Well, here I am!!

[billhouchens]

My wife was diagnosed over seven years ago at age 47 with an odd adenocarcinoma. Upper right lobectomy, follwed by several very tiny recurrences, always appearing to be new growth, easily treated with "melon balling" or wedge resection.

More recently, she's been treated VERY successfully with Cyberknife. AMAZING technology.

I was diagnosed at age 54, in mid August, with a primary squamous cell upper RIGHT lobe. Lobectomy was successful as heck, all margins clear as a bell.

Elected to do the adjunctive chemo of Carboplatin and Taxol, sixteen treatments, once per week. First one was last Friday.

Question as to side effects; I didn't get particularly ill or tired, although I began mild abdominal cramping that evening of the treatment, and it still is coming and going as of today (Monday afternoon). I get VERY mildy nauseous each time one of these cramps rolls thru, much like that diarrhea feeling, although I don't have the trots. Quite the opposite, since I'm taking Oxycodone for some ongoing thoracotomy pain.

Did anyone else experience this? Do the suppositories, if taken proactively (and which I learned about this morning, not last Friday) help if you get out in front of the upset?

My understanding is that with the exception of cumulative fatigue, pretty much all other side effects (except for hair loss) can be managed. Can this griping cramping be minimized or stopped?

Thanks for listening! And yeah, I'm scared.

[Kasey]

Hey Bill, I'm here too!! Ain't it grand? Glad to 'meetcha' ! Welcome to your wife too. We are always happy to have success stories as inspiration!!!!

Kasey

[Don Wood]

Hey, Bill! Welcome! Your symptoms are typically of chemo side effects. Does a number on the digestive tract. We learned to take a nausea pill at start of day, whether you feel queazy or not. Sorta get ahead of it. It also helps to snack every two or three hours to keep something on the tummy. Sorta like with seasickness. You can take medications to counter the diarrhea or constipation, whichever you seem to have at the time. Keep us posted. Don

[hollyanne]

I am sorry you had to find us...but welcome. I suggest taking SENNEKOT every single day -- every single day! My mom too was on a lot of pain medication and eventually became impacted, yep that constipation is nasty. I suggest taking the SENNEKOT S (I think it is S) -- it has both a softner and something to keep you "going."

My mom also found that taking an anti-nausea pill before chemo and radiation helped her manage. They can also give ant-nausea medication in the IV.

Will be thinking about you and your wife.

Holly

[MEA]

Hi Bill,

Just wanted to send a very warm welcome your way.

My husband did not have nauseousness, but he did take SENNEKOT daily during his treatments for SCLC.

Just curious...I once had a wonderful boss named Bill Houchens....by any chance did you work at Marble Hill.

Mary

[Snowflake]

Bill,

Can't help you with chemo side effects, the only chemo I did was a trail of Iressa for two months and the side effects are very different.

Welcome to our family. Were you not scared, you'd definitely be crazy...I'm scared, too.

Best of luck to you,

Becky

[blaze100]

Welcome Bill. Yes cancer is definitely not for sissies, especially lung cancer.

Your doc should be prescribing anti-nausea medication which you probably should take routinely before you begin to feel sick.

The pain pills alone would make me feel pukey, so pain pills on top of chemo could be bad combo.

Hope you feel better Bill. Barb

[Don M]

Hi Bill, welcome. You have got some good tips regarding managing chemo I see. It looks like you caught it early and it is nipped in the bud. Good luck with your chemo.

Don M

[Raindog]

Hi Bill and welcome,

Glad to see you have already received a heep of good advice from these amazing folks.

My best thoughts to you and yours,

-Rod

[Donna G]

Welcome Bill. Wow you and your wife are having too much in commom! Glad to hear she is a survivor! You will be too. Sorry to hear you are having side effects. Yes that thoracotomy incision does really want some pain meds for a while. The good news is in a few years you will look back and know you made it and your a tough guy, like said this cancer stuff is not for sissies.

Keep us posted.

Donna G

[ernrol]

Welcome Bill,

I had similar chemo. I had no bad side effects.

I was allready taking Citrucel. I had to increase it to 8 caplets a day 4 with breakfast and 4 with dinner. I also try to drink a lot of water and I have oatmeal for breakfast. This did the trick for me. Let me know if you want to know of other things I took.

Ernie

[billhouchens]

Thanks so much to all who've responded!! My wife and I have found so much strength in just talking thru all this.

Every single one of you have become my heroes!! I guarantee you all I have never, ever been a quitter, and there is no time in my life where that trait will be tested more than right now. I fully expect to weather this storm, and will continue to read and post on here!

Special thanks to all who posted about the tummy troubles...kinda miserable to walk around crampy and mildly nauseous. I'll give all the tips a try. I did get a prescription suppository, don't recall the name (I'm at work right now); it stayed in for just a half-hour, before it was "overcome by events", but it seemed to reduce the intensity and frequency of those "waves".

Again, thanks and good luck to all!!

Bill

[sharonjo]

Welcome Bill,

I was treated with the same chemotherapy drugs, and I had very minimal side effects. The others here have already given you some great advice on how to deal with the side effects you may encounter. I just wanted to say Hello and extend my wishes for a very successful treatment for you!

You are so right about cancer not being for sissies. Hang in there and stay strong!

God Bless,

Sharon

[Maryanne]

Wow-sorry to hear this has come around again and now to you.

My husband had the same chemo, but not as much as you. His was 4 sessions three weeks apart, and each session lasted 5 hours. Maybe yours is more frequent but less hours.

He had some numbness in his feet area. He never had any neasuea. He did lose his hair. About the third day after treatment he had some flu like symptoms in his legs. That lasted about 2 or 3 days, then he was fine. It was very doable. He took perocets for the flu like pain which helped him.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

By the way welcome here. We are a very caring and supportive family.

Maryanne

[Ry]

I am sorry I am so late in welcoming you. I am glad you found us.

[ztweb]

And we are glad you are!...here that is!! I am sorry you had to find us, but I am so glad thatyou did. This is a wonderful place to learn, grow, find strength, and cry.

Chemo stinks, but it has an end, and I used to always tell my dad, "Keep your eye on the prize, Dad."

Stay strong, and God bless,

Jen