just finished 25 radiation treatments, 9 to go & had last of 5 out of 6 cisplatin. still very sick all the time & finally officially vomitted last night for the first time, yay! not much fun! I'm really down mentally 'cause i'm out of control here. can't eat for fear of nauseau, but know I need the nutrition. on ativan, etc. not much help.

Erik, I've just finished 29 radiation and 6 more to go, and 3 chemo... I had a rough time on my 2nd chemo because I didn't take my meds right. I take Zofran every 12 hours for 2days after and also Stemetil every 6 hours when I'm awake and Dexamethazone every morning.. This seemed to work really well..I've been on Boost meal replacement drinks for 2 weeks..and that working too. Just a couple of weeks more for both of us. Keep up the faith. Time is on our side, Yes it is!! Tom Roussell

Erik,
I did not have nausea from the radiation. I didn't get chemo.

You are in the "grind" right now, try to pace yourself. For me it did not get worse from this point in treatment. Get out and walk (slowly) and think about new life, it is just around the corner! Hang in there!

Erikj,

You are almost home free dude. You wont feel any worse. But remember, if you dehydrate you will. Drink water, drink water, drink water. As much as you can stand. Also try to neck down an Ensure or two every day. I lived on hydration iv's (up to 3 bags a day), Ensure (2-4 a day), oatmeal (1 bowl a day), and chicken soup (1 bowl a day) for two months. I never got sick but sure felt like it a lot.
It's the Chemo man. Its rough shit.

As I said before its almost over. Mentally you will feel better as soon as it's over, give it about 3 weeks physically. At least thats what I went through.

Fight Fight Fight.

Robert Hamilton

SCC Right Tonsil 9/3/03, 1 Node, T1N2AM0, Tonsil Removed, Selective Neck Disection, 4 Weeks Induction Chemo, 4 Weeks Chemo/Rad, Treatment Complete 2/13/04. ITS GREAT TO BE ALIVE!!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Erik,

It's the chemo making you so sick. It's poison they are pumping into you. I was very proactive about my anti-nausea medication. Zofran worked for me as well as Deximethazone. I used Compazine too. I started taking the first pill just hours after chemo finished and kept taking them for three days after. It really helped me.

You're almost done now. You can do it!!!

Lynn

Erik, I agree with others that it is probably the chemo that made you vomit. Did the nurse give you an injection against nausea before the treatment and did the doctor prescribe the anti-nausea medicine for you to take before meals? I was given both and still I vomited twice throughout the entire treatment. Not too bad already compared with other patients. The nausea was something very very uncomfortable. I say it is the effect of chemo rather than radiation because the nausea usually appeared after chemo and the two or three days that followed and then I had a few days of easier life and the cycle repeated when I had chemo again.Nausea will not stay long and in my case, it went away in 2 weeks post treatment. Then my appetite returned and was back to normal nutrition.

Karen.

Erik,

I hate to sound like the odd man out, but, I was nauseas AND vomitted throughout every day during the chemo and radiation. It started when the hooked up the 5FU the second day of chemo and I believe it ended something like 9 weeks later (or beyond). I remember the room spinning between the calls to my pharmacist dad asking him what else he suggested I ask the doctors for. We tried them all and nothing ever changed. A friend gave me pot and it helped in a matter of seconds but I can't recommend breaking the law and using something that is a potential carcinagen as well. When I had the ethyol shot to help protect the salivary glands, it made me even sicker and pot was the only thing that helped me from barfing up my intestines. I even had a bucket I carried to daily radiation and everyone was beginning to giggle as soon as I walked in, wondering when I would dash the restroom the first time. I had to remind the radiation techs to be sure and turn the volume up in the room so they could hear me gurgle so I wouldn't choke on my own vomit. It was very humorous to everyone...except me. My wife was just hysterical the other day, reminding me how "cute" I was on all fours praying to the throne in the "reading room".

Hang in there, for some it is worse, but it always passes. You are almost home...

If you have a mediport or central access line, daily fluid is not bad and be sure they monitor your creatinine. Vomitting will surely dehydrate you and that only makes the chemo much harder to tolerate. Like Robert, I had 3 bags of fluid a day from week 3 until 2 weeks post treatment. After returning to work, I had two bags at night for 3 months. If you have blood pressure checking capabilities, check it sitting and standing. Ideally, it should be the same but a wide spread is a quick indication of dehydration. The body is 60%-80% fluid, depending on the part(s) and dehydration will exacerbate mucositis, stomatitis, digestive issues, sores, dry mouth, etc.

I, too, was mentally down during all this and until I got the rest of the family on anti-depressants, it was almost intolerable! I still remember talking with an oncology psychiatrist and she asked me if I needed anything for depression and I told her to give me a few weeks to see how the rest of the family responded to their scripts!

Ed

Erik ..My husband had what they referred to as intractable nausea....God he was sick , his best relief came from suppositories that were specially compounded at the pharmacy. Miracle bullets they were..knock you out but who cares. Ask for them if nausea is unbearable.
Best wishes
Marica