Bev'sSister Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 On Monday the 16th, my sister will start her 2nd Chemo round. I have been told that each round of chemo gets a little worse for the patient. Is this true? Are there "tricks" that people to do to be better prepared? I know that eating fruits and vegetable are good to bring the immune system up. Also this time, she has medication to take for the nausea, before she actually gets chemo. I am just wondering if it will be worse on her this time or pretty much the same as the 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanie55 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 For me, each time was pretty much the same, except for my last treatment, when I was expecting the worst, it was actually my easiest treatment. Go figure?? Please make sure she drinks plenty of water. Its very easy to get dehydrated, which I found out. Drink, drink, drink. Whatever liquids she can get down, including soups, ensure, etc. The antinausea meds should really help a lot. I took Emend which was a lifesaver. Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 Thanks Joanie.that is good to hear. She does drink a lot of fluids and in between nausea bouts she eats several small meals. I think her doctor gave her a pre-chemo medicine that starts with a Z..can't think of the name of it..and of course she has the Phennegrin(have no idea how to spell that) I have never heard of Emend, but I will remember that name..just in case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen335 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Bobby, Is it Zofran (sp?) I had Kytril... Sending up prayers. Blessings, Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 Thank you all for your replies. I am still trying to get her to get on here and talk with everyone, but she said it scares her right now, I hope I can convince her by telling her how wonderful you all are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Agree with plenty of liquids and taking meds routinely instead of when nauseated. Eating a small snack every 2-3 hours keeps the nausea down. As far as, does it get worse, well, that depends on the person and the particular chemo. Sometimes the side effects progress and sometimes each treatment is pretty much like the previous. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplelady47 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Wow! What great ideas you have received!!! I can't add much, other than to express that sometimes we just don't know. We have all been told that the affects of chemo are cumulative, but since every person is different - different age, different health status, different stage of cancer, it's hard to predict. When I was on my first chemo, I didn't notice a big difference between #1 and #2. But when I had my second chemo, I was knocked on my butt by fatigue after chemo #2. But my red blood cell count was in the basement, so that caused the great fatigue. I was very pleased that my fatigue level was greatly reduced after chemo #3. I try to plan for the worse for the days after chemo. That way if it is not so bad, then I am pleasantly surprised. I had chemo yesterday, so I am feeling pretty spunky today (gotta love those steroids!). But I plan on spending the next 3-5 days on the couch watching videos, reading and doing simple crafts. I am a great believer in Boost milkshakes. I buy the ones with fiber that help offset any potential constipation issues from my medications. I can't drink them straight, but with a couple of scoops of premium ice cream they are pretty good. And I highly recommend Dairy Queen too!!! I will be thinking of your sister and you as you deal with chemo #2. Chemo isn't fun but it is doable when the cancer patient has a great caregiver like you. With a gentle hug, Pam in FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 What a sweet reply. Thank you. Actually, I live about 225 miles away from her. She will get her chemo on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The first round of chemo, she was ok til around Friday night..then the nausea and tiredness came. So I will probably go there Friday and stay the weekend with her. She does love ice cream..so I will buy her some boost and see how that goes. Thanks for a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Jo Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Hi Bobby- My sister is starting her 7th round. Each one has been a little different. The funny thing is that sometimes she does lots of yoga and eats really well in between, but has a harder time. You really just have to be in the moment with it, and watch out for expectations. It gets easier with the knowledge you gain each time. We do lots of veggie juicing, eat watermelon and berries and she really tries to drink a gallon of water per day. Best of luck to you and your sister! Marco Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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