feel like they are doing something  it might be worth contacting the Macmillan help line to see if they have any support they can give to your son or maybe a job that he can do every 3weeks even if it's small(going shopping for treats/sweets to suck when your feeling really bad or making sure there are blankets /comfy cushion s on the sofa for you I know it's helped my grown up kids doing shopping for me sometime they get things I would never buy or need but it give them something to focus on )so that he knows mums going to feel rubbish for the next few days but by doing this I am helping her