Life after treatment

FormerMember over 4 years ago

2 replies
23 subscribers
2693 views

Happy new year to you all.

I was just after some thoughts on life after finishing chemotherapy and how people have approached it in terms of looking after themselves to give them the best chance of staying in remission.

I was diagnosed with stage 3b classic hodgkins back in May and finished treatment in November. After 6 cycles of ABVD im all better, both pet scans came back negative. I have been left with pretty bad neuropathy in my feet but I'm hoping that slowly improves over time. I'm on gabapentin which helps.

I have my next appointment with the haematologist in February so I'm going to ask him this stuff as well but just thought I would ask here.

During treatment i ballooned to 18.5 stone and I'm 5ft 10 so that's a lot of weight. I was basically eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to help me through treatment. Thousands of calories in a single meal, fast food multiple times a day etc. Now I have finished treatment I'm eating right again and am down to 17 stone. Long way to go though. I also have not had any alcohol for 13 months. When I started to get sick I stopped drinking. Never been a smoker.

Did any of you guys do or change anything to specifically improve your health afterwards, stop drinking, stop smoking, lose weight?

I would love to have a drink on a Saturday night again like I used to but I'm a bit scared about putting what's essentially a poison into my bloodstream. Doesn't seem wise after having blood cancer. I've looked around online and cant find much one way or the other on alcohol and relapsing. I'm sure I'm being paranoid though and my doctor will tell me to enjoy alcohol every now and then.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers

Mike

moomy over 4 years ago

Hi Mike, ,

Apart from eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of liquids as we all should, I think you can’t really do a lot else. Alcohol isn’t a ‘no no’ as such , I understand but I have certainly found I drink lots less after my breast cancer treatment (though needed no chemo). I think I honestly lost the taste for it.

Some hospitals pile in the steroids to aid the antinausea meds, which with 5-6 months of chemo, doesn’t really do you that much of a favour, so losing the extra weight is always a project once chemo has finished.

Hope you carry on well and manage to do all you wish.

Hugs xxx

Moomy

Reanswolf over 4 years ago in reply to moomy

My 15-year old son had Stage 3B and finished treatment a few months ago and was told in Complete Remission.

He now has 3 monthly CT scans for a year.

During treatment with OPEA-Copdac (which is stronger than ABVD but not as intense as Beacopp), he couldn't stop eating due to the steroids that form part of the chemotherapy. So he ballooned, but although still eating healthily he has comedown in weight a little.

His main side effect of the chemo was peripheral neuropathy, he couldn't for example hold a soup bowl in the air when we were at a restaurant, both hands were shaking. But that has got better over time and he does a lot of exercise, as a boy his age should do.

The other side effect sadly is that his knees are arthritic, though I am getting him to take glucosamine tablets for a few months to see if that helps. He loves playing football, but sometimes he can't move his legs afterwards for a few days, though that seems to e getting better too. Not sure if its just time, or due to the tablets - probably a bit of both.

How can you tell a young man not to try beer? All teenagers want to push the boundaries, he understands that he shouldn't indulge in cannabis or anything stronger, that is so easily available these days, but he likes the occasional beer (or seems to be developing a taste bud for it). I think if you have a couple at the weekend, and retain a healthy lifestyle, well that surely shouldn't do any harm. Allow yourself the occasional pleasure. I don't think there is any direct link between alcohol and blood cancers, but a healthy overall lifestyle is very important.

Nick

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