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First Round of Treatment Almost over...what to expect!?!?!


ngc4au

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Hello All!!

My father has had 4 chemo treatments (5 would have been yesterday but he couldn't get because his blood count was 1500).  So, he is going to try again next Wednesday and continue his radiation, which is currently at 18 so far with 12 more to go.  Here's my crazy question...he says he isn't coughing up chunks of material.  I am wondering if this is a bad sign--that the tumor isn't dying.  His follow up scan has been set for April 3rd...about six weeks away.  He was given medicine yesterday to treat a possible yeast infection in his mouth and if that doesn't clear things up he is supposed to double his Aclyovir for cold sores in his mouth.  One more thing, he says nothing tastes "right" and the oncologist told him some patients said that cold pineapple chunks helped with that.  Have any of got any other hints?  

 

Thank you you so much!  This site keeps me going!

Nicole

 

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Good morning, Nicole.  I can't speak to the concern about coughing; my tumor was removed prior to chemo.  But I do know that things tasted different when I was on chemo.  One of the tips I was given was to use plastic utensils.  Another tip was to keep hard candy like Life Savers or lemon drops handy; sucking on hard candy seemed to help.  Another tip was to gargle with baking soda, salt, and warm water daily (maybe after each meal?) to prevent mouth sores.  It also helped with the bad taste.  

Keep us posted on his progress.

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Nicole,

Susan is giving good taste and mouth sore remedies.  I'd add citrus fruits helped me a great deal.  In particular, oranges and pink grapefruit. I also consumed cranberry juice.  These didn't completely eliminate the strange sense of taste but eased the sensation.

It is not unusual to miss a chemo session because of blood counts.  I can't recall exactly of the 18 total I had that were postponed but it was frequent enough to become a non problem.  My doctor told me the chemo chemicals stay in the body for quite sometime and that postponed sessions were figured into the dosing and scheduling of my treatment plan.  

Now about coughing up stuff.  My tumor was in the main stem bronchus of my right lung.  As radiation and like chemo killed it, the tumor tissue became something to cough up. And it was unsettling to me because it was the same "chunks of stuff" you report for your father.  So, in my case, I have to say this is not a bad sign but a good sign.  The radiation and chemotherapy are having a good effect on the tumor.  They are likely killing is and your dad is coughing up dead tissue.

He's near or at the point in radiation where he will become very weak.  Be ready to assist.

Stay the course.

Tom

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Thank you both.  My worry is the he is NOT coughing up "chunks of stuff".  We were given the impression to expect that and he has not, as of yet, had that experience.  Yes, he is very weak.  

Thank you for your encouragement.

Nicole

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