Ok I have my first chemo treatment Thursday morning. They will be treating me with Cisplantin. I have a port put infor the treatment. Radiation will start Thursday afternoon as well. So any dos and dont's? Also, I need to travel to my sons spring football game Sat. Any issues with that travel? Thanks...

Hi Al! Im glad you have started your treatments so you can get rid of your cancer. When undergoing treatments, be careful around crowds. Your resistance will get progressively more compromised as treatments continue. Just be aware of avoiding any sick people and crowds. Use hand sanitizer often and wash your hands all the time, the more the better. Plus dont put your hands near your eyes, nose or mouth to help avoid spreading germs.

Eat as much as you possibly can!!!! Push yourself to have all your favorites now as your sense of taste and ability to swallow will change temporarily. Its one of the lovely side effects we all go thru. Every single day take in at least 2500 calories and 48-64 oz of water. Especially important is extra water the day prior to, the day of and the day after getting chemo. You want to flush that poison out of your system! Pay close attention to any changes after having chemo, especially hearing and report them to your nurse and doctors immediately. Do NOT get another dose of chemo if you have any issue no matter how minor with your hearing. Cisplatin can be changed to something else. It is known to cause hearing loss which is permanent so pay close attention to this.

Best wishes with everything!!!

Good luck Al. The only thing I can ad to what Christine said is watch your energy level. The fatigue can hit you like a freight train so just be prepared.

Best of luck and keep us informed with your progress!!

Ed

Everyone has different reactions to chemo. Talk with your doctor prior to starting about medications that may reduce the nausea and have them available "just in case". Also, have contingency plans in place for minor "emergencies" vomiting / intestinal issues etc. (Because of that, I would recommend being very careful about food intake until you're certain about how your body reacts.)

Good Luck

Where from in Pittsburgh?

North Hills, (Ben Avon), We've lived there for the last fifteen years +/-

Are you familiar with the Pittsburgh Area?

Born and raised in Plum Borough....live in Alabama now.

I've moved away from the area twice and always found my way back for varying reasons, career opportunities / finish undergrad degree and go on to complete masters in engineering. My family and in-laws are all from the Pittsburgh area and I honestly cannot think of a better place to raise my kids.

Still a Steelers Fan Right? (I'm actually more of a baseball guy, but the Pirates sure make it hard to be their fans! Heck, hockey playoffs start soon so that will take the sting of the Pirates losing for the next couple of weeks anyway.)

What team does your son play for?

Plays for South Alabama in Mobile

How are you doing? Hopefully you were able to enjoy a good football game.

Chemo can be a real hard part of the treatment / cure. The whole process is really tough on your body.

Have you set up a good support system yet?

If you want to talk off board just send a private email. (Flashing envelope icon at top of page).

Good luck

I had a decent day today... got to watch my son in his spring game today. I am a bit worn out! Well worth the trip!!!