I’ve been trying to research the severity of chemo but it seems like there are variables regarding the type of chemo but it seems to range from awful to horrific.

Is the fist round the worst? Is it all bad? How does it vary?

I really appreciate any input, advice or experience anyone can provide on this subject.

Thank you.

As you said, it varies with the exact meds used, dosage and probably other factors I'm unaware of.

My daughter just finished up a regimen of chemo for breast cancer and overall, it wasn't horrible going by her reports. Complete hair loss, fluid retention and some myopathy neuropathy in hands and feet, and fatigue that increased as the regiment progressed. She's tougher than a baked owl, so it may have been worse than she let on.

She's coming out of it about 3 weeks post regimen. She was on a cocktail of meds, and she's still on one of them once every 3 weeks for a while.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PHPaul,

My pal had chemo for testicular cancer and visiting him was like a viewing at a funeral. It was bad but wasn’t a long treatment.

My mom had chemo for blood stuff and it was a couple IVs and she went home. Didn’t even get nauseated.

My dad had chemo for bladder cancer. Got it put in, went home, lost his hair and watched TV so not much changed.

It's no picnic. That being said I think they have gotten much better at targeting their dosages so across the board the effects are better than they used to be.

My first round of chemo was in conjunction with radiation therapy. It was all by mouth. I can't tell you if the side effects were from the rad or the chemo.

Second round was the classic sit in a chair for 4 hours and get your chemo. Go home with a "pump" for the next couple days and then get that removed. It wasn't awful but it certainly takes it out of you. My wife would make baths with certain oils and whatnot that were supposed to rid the body of toxins. I don't know if any of that was true but I found myself looking forward to those baths. I ended up soaking for a long time, candles, music. I found it to be a highpoint of the week. Neuropathy of the hands and feet were a definite side effect.

The better shape you are going in definitely helps. Good attitude helps. Sudoku puzzles and warm blankets help the time go by. I slept a lot during the infusions.

If you don't like needles get a port for the infusions. Mine only worked part of the time but when it did it was way better than getting an IV.

Good luck. If you need anything more specific feel free to email/phone me.

My daughter went through chemo for her breast cancer. She was treated with what the staff referred to as "the red devil", they had to put on protective gear to administer. Recently she wrote a book regarding going through the treatments. It is funny (somewhat sarcastic) and to the point of what one goes through from the aspect of someone that has been there. Mostly about the side effects. The title is "So, You're Getting Chemo..." by Tracy Wazac. It is available through Amazon.
My best wishes for a good outcome.

BTW, there are a couple of "naughty" words in the book, but those going through treatment will understand.

It might make a gift for someone facing this treatment so they may know what they could experience.

There is no free lunch.

My first exposure was with a second generation drug following my diagnosis. I was put on the "normal" adult dosage and within a couple days was in the ER and then ICU as it almost killed me. Spent 9 days there including having a port placed in my neck for dialysis of my blood to eliminate the near lethal remnants of the drug's action.

Once stable the drug was re-administered but the dosage was throttled back. Ended up with 1/4 the "normal" dosage. Within months I developed plural effusion, was put on O2 requiring me to cart a tank around with me and sleep with a oxygen cannula. Had to have thoracentesis four times before the pulmonologists convinced the oncologists that the chemo was causing this. At the time the drug's literature did NOT show this as a potential side effect. Now, years later it reflects 18% of patients will experience this issue.

I was switched to a different chemo drug which has its own side effects. Unpleasant but manageable. And the chemo stabilized my condition which is the most important outcome.

For my neck cancer in 2003, I had chemo in the hospital, an entire week , 3 separate times. Bags of it. It was terrible, as the Oncology doctor was giving me ultra heavy doses.

Sick. And my God, at the times I was stuck with a needle. By the end of the 3rd round, even thinking about food made me puke.

I think today's chemo treatments are nothing like what I had. Of course I lost my hair, no big deal. But I was sicker than I'd ever been in my life.

Until I started my radiation treatments.

Bad enough that after a few treatments my grandma chose hospice over chemo. That's a case by case basis,it depends on how and what they are attacking, in her case it was lung cancer that was spreading.

My bride had chemo for glioblastoma. It seems to have damaged her bone marrow and internal organs. I say that based on the fact that the Oncologist stopped the treatments when her blood counts got way out of whack and she had to be hospitalized for liver failure.

She’s bedridden in a nursing home at 65 years old now. I think the chemo merely extended her life somewhat but didn’t help it be of good quality.

Based on this experience I’d sure not choose chemo if I got diagnosed with glioblastoma and would sure consider alternative treatments for any kind of cancer.

Sister in law recently finished for colon cancer. The nausea was as advertised but some anti nausea meds helped. Lack of energy. Neuropathy in hands and feet. Chemo brain fog. She’s tough as hell and a total fitness buff and it kicked her ass.

The effects of chemo are cumulative. The last is the worst. Depending upon the cocktail, side effects vary. Get a port so you don't blow out your veins. Sometimes the steroids for the side effects are worse than the chemo drugs. Your experience may vary. There is a difference between palliative and curative treatments.

I had several rounds for testicular cancer almost 18 years ago. The latter rounds were the worst. At one point I remember my white blood cell count dropping resulting in an overnight stay in the hospital. I had a port which made administration of the chemo pretty easy.

Most foods didn’t taste quite right and I was not permitted to eat seafood which was a big bummer for me - not a great idea to consume those with a compromised immune system.

My brother is getting ready to start what they say is the strongest chemo, for lung cancer. It’s supposed to leave permanent heart and kidney (I’m pretty sure he said kidney) damage. It will destroy his immune system and it’s supposed to take up to 4 months to recover from. I hope yours is not the same, it’s not going to be an easy road for my brother but he has few options since he’s got a rare cancer. BTW, he’s never smoked, has been teaching martial arts since he was a teen and still got lung cancer.

May the Lord help you through yours.

The missus takes oral chemo.
Side effects not too bad, off and on flu like symptoms, fatigue and a very little bit of hair loss.



.

My wife was diagnosed with leukemia in August of 2018, on her second round of chemo they gave her one called cyterabine. She had a really bad reaction to it, it messed up her cerebellum, causing stroke like symptoms that she still struggles with today. Her speech, stamina, balance, walking and fine motor skills were affected. She could not even sit on the side of the bed without assistance or she would fall over. Things have improved some but she had to go on permanent disability at age fifty one after working at UPS for twenty five years. Other than that she had some other common issues with her chemo regimen such as nausea, low energy, hair loss and sweating real bad during her treatments. My step sister is an oncology nurse and she got my wife these Preggie Pop Drops that pregnant women use for morning sickness. They helped with my wife’s nausea. Also, at my wife’s oncologist office, they have bowls sitting around with small boxes of Lemon Heads. They are for the patients who are there to receive chemo to help with the nausea. So far my wife’s bone marrow transplant has been successful and she was told her chances of relapse were very small, she’s very happy and has accepted what has happened to her and has moved on from it more than most could have.

It sucks. The experience varies upon many factors, type and stage of cancer, medication, current health at diagnosis, attitude, oncologist, treatment center, whatever. It really sucks if radiation is included in the treatment. So many things I'd like to say here but. At first it's the unknown about the whole process. PM me if you'd care to.

My cancer was treated with chemo, radiation and major surgery. My chemo was administered via a pump that ran 24 hours a day through a port. That lasted 6 weeks and the radiation at the same time for 5 weeks, 5 days a week. I darn near died on the operating table after all of that. I mean literally! My heart stopped for 2 min and 45 sec. It took 3 hits with the paddles to bring me back. It did kill and stop the cancer but I have never fully recovered from the experience. That was 6 years ago. It did save my life but I doubt I'd subject myself to it again at my age of 74.

Jim

Some truly badass tough mofo’s here … thank you for sharing

I think it varies a lot with many factors. I have known some who were very sick from the treatment, and others who were a lot less affected. Which you can see from the first hand accounts.

quote:

Originally posted by bettysnephew:
My daughter went through chemo for her breast cancer. She was treated with what the staff referred to as "the red devil", they had to put on protective gear to administer. Recently she wrote a book regarding going through the treatments. It is funny (somewhat sarcastic) and to the point of what one goes through from the aspect of someone that has been there. Mostly about the side effects. The title is "So, You're Getting Chemo..." by Tracy Wazac. It is available through Amazon.
My best wishes for a good outcome.

BTW, there are a couple of "naughty" words in the book, but those going through treatment will understand.

It might make a gift for someone facing this treatment so they may know what they could experience.

The wife got “red devil” for her breast cancer. Hair loss and such, but very manageable side effects. Chemo brain and neuropathy is still a thing.

But, on the other hand, the survey showed that the tumor had vanished, and been clear since. So there’s that.