 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Watch your intake! Dehydration can cause far bigger problems while you are having chemo with your radiation. Chemo can be very hard on the kidneys. You MUST flush it out with at least 48 oz of water every single day. Dont think you can skimp one day and make it up the next, the next day never comes.
Your nutrition is what will make it easier or harder to get thru this. Every single day you must get a minimum of 2500 calories. Not sure if you have a feeding tube or not but you still need to keep swallowing every day anyway, even if it hurts.
Dont worry about bothering doctors on the weekends. They work for you. If you need fluids you can get them in the chemo lab with your doc referring you over for hydration. You will instantly feel alot better when you get a couple bags of fluids. Dehydration can make you feel awful. Dont suffer in silence, call the doc. If you feel you arent getting enough daily speak up. Tell the nurses or your doc. This is very very important!!!! You must have open communication with your medical team. In order to help you they need to know if you are struggling and whats going on with your side effects.
Dont be embarrassed to ask for help either, you arent the first and wont be the last to go thru this. Your team should be able to help get you back on track with nutrition and hydration. If your facility has a nutritionist, it may be a good idea to speak with them to help you with your diet.
As far as nausea goes, take the anti-nausea meds even if you think you are past the throwing up. Thats where I got hung up, I would think i was ok and would skip a dose then I was sick as a dog and couldnt keep anything down. If you are doing the 3 big bag method of chemo it will usually hit you 5 - 8 days after you get the dose of chemo. I am guessing that you will feel the effects of it for 4 - 6 days then you will be ok again until the next dose. Make sure to tell your team everything! They will adjust the dosage partly depending on your reaction to the chemo.
Hang in there and stick with us, we will help get you thru this.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
