24 November 2007

 

Chemotherapy side effects

So far I have been pretty lucky with the side effects of this round of chemotherapy. I've had three treatments (of 12) since early October, and I still have my hair. (Not even any thinning yet.) I feel a bit nauseated for the three days of the treatment itself, but not long after I am merely a somewhat tired version of normal.

But there are effects. During treatments I get frequent hiccups. Outside that time I also sneeze pretty often. I have a consistently runny nose, and sometimes the discharge is a bit pink (yummy). And yes, I get tired easily.

I've also noticed that I'm more sensitive to temperature: hot showers feel hotter, and cold diet pop bites in my throat more than it used to. That may get more severe over time.

Other colorectal cancer patients I've talked to have had it much worse, even early in their treatments. Some have been relatively healthy through the whole cycle, while others started getting ill about half-way through. I'm hoping I'm in the former category.

In other words, so far so good.

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Comments:

Hi Derek ....it's good to hear your doing well on this course of chemo. While reading this last posting I thought back to what you were going through before and after your surgery. It seems the pain part is over, at least I hope so. It does sound like you're doing much better and that's good news. We're all still rooting for you and hoping for your continued positive progress. Take care, Barbra
 
One quarter done... three quarters to go... it does seem a long run, but on the other hand, if they use the same products all the time, there is no reason why you suddenly would get the worse reactions to them.

I do hope you will go through the next months smoothly, and with very little side effects, but most of all, I do hope they will do a good job and get rid of those cancer cells for good !

Hang on, next christmas will be better.