Hello

Hi again Alba R-CVP (Link) like many of the other drug combinations are designed for a specific purpose and will often be chosen to target how your cancer is presenting. I had R-EPOCH and this contained a few of the drugs in R-CVP and I did ok with it. This combination was full on so was in hospital 6 days/5nights on my IV 24/7 for my 6 cycles and honestly apart from the fatigue it was ok...... yes my hair was like snow on a war day but that came back after treatment.

There have been a few group members on R-CVP so lets see if they pick up on your post.

I will always recommend that when people embark on the treatment journey they should read the information provided by their team and also on recognised Cancer Support Charities...... but stay away from random Google search’s. 

But the treatment information you are given to read can be challenging as the side effects can all sound daunting...... but people don’t have every side effect and when these do come along everyone experiences various levels and not all are bad. 

If we asked 10 people with the same condition who had the same treatment about their experiences you would get 10 different answers.

Trust to skills of your clinical team, they know your condition and how best to treat it……… the ‘educated bleach’ is amazing and does what it says on the tin.

These are some useful links (Click on the Blue or Yellow text) for you to have a look at with regards to some of the main side effects:

Nausea, remember not to suffer in silence when it comes to nausea there are lots of tools available - but your team need to know how you are getting on. Sometimes it’s a hit or miss until you find the best drug………. And take them as prescribed - they do actually work.

Fatigue may well build up over time so take each day as it comes but at the same time keep some activity going as this does actually help overcome some of the fatigue. Sleep when your body says sleep but try and keep a daily routine going - this will help.

During my 6 cycles of R-EPOCH I was on my chemo for 120 hrs 24/7 at a time and the main issue I had was fatigue but my nurse team told me to keep active so I walked the ward corridors with my chemo stand after every meal and actually did a few miles a day.

Avoiding Infections obviously is very important but you will totally get this during these challenging times. Your immune system is most vulnerable about days 7-14. This is when there is an increased risk of infections and changes in our temperature is one of the early signs.

I was given a card with this basic guidance to follow:

A high temperature (over 38°C) or a low temperature (below 35°C) could be a sign of infection which your immune system may be unable to fight. Any infection must be treated quickly with antibiotics so please be prepared to be admitted to hospital for immediate antibiotic treatment.

Please follow the guidance below, but if in doubt, please contact the hospital:

• If your temperature is 37.5°C, repeat in one hour. If your temperature has increased, whether you feel unwell or not, you must contact the hospital.

• If you have a temperature of 38°C or above, whether you feel unwell or not, you must contact the hospital immediately. Please do not wait any amount of time before you call us.

As I said drinking lots of water (2 litres a day) will help flush out all the toxins released by the chemo and protects your kidneys.

This LINK will take you to an article about chemo tips - it is taken from the Lymphoma Action Site.

You did not say what of the many types of NHL you have?

Always around to help or just to chat stuff through.