19th June 2007
Hi all!
Sorry for the long delay between posts. I took a bit of a break from cancer and tried to lead a semi-normal life for a little while before starting chemo. Unfortunately, reality was a bit of a problem with this plan...
Had my port installed on June 7. In the beginning, it was VERY problematic. I had difficulty breathing and pain in my chest. I've had two chest x-rays that seem to indicate that the port is correctly positioned, so I'm just hoping the discomfort dissipates over time. Apparently, these symptoms are pretty common early on, but have lasted much longer for me.
Also, I had my first chemo treatment today (FOLFOX4, Cycle 1, Day 1) of:
- Zofran (anti-emetic)
- Calcium and Magnesium
- Leucovorin and Oxaliplatin
- More Calcium and Magnesium
- 5-FU (Push)
- 5-FU (22 Hour Pump)
For starters, the EMLA cream works wonders if you use it an hour before the treatment. They unexpectedly accessed my port last Friday (without the EMLA prep) to make sure that the port was working. It REALLY, REALLY hurt (and I've got a relativey high pain threshold). Today, I did the EMLA prep and didn't even realize that they had already put the needle in. I'll be religious about the EMLA cream until this is all done. Goop it onto the port an hour before treatment and cover it with plastic wrap. Awesome.
The infusions were pretty uneventful. Got a little dizzy during the Zofran, but nothing serious. I was also surprised at how much I had to pee during the infusions. I was up to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Seating suggestion, if possible...Choose a seat near the bathroom but away from any air conditioner!
This afternoon, the side-effects started to kick-in. No nausea yet. I do have:
- minor tingling in my fingers and tongue
- heavy taste of metal
- pain in the eyes if I yawn, sneeze or cough
- Shooting jaw pain if I eat/drink anything cooler (or warmer) than body temperature. I tried room temperature water and suffered. It seems that tiny sips warmed in the front part of the mouth before swallowing seems to work best. I also had to cool down a pork chop before I could eat it due to the same problems. Hopefully this will dissipate in a day or two as this is the most troublesome of the effects so far.
Tomorrow, I'll get pretty much the same treatment as today except I won't get the Oxaliplatin.
Not much else to share. I hope this helps someone else who is getting ready for their chemo treatments.
PS: I found a WONDERFUL book. I hope I'm not violating any rules mentioning it here. I was drawn to it as it was the only book that gave any attention to the process of training your bowels after colon surgery. The book is written by Mark Pochapin (i.e., the doctor that treated Katie Couric's husband for colon cancer). The title is What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Colorectal Cancer: New Tests, New Treatments, New Hope.
Until later...
-- Steven
Sorry for the long delay between posts. I took a bit of a break from cancer and tried to lead a semi-normal life for a little while before starting chemo. Unfortunately, reality was a bit of a problem with this plan...
Had my port installed on June 7. In the beginning, it was VERY problematic. I had difficulty breathing and pain in my chest. I've had two chest x-rays that seem to indicate that the port is correctly positioned, so I'm just hoping the discomfort dissipates over time. Apparently, these symptoms are pretty common early on, but have lasted much longer for me.
Also, I had my first chemo treatment today (FOLFOX4, Cycle 1, Day 1) of:
- Zofran (anti-emetic)
- Calcium and Magnesium
- Leucovorin and Oxaliplatin
- More Calcium and Magnesium
- 5-FU (Push)
- 5-FU (22 Hour Pump)
For starters, the EMLA cream works wonders if you use it an hour before the treatment. They unexpectedly accessed my port last Friday (without the EMLA prep) to make sure that the port was working. It REALLY, REALLY hurt (and I've got a relativey high pain threshold). Today, I did the EMLA prep and didn't even realize that they had already put the needle in. I'll be religious about the EMLA cream until this is all done. Goop it onto the port an hour before treatment and cover it with plastic wrap. Awesome.
The infusions were pretty uneventful. Got a little dizzy during the Zofran, but nothing serious. I was also surprised at how much I had to pee during the infusions. I was up to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Seating suggestion, if possible...Choose a seat near the bathroom but away from any air conditioner!
This afternoon, the side-effects started to kick-in. No nausea yet. I do have:
- minor tingling in my fingers and tongue
- heavy taste of metal
- pain in the eyes if I yawn, sneeze or cough
- Shooting jaw pain if I eat/drink anything cooler (or warmer) than body temperature. I tried room temperature water and suffered. It seems that tiny sips warmed in the front part of the mouth before swallowing seems to work best. I also had to cool down a pork chop before I could eat it due to the same problems. Hopefully this will dissipate in a day or two as this is the most troublesome of the effects so far.
Tomorrow, I'll get pretty much the same treatment as today except I won't get the Oxaliplatin.
Not much else to share. I hope this helps someone else who is getting ready for their chemo treatments.
PS: I found a WONDERFUL book. I hope I'm not violating any rules mentioning it here. I was drawn to it as it was the only book that gave any attention to the process of training your bowels after colon surgery. The book is written by Mark Pochapin (i.e., the doctor that treated Katie Couric's husband for colon cancer). The title is What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Colorectal Cancer: New Tests, New Treatments, New Hope.
Until later...
-- Steven