| | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 Supporting Member (50+ posts) |  Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 | Hello,
My husband is on day #17 of radiation and has had his 2nd chemo last Thurs the 2nd of July. He isn't on any heavy pain meds except Tylenol occasionally. He definitely can't remember things said or what he was doing. Seems sporadic and his short term memory affected. He is really tired and has been sleeping non- stop since this 2nd chemo treatment. It could be b/c he is so tired that he can't remember anything. I have to watch him b/c before I went to work last night. He wanted meds for constipation. We had one med that wasn't what he should take. We discussed it and I said I would get a diff. med in the morning. So it takes it anyway and was up all night with the runs and completely dehydrated in the morning. Just what he needed! He had no recollections of our conversations not to take the meds. He also felt his memory was compromised after the last chemo treatment. So I guess it is different for each person but for us the memory loss is very noticeable. He is also very nauseated the first round of chemo but the 2nd round he adjusted his anti-nausea meds and has no problem with that.
Jeff age 49 DX 5/8/09 Tonsil cancer T2N2BMO. Tonsillectomy 5/14/09. TX: Cisplatin 3x's every 21 days w/ 33 Rad concurrent. 2-3 nodes on right neck affected. PEG 7/10/09. Chemo/rad start 6/12/9, TX finished 7/28/09. Extended TX
3 more chemo/Cisplatin/5FU/Docetaxil start 9/11, Clean PET 10/29/09.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | If you do a search here on the boards for "chemo brain" (what posters started calling it) it is a pretty well documented experience among many of the posters here. No one has suggested that it persists after the end of treatment, and the body's return to normal without the chemo drugs in it.
Radiation definitely causes people to become very lethargic. I slept 12-15 hours a day during my treatments. I wouldn't be concerned about that, as in my opinion, it is time for your body to recuperate from the onslaught, and it was that many hours that I wasn't in physical or emotional pain. I also wasn't making everyone around me nuts with my bitching about all that was happening to me.....
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | I had (still have if you listen to Margaret Hupe in still cold Wisconsin) chemo brain and I just laid around the bed all day from about my 4th week of Tx until appx 3 weeks post Tx. I couldn't stay focused on anything very long. Hell I couldn't even keep up with Judge Judy! It got so bad that I would sleep, wake up, drink whatever I could, sleep, wake up, drink whatever I could.... you get the picture.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 | David,
I'm actually quite Grateful he is sleeping a lot of the time. It seems very happy in the dream state. I guess he will be staying in bed for the next few weeks with the occasional trip to th frig to get a drink. I feel like I don't have too much to do except hand him an ensure and put lotion of his neck. Thanks for the confirmation that sleeping is normal at this stage. I thought it was...but good to hear from others (except you still have chemo brain so should I listen to you)? Just kidding? And the teasing goes on....
Vanessa
Jeff age 49 DX 5/8/09 Tonsil cancer T2N2BMO. Tonsillectomy 5/14/09. TX: Cisplatin 3x's every 21 days w/ 33 Rad concurrent. 2-3 nodes on right neck affected. PEG 7/10/09. Chemo/rad start 6/12/9, TX finished 7/28/09. Extended TX
3 more chemo/Cisplatin/5FU/Docetaxil start 9/11, Clean PET 10/29/09.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | You said
...I feel like I don't have too much to do except hand him an ensure and put lotion of his neck....
Just wait baby your time is coming!!! You will shortly wish that's all you had to do. I guarantee it. You better rest up now to, enough said.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 | Okay.... I lied.. kind of... I have enough to do between house,family, work and his care... but I'll brace myself for the next shift in responsibilities!!!! Thanks for warning me.. I feel better already... "the calm before the storm"?
Jeff age 49 DX 5/8/09 Tonsil cancer T2N2BMO. Tonsillectomy 5/14/09. TX: Cisplatin 3x's every 21 days w/ 33 Rad concurrent. 2-3 nodes on right neck affected. PEG 7/10/09. Chemo/rad start 6/12/9, TX finished 7/28/09. Extended TX
3 more chemo/Cisplatin/5FU/Docetaxil start 9/11, Clean PET 10/29/09.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 |
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: May 2009 Posts: 72 | That, David, is my husbands favorite book!!!!! How appropriate!
Jeff age 49 DX 5/8/09 Tonsil cancer T2N2BMO. Tonsillectomy 5/14/09. TX: Cisplatin 3x's every 21 days w/ 33 Rad concurrent. 2-3 nodes on right neck affected. PEG 7/10/09. Chemo/rad start 6/12/9, TX finished 7/28/09. Extended TX
3 more chemo/Cisplatin/5FU/Docetaxil start 9/11, Clean PET 10/29/09.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | All kidding aside. It may get gritty during Tx and if it does you can be the glue that holds him together and keeps him focused on your mutual goal of finishing Tx and winning this war.
3000 cals each and every day.
48 ozs of water each and every day.
stay on top of the pain meds.
You see that he does those 3 things and I guarantee he will fare as best he can and when he does well your job will be easier.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 718 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 718 | David, Did you double check your math on those cals and ozs? I just want to make sure the info you are giving Vanessa is 120% correct. (BTW, I was going to stop giving you a hard time about that, but when you dangle the carrot...I can't help myself!) I think Jeff's amazing, 1/2 way through and no pain meds yet! Soon, he's going to be done. Vanessa, David posted awhile back that 20% get through pretty easily, 80% have a horrible, horrible time and the other 20% have a horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible time. Maybe Jeff's going to be in the first 20%. I don't think fatigue and a little chemo brain counts as horrible, horrible. But, David set the categories and the funky percentages. So, we'll have to see how he weighs in. By this time in treatment, Dan was horrible, horrible and heading to the horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible. So, tell Jeff he's doing good! And, then remind him tomorrow because with the chemo brain he might forget you told him. 
Margaret
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C/G: Husband, 48 (at time of dx)
Dx 5/18/07 SCC, BOT, lymph node involvement. T1N2BM0. (Stage 4a, G2/3)
Tx 6/18 - 8/3/07, IMRT x 33 Cisplatin x3 (stopped after 1st dose due to hearing issues). Weekly Erbitux started 6/27/07 completed 8/6/07.
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