Hi all, just joined the forum.
I’ve just had my 3rd round of Flot (last Thursday), I have a final one on Thursday 15th June, then a 6 to 8 week wait until my op.
Where my cancer is, they haven’t decided whether they remove my oesophagus and stretch my stomach up, or remove my stomach.
Just thought I’d say how I’m feeling after Flot.
Due to other long term health issues, I’ve been on 3 anti sickness tablets a day for years. I also had something called a Nissen fundoplication which makes it impossible for me to physically vomit (until my cancer op). With the anti sickness meds given with chemo, plus my long term ones, a benefit of this is that I currently feel less nauseous than I usually did before chemo started.
Thursday Chemo 1
on steroids for 3 days, (day before chemo, day of chemo, day after chemo), to be honest, I didn’t feel that bad at all until Saturday evening when I felt tired. I presume this is the steroids. I did notice that drinking room temperature water felt like ice water in my throat.
Sunday I spent most of the day falling asleep, very tired, I felt bored as didn’t have the energy to concentrate on anything but was often awake feeling frustrated.
Monday first day of five days of white platelet injections, chronic stomachache and on and off diarrhoea constantly. This went on each day although the diarrhoea changed in that it wasn’t liquid, but it still wasn’t normal.
Cant remember the days but for two days I had the worst heartburn ever, hospital upped the dosage of my omeprozole, then it went away.
Thursday I started getting bad back spasms, I went for a no 2 and have never felt anything like it, my whole body spasmed, it’s hard to described, I could feel my pulse through my entire body and it was scary.
I was having my Picc line flushed about 1 hr later, so,I waited until then, a doctor came to see me, looked at my history (have chronic back issues) and as I only live 5 mins away suggested seeing how it was in the morning and if still bad, they would X-ray it and see what’s going on, but he doesn’t think it’s related to my chemo (well he said everything that’s going on is aggravating my back but it’s not a chemo side effect)
Next day back was fine.
Tuesday before my 2nd chemo, I got up and hair was fine. By lunchtime I looked like a stray mangey cat, big lumps fallen out.
Up until my next chemo I felt tired, had headaches, especially pulsating ones around my temples and felt a bit dizzy when first standing up, but not like it is if you stand up too quick.
Thursday Chemo 2:
I’m type 2 diabetic, they checked my blood levels before starting and they were off the scale, in the dial 999 immediately range. Saw two doctors (within 15 mins), both said I need to go on insulin permanently, gave me an injection to get sugar down, then chemo started. Diabetic nurse turned up half way through and gave me a blood meter and insulin pens and spent a good hour going over everything with me.
Both people either side of me had had the same op and were having post op chemo. I mentioned the stomach pain from the white platelets injections and one guy said he had the same until he started taking the injection out of the fridge 2 hrs before use. I checked on the meds and sure enough that long won’t affect them and this time the severe non stop crippling stomach cramps didn’t appear.
I had another two days where heartburn was chronic and drank a load of gaviscon to help.
But really it was a WORSE repeat of the previous fortnight minus the cramps.
More tired, more woozy, more dizzy, having to pause for longer when I stand up, and learning how to inject myself with insulin.
One thing I forgot to mention, I’m passing a LOT of wind
Thursday Chemo 3:
They weren’t happy with my pulse rate so gave me an ECG, doctors were happy with the results so chemo went ahead. Spoke to the doctor about my heartburn, she came back to me saying for my weight I can have a total of x amount of omeprazole so can have more tablets on those bad days.
Friday pump removed, felt a little drained.
Saturday got really tired, really really woozy, much much more than previous chemos.
Sunday, every time I got up I had to hold onto something for a couple of mins as felt like I was going to faint. Just felt yucky, tired, not with it etc. Could still get myself a coffee, just felt like crap.
Poos have gone weird. Sorry for the details, I’m farting out my bum, but it’s soft clay consistency, it’s taking me forever to wipe my bum, I get back downstairs and within an hour I need to go again.
Today the platelets injections started. Took it out beforehand hence avoided the stomach cramp, but I’ve had pains and stiffness all over my stomach, again same poo problems and non stop wind.
My body feels like the previous times but 50 times worse, never felt so crappy in my life. Even typing this, I have numerous pains around my chest and stomach, loads of bloating, pins and needles in ends of fingers and toes.
Hopefully things will start to get better before my 4th and final chemo before my op, but reading up on it, it does imply there’s a cumulative effect with chemo so I’m fully expecting to feel even worse in two weeks.
one other thing, my taste seems to be getting worse with every chemo, even water tastes disgusting
Ah well, hopefully be worth it in the end
