It all begins today at about noon. First Rad, I originally thought would be getting chemo once every 3 weeks but MD prefers once a week. His thought cuts down on reactions, liver and kidney problems and safeguards hearing. I have received to RX for compazine and one other anti-naiusea medicines.
From what I have read on the forum it takes a couple of weeks for the side effects from Rad to kick in? Is it the same for the Chemo, my understanding is that it is more immediate? Thanks to the forum I was able to understand that removal of lymph nodes will probably take place after the cycle. I wish Onocologist had advised that up front. The reccomedation is to put off feeding tube unless I lose 20lbs.
Nervous about starting but at the same time looking forward to attacking it. How long does it take after chemo treatment for the nausea to subside?

Rick...Take it one-day-at-a-time...one-day-at-a-time...

Rick, I was getting the weekly chemo concurrent with r.t. and my experience was that I had the chemo on wed, was fine on thur and the nausea hit on fri. And, yes, it started the 1st week. R.t didn't become bad until about the 4th week when I lost my taste and saliva production and swallowing even the smallest pills became impossible. I can't see waiting for the peg, I got mine right before tx started and I'm glad I did. By now, your 1st rt should be done, hope it went well. It's going to be a long 7 weeks so, as Ray says, 1 day at a time.

Rick,

Consume a minimum of 3000 calories and 48 oz of water each and every day. Make it a goal and stick to it. I had the 3 doses of Cis and my first dose was a non event but the 2nd was much worse (but I had also had 15 rads by then) and my 3rd dose was really bad (but I also had 30 rads by then) so it's hard to say when or if you will be affected with those weekly baby doses. lol

I was also told that if I needed a ND it would be post Tx so that's a good thing in my book to wait and see if the rad and chemo kills the cancer first rather than perhaps performing surgery that was unnecessary.

Rick,

Did your doctor's give you a schedule for taking your anti nausea meds? My husband had the same first dosage as DavidCPA and he took all the meds per the schedule and he did not get any nausea. Everyone is different, but do try to take those anti nausea meds on schedule even if you are feeling fine.

I know several people who didn't need the neck dissection post treatment because the rad and chemo took care of the issue...cross your fingers and hope you will fall into that category! :-)

I'm quite sure you will lose at least 20 pounds. I think it is odd that your doc put that amount to the criteria for the tube. It wasn't nausea that got my husband, rather the inability to eat. He went from 200 to 155 and that all happened towards the end of treatment very rapidly. I wished he had gotten a peg, but our doctor had this belief that starving the patient meant starving the cancer...but, I believe the healing can go more rapidly if there is a tube in place to get much needed protein, meds and fluids.

Margaret,

I guess he also believes in Starve a Cold and Feed a Fever or Feed a Cold and Starve a Fever, which ever?

How is Dan anyway?

Riding his bike yet or is it still snowing up there?

Rick,

Not to steal your thread....I did take my anti nausea meds but after a while nothing seemed to work and the pain left swallowing as a real chore and even if I was able to swallow I would usually get nauseated so I, being the MAN that I am, would lie to my wife when she came home and said " how many cans did you drink today?". Then I would get dehydrated and the BIG C would follow along with more nausea so that's where the PEG would have come in real handy. Sometimes being a MAN gets in the way of progress.

First day of chemo is today. (Cisplatin) Prior to this my main h20 intake was from coffee and a beer at night, never have been much of a water drinker. Yesterday had 96 oz of water, is that enough?
I am starting to read conflicting info on some of the reading material. I am starting to realize that everyones body reacts different. Most sites say no alcohol, then today one book said to drink a glass of wine or beer to stimulate saliva?
The idea of having a barf bucket in the car was a very practical idea.
My wife corrected me on my statement about the 20lbs, she said the MD had said 20%.
David, good to see you are able to exercise the same as before. My goal is to be sailing by the end of the season and to be skiing this winter. Thanks for the responses.

Well, Rick, gear up for battle and go get 'em. I like your attitude.

Rick,

For the time being skip the alcohol but your are reading correctly when you said...."I am starting to realize that everyone's body reacts different." That's very true and we always hope everyone has an easy time during Tx.

rick

As others have posted, getting your lymph nodes out in a neck dissection may not be needed. I was very relieved when I did not need one the first time around. Staying hydrated wasn't a problem for me even though I struggled with the Ensure Plus and like David, I was a real alpha Male and did the whole thing without a PEG, so you may make it. I did lose over 20% of weight however and had to cheat on the weigh ins. However in retrospect, it would have been easier if I had had the PEG.
Your return to exercise schedule sounds doable. I was back lifting weights and doing Pilates and Yoga in two months after TX. within a year, stronger and better than ever. Especially without surgery, you will do just fine. Finally, my doctors were okay with a beer a day and it really felt good going down my throat plus added needed calories. Even now, I do a glass of wine a day in my PEG. Good luck
Charm

I have regrets that I didn't push hard enough for a peg and a port for my husband. Towards the end of treatment, they had trouble finding good veins (so he was often a human pin cushion)...and, he came w/in 2 pounds post treatment of medically needing a peg.

We struggled daily to get his medications down along with any form of nutrition. One week following treatment, his only fluid was from an IV. Once a tube becomes medically necessary, the patient is already in bad shape that the simple procedure is more complicated.

It's my understanding that it is not advisable to drink alcohol through treatment. There's a separate debate about post treatment drinking. My husband does have an occasional beer. But, he never drank during treatment...and, because his taste was compromised, I don't think he drank for a year after treatment.

I hope your first day went well. Usually, the first couple of weeks aren't too bad. And, we certainly hope you are one of the lucky ones who makes it through easily!

Rick:

I used to like a beer after working in the yard, after golf but I didn't have much taste for one for maybe a year post tx. I drank a lot of water during my treatments. Some days I know I was downing 10-12 bottles. Every day they would pound it in my head get calories and fluids. I also did IV fluid flush for 4 days following the Cisplatin but I was on the big 3 doses plan.

As I had mentioned I lost weight because it got very hard to swallow , plus I walked and did not eat any junk food, pasta, bread, etc. So you really have to be sure you pick up those calories somewhere, VHC, Ensure, milkshakes....

I had ny ND after treatments . I had very little problems, in and out in a little over 24 hrs. 5 days at home then I was good to go, a bit slow at first but very little discomfort.

Just get after it one day at a day and before you know it you have beat the crap out of it, Good Luck