BEP 2 cycles

Hi Martin,

Sorry you find yourself here, yours is the classic TC story you will read on this forum.  

Where you deviate from the norm is that you are planned to have 2 * BEP, it’s usually 3 or 4.  Or 1 (or occasionally 2) doses of carboplatin.  
I’d be asking why 2 not 3, or why not the less toxic carboplatin.

Also surprised you will be staying in hospital for 5 days at a time, as my BEP was given over 3 days as an out patient.  I guess all hospitals a bit different?

In terms of dealing with the chemo - first thing is to deal with being in hospital!  Get an eye mask, noise cancelling headphones, and get your own food brought in.  Hospital toast is the worst, chewiest thing I’ve ever tasted.  We bought a couple of small flasks and my wife would bring me in lasagne, casseroles....I was also wondering how a full English might be in a flask!

The Chemo is manageable.  You will lose your hair on 2 * BEP.  Eat what you feel like.  I was drinking endless cans of coke because it was the only thing that seemed to over power the metallic taste in my mouth.  
Find a long box set to watch.  I watched nearly all of game of thrones whilst on chemo.  Meh, it was ok but there is only so much homes under the hammer I could take.

This forum helped me enormously.  Ask any questions you have someone will have an answer.

take care

Dan

Hi Martin,

I’m so sorry to welcome you here but it is a good source of support. 
My husband had 4 x cycles of EP ( over 40 so did that instead of 3 x BEP) and his first cycle was 5 days as inpatient then was able to do his other 5 day stretches at home at the end of each day. 
I found a Very helpful blog. It might help. 

https://philsbepjourney.business.blog/

Wishing you well. 

Hi Dan, 

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it. 

I was diagnosed with T2 non-seminoma which had some lymphovascular invasion, however, my CT scan was clear. My AFP blood marker was also raised and so I believe this combination was why I have been offered two cycles rather than one. I had loads of questions I had planned to ask the Oncologist but as I say I fully expected to be told I would go on surveillance, so I was a bit shocked to hear the two cycles of chemo and asked very few questions. 

I appreciate the advice for when I am in the hospital, I am definitely not looking forward to the hospital food so I will definitely be getting family to bring food in for me. That is interesting about the coke! I will make sure I have a few cans on standby. 

Thanks for your advice

Take care,

Martin

Hi Spirited, 

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it and I hope that your husband has made a full recovery from his treatment. 

It seems such a long stay in one place, I struggle to stay in my own house for a day without getting itchy feet to get out and do something. Did your husband cope OK being in the hospital for the five days? I have been told that at the start of each cycle I will be an inpatient for five days. I am not looking forward to the first stay but at the same time having nurses around etc also gives a bit of reassurance, however, the second stay I am already dreading. 

Thank you for the link to the blog. I will start reading through Phil's journey today. 

Thank you, 

Martin 

Hey Martin,

My husband is also not good at sitting still but worked out that when he wasn’t on his drip he could go out for walks and did just that. Also, when he was on the drip he was able to walk around the ward and again did that. He did some work days 1,2 and 3 then days 4 and 5 chilled and watched movies/ listened to music. Or if you have someone to keep you company I remember we played scrabble a few times/ just chatted. 
Thankfully he is fit and well today and on surveillance for the next ten years. He went back to work full time in Jan and is doing really well. 
Ps Please do feel free to ask any practical questions. No question too silly or too many! 

Ps he also had non seminoma ( plus seminoma) and signs of vascular invasion. His bloods post surgery were normal but a chest x Ray for the suitability of one cycle of preventative BEP showed that a “previously thought to be innocuous lung/ chest nodule “ had grown from 5mm to 10mm so was deemed to be cancerous. Thus his had spread via the blood ( rather than the usual way) and therefore his treatment became 4 cycles of curative treatment. 
As tough as it must have been for you to hear the words “ chemo” the oncology team are clearly taking no chances and the right approach for your particular case. 
I have read on here some people say they have worse flu. Remember it is temporary, it will end and the stats are highly in your favour! 

Hi Spirited, 

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Delighted to read that your husband is fit and well and back at work. 

I am not looking forward to the hospital stay but you have put my mind at ease that I won't just be lying in a bed bored but can actually do some stuff. 

My doctor did say that my tumour was non-seminoma and also seminoma. I thought it was one or other so thought I had maybe misheard that part (I really should start asking more questions). 

Thank you, 

Martin