r/Chemotherapy

Day 3 after my first TCHP chemo.

I went into this probably over optimistic (after a very rough emotional rollercoaster at the diagnostic stage), but today it feels like most of that has evaporated.

I could really use some real silver linings from people who’ve been through this, things that genuinely helped you get through the worst parts please? It can be deep or shallow or anything in between.

I’ll go first:
\- I’m getting paid sick leave and I get to spend more time with my baby
\- my treatment is all covered by my company health insurance which got me quick access to diagnosis and treatment and I get to choose my medical team
\- I’m potentially getting a cleavage I’ve never had in my life. Small win, but I’ll take it. (I have BC and will need a mastectomy with reconstruction)

I always forget to mention this every time someone asks what they should get as they prepare for chemotherapy. Everyone mentions cold mittens and booties, snacks, digestive aids, headphones, etc…but I never see anyone mention a bidet or a handheld shower head. They’re so Inexpensive now, and they were so helpful to me in the early days of each cycle. I thought I’d make a dedicated post in hopes of reaching those I’ve missed in past posts.

Wherever you are in your journey, know that it gets better, and it’s going to be okay. Hang in there and best wishes!

I was diagnosed with a lymphoma 3 years ago, and after 8 months of chemo and 2 of radiotherapy I have now been cancer free for two years - hell yeah!

But I don't know if it is just a matter of heightened health awareness, aging (I'm currently 33, started treatment at 30) or shit luck, but I feel like my health hasn't ever been the same. I always had the health of a horse and throughout my 20s I spent periods of 3+ years through which I didn't even catch a single cold.

Nowadays I feel like I get sick way more often and like I bruise and scar extremely easy. Last year I even had a swollen lymph node for some unkown reason, which I had never had before. I've done regular check-ups and blood work and not a single thing has ever come up wrong with them. My doctor isn't sure what it could be either, but he says that damage to my immune system would show up in the tests done. Could just be good old regular aging, I guess. Stress is not a factor, I'm in the best place I've ever been right now. Maybe I just notice stuff more?

Has anyone ever felt similar?

Getting ready to receive my first FOLFOX treatment. Got the anti nausea meds, steroids already. Then two hours of oxaliplatin and then the 48 hour bag of the 5-FU.

Remember when I said they had said it was not stomach cancer? Well it looks like it originated in the stomach. After my last biopsy, they went deeper into the mass in my stomach and it looks malignant. Don't know the stage of that one yet. I do know the lining of my digestive system is stage 4. But hopefully this is the answer to where the cancer originated. I still have to do my PET. Could be wed depending if I can do it with a chemo bag.

Anyhow, I am still pretty nervous about this chemo. 😬 hopefully in a few days I can come back here and let y'all know how it went.

Good luck to all the folks going through their first time . .....🫶🫂

I am a 36 year old American living in Warsaw, Poland. I am receiving chemotherapy 3 times a week for myeloma and while the care here is incredible, my Polish is not good enough to attend the support groups that are available. With my compromised immune system it would be better for me to attend online anyway. If anyone has any suggestions to find online support groups that I could attend from outside the country it would be appreciated. The ones I have found are largely organized by state or by the hospitals themselves.

I’ll be starting my 3 cycles of chemo (Bep regimen) soon and wanted to ask if you guys have any advice or tips to help reduce the side effects.

What do people usually do during the treatment? Do your usually sleep, watch shows, or snack while on the drip?

What snacks or drinks helped during chemo? Did anything help with nausea or fatigue?

What should I bring to each session, and were there any side effects that caught you by surprise?

How long did it usually take to recover after each cycle? Any tips for sleeping better after treatment?

Did things like hydration, cold caps, or ice gloves help?

We all know chemo sucks; we can fill pages of how horrible its side effects can be. But have you had any surprisingly nice side dishes to your entree of misery? (And killing cancer doesn’t count—that’s a given.)

For me, my seasonal allergies have been way reduced, I have almost no chronic heartburn since starting carbo/taxol, and mosquitos won’t come near me!

Can you share which ones? I got some and they don’t seem tight at all. Any suggestions?

I know everyone is on different drugs than I will be on and that everyone is different in how their bodies react. I just want to hear/read people's first time.

I start my first treatment this Thursday may 14. I will be on FOLFOX for stage 4 peritoneum cancer. (Still have yet to find the main source. Looking in to my small bowel on wed. And PET on the 20th) I am deathly scared of the side effects during the treatment and after. I will go every 2 weeks and carry a bag attached to my port for 48 hours. (Not entirely certain how that works) Still I want every drug to help stop nausea and or vomiting. Currently I am in almost constant nausea due to the cancer. I would die if it got worse.

Thank you for sharing 🫶💞

I'm on my third month of capecitabine and the blisters on my hands, and starting on my feet, are getting to me. I've been using Voltaren and Udderly Soft (tm) on my hands and feet but it's still bad. doing anything hurts.

Does anyone have any suggestions for coping? In have bandaids on fingers and hands and have resorted to wearing finger cots and/or "exam" rubber gloves just to hold them in place.

Hey everyone, happy monday starting chemo in a week, Keynote 522, any advice on fasting before it I been reading that some people fast before chemo but trying to see if it makes sense or anyone has had success. Any advice would be appreciated!

Three days out from chemo. I have no appetite. Ive already lost three pounds and need to nip this in the bud.
Will my appetite come back the farther i get from my chemo day or is it going to be a constant struggle? Im due every three weeks.
What foods helped you? Or food substitutes?

One of my best friends has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is supposed to start chemo therapy within the next couple of weeks. We have known each other since high school but both of us had to move across the country for university so I can't be there in person for him. Regardless I would still love to be there for him despite him having a relatively good support system over there in his city (gf, friends, etc.) but I'm not sure how to. Obviously I can offer any kinds of verbal comfort and support that I can come up with, but I just can't help feeling like that's not enough. I would appreciate it a lot if some of you could share bits and pieces of their story or offer any sort of advice, maybe some tips to get through chemo or what helped with any side effects that might occur? Truly anything would be appreciated!

I have done my research on his kind of cancer and even the doctors gave my friend a really good prognosis so I'm mostly worried about the chemo part as of now. He seems to be pretty optimistic about everything as well which I'm really glad about, but he did share that he's a little scared of chemo therapy...

Hope everyone is feeling okay and hanging in there! Thanks again for any kind of advice :)

Had my first round of chemo on May 6. My mouth tastes super salty.
Is there a way to get rid of it?

Since I’ve started chemo therapy I haven’t been able to sleep at all.. I’m not sure if it’s a legit side effect or just my chemo brain playing tricks on me. The part that really irks me is that I’ve never had problems falling asleep before or getting enough quality sleep.. Now it’s in my head, and it’s driving me crazy.. this last week I’ve been averaging about 4-5 hours of sleep. It does not matter if I feel tired, I just lay there, tossing and turning, hours at a time. Before I even mention it to my care team and before any pharmaceuticals get involved I plan on exhausting this subreddit until this insomnia breaks. Has anyone had this same experience?