1st Chemo treatment???

Hi

 My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer on Feb. 2nd. 

He is starting his 1st chemo treatment tomorrow and has 2 more treatments scheduled for this week. I am so nervous & worried about him. I heard that most people don't get any side effects until after the 3r. treatment. Is this true? He should be fine tomorrow?

Thanks for any info

Diane

On 2/15/2009 deezin wrote:

Hi

 My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer on Feb. 2nd. 

He is starting his 1st chemo treatment tomorrow and has 2 more treatments scheduled for this week. I am so nervous & worried about him. I heard that most people don't get any side effects until after the 3r. treatment. Is this true? He should be fine tomorrow?

Thanks for any info

Diane

 

Hi Diane.

My Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer at the end of January. It has spread to her liver and her lymph nodes are enlarged. She starts chemo tomorrow also. She is 49. I heard the same thing about chemo not being bad until the 3rd. I guess we will see! I said a prayer for you husband, I am sure you are worried about him just like I am my Mom!

 Hi

 I'm sorry to hear about your Mom I'll pray she goes though her chemo fine.  my husband is 53 yrs. old, Thank you for the prayer.

It
was such a shock when we found out. What were your mom's first
symptoms? My husband just hurt when he ate had tests they said it was
gastritis take this medicine. Then he started losing weight and after
going through many tests was diagnosed with cancer. This started  in
Aug. 08 his 1st symptom. I just can't believe stage 4 in 6 mths.
Surgery is not an option. Where they able to do surgery for your Mom?

Keep in touch let me know how your Mom is doing. 

My daughter is 23 yrs. & son 29 yrs. old so I know what you are going through it is very hard. Stay strong for your Mom she needs you. 

I will prayer for her. 

Hi Diane,

 My husband was dx with stage 4 stomach cancer on 1/16/09, he has gone through 2 chemo treatments and little side affects.  His biggest side affect is the exhaustion, he is so tired that he can't get out of bed for a few days.  But then he regains some energy just in time for the next round of chemo.  He gets chemo every other week.  He hasn't lost his hair, he hasn't had any mouth sores.  Like I said the worst so far is that he is so tired.  He has also lost a good deal of weight, he is so so thin, we are all concerned about that.  I am adding protein powder to everything he can eat, like soup, warm milk, mash potatoes, etc.

So for my husband - his third chemo treatment will be on 2/24.  I will let you know what happens so you can be prepared. 

Maria

Dearest Diane and Maria,

So sorry to hear you have joined this small group (about 20,000 cases a year in the U.S.) of cancer patients/caregivers. Your questions about chemo remind me of where my partner Rick and I were two years ago.

His first chemo treatment sent us home with "chemo brain" and we thought that would be the first and last chemotherapy treatment for Rick (we had lost a nephew to throat cancer 15 years prior, and we remembered those side effects clearly. Boy, have they come a long way in 15 years). Our wonderful doctor adjusted the dosages for the second and subsequent treatments and he has had minimal side effects since. He had his 32nd treatment last Tuesday.

What I would advise is to make sure you communicate exactly what they are feeling to the doctor and know that adjustments absolutely can be made in both dosages and drugs. We did take Rick off one of the antiemetic (nausea) pills after the first treatment, now only take Emend, and he has never been sick to his stomach.

About the only side effect worth mentioning over the last two years is that of tiredness. Usually about day 3 through 5 or so. A nap in the afternoon was very helpful.

Use the resources of this website for any questions that come up and ideas in general. Read back as far as you can stand, and don't let the negatives get you down. There are some success stories with this diagnosis, we are but one.

Finally, I must say that after our first treatment and our thoughts that we weren't going to do any more of them, I am so thrilled that we pushed through the beginning. Chemotherapy has given Rick a very much extended and high quality of life during the last two years. We are very grateful for every day.

Big hugs to you both as you travel on this journey,

Scott

On 2/15/2009 deezin wrote:

 Hi

 I'm sorry to hear about your Mom I'll pray she goes though her chemo fine.  my husband is 53 yrs. old, Thank you for the prayer.

It
was such a shock when we found out. What were your mom's first
symptoms? My husband just hurt when he ate had tests they said it was
gastritis take this medicine. Then he started losing weight and after
going through many tests was diagnosed with cancer. This started  in
Aug. 08 his 1st symptom. I just can't believe stage 4 in 6 mths.
Surgery is not an option. Where they able to do surgery for your Mom?

Keep in touch let me know how your Mom is doing. 

My daughter is 23 yrs. & son 29 yrs. old so I know what you are going through it is very hard. Stay strong for your Mom she needs you. 

I will prayer for her. 

Diane

Thank you. My Mom also started having symptons towards the end of the summer. She had indegestion and small eating problems. By many people she was told it was an ulcer. She would not go to the doctor. Well, as it progressed she started having worse eating problems and was losing weight rapidly. She loved losing the weight and thought it was nothing, much to everyones pushes to go in. She finally went in at the beginning of Jan. and they said that she has a large tumor in her stomach. They did a biopsy and told her that it is stomach cancer, They had to surgically put in the feeding tubes and while doing that they noticed that it has spread to her liver. They said they can not do surgery.

Please keep me updated on your husbands progress also.

 Hi Maria,

Sorry to hear about your husband That is great not bad side effects. How old is your husband?  Was surgery an option for him? My husband is 53 & what a shock when we found out.Surgery was not an option.

He is doing his 1st treatment right now for 5 hours then he is coming home with the chemo in a bag with a little pouch so he can carry around with him. He will be getting chemo 24 hrs. a day for the first 3 days. Thurs. we go back & they take the bag off and will do tests & Friday he has to go back for a shot. He will be doing this every 3 wks. We just found this out today.He wants to go to work after this 1st treatment so I don't know yet how he will feel. We will see. 

My husband lost 60lbs before diagnosed we had to put some weight on him before chemo so he drank 2 Ensures daily for a 2weeks and gained  8 lbs. Try the Ensure my husband liked it.

Keep in touch 

Your in my prayers

Diane

On 2/16/2009 Eliot1 wrote:

Dearest Diane and Maria,

So sorry to hear you have joined this small group (about 20,000 cases a year in the U.S.) of cancer patients/caregivers. Your questions about chemo remind me of where my partner Rick and I were two years ago.

His first chemo treatment sent us home with "chemo brain" and we thought that would be the first and last chemotherapy treatment for Rick (we had lost a nephew to throat cancer 15 years prior, and we remembered those side effects clearly. Boy, have they come a long way in 15 years). Our wonderful doctor adjusted the dosages for the second and subsequent treatments and he has had minimal side effects since. He had his 32nd treatment last Tuesday.

What I would advise is to make sure you communicate exactly what they are feeling to the doctor and know that adjustments absolutely can be made in both dosages and drugs. We did take Rick off one of the antiemetic (nausea) pills after the first treatment, now only take Emend, and he has never been sick to his stomach.

About the only side effect worth mentioning over the last two years is that of tiredness. Usually about day 3 through 5 or so. A nap in the afternoon was very helpful.

Use the resources of this website for any questions that come up and ideas in general. Read back as far as you can stand, and don't let the negatives get you down. There are some success stories with this diagnosis, we are but one.

Finally, I must say that after our first treatment and our thoughts that we weren't going to do any more of them, I am so thrilled that we pushed through the beginning. Chemotherapy has given Rick a very much extended and high quality of life during the last two years. We are very grateful for every day.

Big hugs to you both as you travel on this journey,

Scott

Thank you very much Scott for the reply it's so nice to hear positive info.
My thoughts are with you & Rick

Thanks

Diane

Hi Diane,

My husband was dx on 12/19 with stomach cancer, he was 49 years old, then on 1/16/09 he was dx with stage 4, he had just turned 50 years 4 days earlier.  He has been on chemo, docetaxal the first day, the 5FU which is in a baby bottle - he wears that until day 3, he gets that removed and gets cisplatin.  So he is on chemo for 3 days, every other week.  As far as going to work after chemo, it's really up to the individual.  There was a man sitting next to us getting his chemo and he was on the phone, and laptop, just busy working away.  Some people feel just fine and others are a bit overwhelmed by the whole process.

I think the tumor is shrinking, because he can hold down more food.  However, he doesn't have an appetite at all.  Everything tastes too sweet - I taste it and it's fine or even salty.  He just hates the taste of everything, water, etc.  I keep telling him, he has to force himself to get it down no matter what.  I've tried the Ensures, he thinks their too sweet as well.  I am just trying everything right now.

I should hear from the doctor regarding the PET scan sometime this week.  We are hoping for good news.  I do think there will be since he is eating more and not vomitting, which makes me think the tumor is smaller. 

I hope you receive good news as well.

On 2/16/2009 NJ123 wrote:

Hi Diane,

My husband was dx on 12/19 with stomach cancer, he was 49 years old, then on 1/16/09 he was dx with stage 4, he had just turned 50 years 4 days earlier.  He has been on chemo, docetaxal the first day, the 5FU which is in a baby bottle - he wears that until day 3, he gets that removed and gets cisplatin.  So he is on chemo for 3 days, every other week.  As far as going to work after chemo, it's really up to the individual.  There was a man sitting next to us getting his chemo and he was on the phone, and laptop, just busy working away.  Some people feel just fine and others are a bit overwhelmed by the whole process.

I think the tumor is shrinking, because he can hold down more food.  However, he doesn't have an appetite at all.  Everything tastes too sweet - I taste it and it's fine or even salty.  He just hates the taste of everything, water, etc.  I keep telling him, he has to force himself to get it down no matter what.  I've tried the Ensures, he thinks their too sweet as well.  I am just trying everything right now.

I should hear from the doctor regarding the PET scan sometime this week.  We are hoping for good news.  I do think there will be since he is eating more and not vomitting, which makes me think the tumor is smaller. 

I hope you receive good news as well.

Hi

 My husband started his chemo yesterday and did come home with the pump , he gets chemo 24 hrs. a day for 3 days every 3 wks.

Today is the 2nd day and he went to work with the chemo pump attached to his belt.  He is feeling good no symptoms at all. Is getting the Emend for nausea which I heard works great.But I did hear sometimes you don't get any symptoms till 3-5 days after treatment. We will see.

Thurs. he gets pump removed and Friday gets a shot to raise his white blood count.

 I am getting prepared for the symptoms when they come.

How is your husband doing?

you take care of yourself

Diane