Hi Sprinkly, sorry to hear about your diagnosis and I completely understand your trepidation (scared to be prepared), I was in a similar position last year diagnosed with stomach cancer in the January and preparing to start chemo in Feb/Mar I had stage 3 stomach cancer and a massive ulcer. Anyway I had built up the prospect of chemo to be way tougher than it turned out to be. I imagined being bed ridden for the whole period but it was nothing like that for me, I know everyone is different but I had good days and bad days and pretty unpleasant yes but for me the first few days after a chemo session were not too bad (the steroids help) as an example I even managed the odd round of golf on days 3 to 5 and my appetite and strength were pretty good. The second week was usually a bit more challenging though. I have now finished all of my treatment and am on 5 year monitoring having had a sub total gastrectomy in June and a further course of (adjuvant) chemo in sep/Oct last year. I now feel no different (in fact better) than I did before I started my journey as I no longer have ulcer flare ups and the chemo side effects appear to have totally abated. I am also back to pretty much normal eating. I hope it goes well for you and try not to build up the prospect of chemo to being tougher than it is.
My partner was diagnosed with stage 3 gastric last June after a bleed where they found an ulcer that had turned cancerous.
He started FLOT chemo around Aug and had the 8 weeks to be followed by surgery. He tolerated it very well, bit of acid, diahhorea and a little tired in first couple of days, but managed to go to the gym on the second week and still take our dog for 2 walks a day for up to an hour. He also decorated most of the house when feeling good. Surgery was delayed and consultant offered another 2 rounds of chemo, which he chose to have and this did make him very tired. He's 60 by the way.
He had 80% of his stomach removed last Tuesday and was discharged last night although had pneumonia which he's still taking antibiotics for
He was terrified of the surgery but is eating soft foods, drinking normally and walking.
It is very scary and I have seen how the fear has affected him in these last 7 months, but we always said some people aren't lucky enough to have surgery and although not out of the woods yet, he will say the fear has been worse than the treatment. I wish u all the luck in the world. Awful disease but hopefully with advances in treatment, everyone will get there!
Best wishes
Ann
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. My partner was diagnosed last June with stage 3, an ulcer that had
Sounds like your partner is generally fit and healthy and of a positive mind, so a bit like me (I'm also 60). Do you know if he will be having more Chemo? I think it will depend on the post op histology results. No one told me about adjuvant (post op) Chemo so after my pre op course of chemo I just let my hair grow back only for it all to fall out again lol, if I had known I would have just stayed shaven headed. I am not sure how they decide who should have adjuvant chemo but my post op results were not great and I was pretty strong, recovering well from the pre op course and the operation. I did have a scan several weeks after the op and they did say that I could have the adjuvant chemo as the scan was clear. They described it as a sort of insurance policy i.e. there might be no remaining cancer cells in your body but if there are then adjuvant chemo should get them. Having coped OK with the pre op chemo this was not a hard decision for me. No one can say whether the adjuvant chemo will be easier or harder than the pre op but I found it easier. I hope his post op histology results are better than mine were but he may be offered the adjuvant course anyway. I made sure I kept up the fortified diet and got my weight back to where it was before I was ill plus a bit more and got plenty exercise to get myself as strong as possible before it started. I finished the chemo in late October and as I said in my earlier post I am now feeling as good as I did before I fell ill and I am eating normally. I hope this helps and that you and your partner are blessed with a good outcome like mine.
Ah, that's great that you are doing so well. His oncologist said that he would only have 2 more chemo post op as he had 2 extra before. All depends on results, I know, and have to see what effect pnemonia will have on his lungs I guess. He's seeing surgeon on 13th Feb for histology, but as I'm sure u know, you get a high when things go well and don't get too worried until near results time. He' is very fit, as you are and your post gives us hope! I wish you all the best, I am in awe of how you guys get through this 
Good to hear he's doing well, and you hit the nail on the head about the fear, I've never had anxiety like it in my puff. Thank you for sharing and your kind words .
