Will have chemo for 3 months: What can I expect?

Ask to ice on your hands and feet I did not know about issue so there for I have neuropathy on all hands and feet No cure for this but I am alive & so far cancer free My treatments lasted for 8 hours So bring a book or craft. My site had a Tv so I watched old TV programs And part way thru I had a fanny pack that was hooked up to a port It was so big & told then it would get in the way of me work on the farm working on large machinery, so I took the case off and it fit in a MUCH smaller fanny pack. Make sure to save all the parts so you can put it back together when you get done with all treatments It was a long haul health wise I felt good for 3-4 days after a treatment and then was poorly until day 7 Then 7-8 days of ok health and then another treatment. They will take a blood sample before hand to make sure your values are good. Couple times they were not Gave me a shot to kick your bone marrow to make more RBC do the short acting one the long acting one made me vey sick. The medical staff did not like that but remember it is your life you make the choices only they suggest sometimes very strong but stand up for your rights and your life The trip for me was 2 years of hell but I made it some side effects but better than dead Good luck

I am working on my battle now. I was given the news right after Memorial Day this year. I went to five radiation treatments here at the local hospital and that wasn’t bad, then it hits ya with the diarrhea! That’s horrible, uncontrolled movements, lower gut pain and feeling like your entire stomach is exploding 12-20 times a day! I couldn’t have ever imagined that was going to happen. Wow! Then they gave me three weeks off and then started the chemo treatment. I was terrified of what was going to happen next. The process was indeed painless and they made it very comfortable. During the drip I get VERY hot and the side effects started for me immediately. I could no longer touch anything cold or drink anything cold. That really is strange to me how this all played out. Days 2&3 were not bad but by Thursday and Friday I felt exhausted!! Fatigue like I’ve never had. Sat and Sunday were a little better but by Monday am I felt like a new person again! The cold hands and feet started to fade a bit and not a lot of neuropathy happening at this time. Second treatment two weeks later and it started all over again. This treatment knock me down for a little longer than the first, as I didn’t go back to work Thursday or Friday. Luckily for me Labo day hit and I rested All weekend to catch up on much needed rest!! Let’s now see how the third treatment does for me on sept 8
I will keep you all posted on my progress!!
Thanks
Dan

@roland64 Hi and welcome to Mayo Connect. As everyone's body is different, so is how it reacts to cancer and chemo. What specific type of cancer do you have and what chemo will you be on? That makes a difference.

What treatment regimen are you on.
I am On Folfox.
Just completed round 5 of 8
My diarrhea was uncontrollable at night after my third round.
At the fourth treatment, my dose was adjusted as i lost quite a bit of weight.
The "push" med was discontinued.
Round 4 and 5 were manageable.
Best of luck and use this Mayo chat for support.

Until I developed cdiff (from taking an antibiotic while on Folfox), I did experience sensitivity to cold in my hands and for about 2-3 days after had to be careful drinking cold liquids. They did give me the white blood cells shot every other week which seemed to help. It was the followup chemo/radiation combination that I had trouble with, that's when the serious diarrhea started, it seems one of my regular medications (mercaptopurine) enhanced the effects of the radiation, that plus an antibiotic had me in the bathroom 35 times in one day. Good idea to keep a pad in the bathroom to make a log, I didn't realize how many times I was going in a 24 hour period until I started a log.
I did have success with Hydrocortisone retention enemas to calm things down quite a bit, initially you probably won't be able to hold it for very long, but after a while you should be able to, at least I did.
Don't know if any of this is very helpful for you, but it offers a bit of insight into what I went thru, now just waiting for results of an MRI to see what my options are. Wish you the best of luck on your journey.

I also am on the Folfox.
The weight loss is unreal, on average about a pound a day. It does not matter what I eat, I still loose the weight. I am really struggling mentally right now with all of this. I feel grateful that the doctors caught it real early and hopefully this takes care of it for me. The week after treatment two the worst i have felt so far. I know i have a rough couple days after treatment and then i seem to bounce back, so lets see what the days this week get me feeling like.

I definitely get the mental part, the first three treatments were rough.
They eliminated the "push" med and my side effects i.proved.
I still have occasional nausea and get fatigued easily.
There is no handbook for chemo as we all arw a but different.
What is the same is the a ility to share experiences on this platform to help each other!

Rectal, adenocarcinoma.
I received twelve cycles of Folfox over six months. No diarrhea, but I do have semi-permanent peripheral neuropathy. My oncologist, at the time, then prescribed radiation. In my meeting with the radiation oncologist he advised that the only side effect would be a rash on my bum. Having done a reasonable amount of online research I knew that wasn’t true. No radiation and the end of the relationship with that oncologist. Referred to a great colorectal surgeon; following the Prospect Protocol, the tumor and a portion of my rectum were removed. Temporary ileostomy for three months, reversed a couple weeks ago. Now waiting for the reconnected plumbing to stabilize. Surgeon told me if anyone suggests radiation have them call him. Said we didn’t need someone screwing up his good work! I’m now on the five year surveillance plan and my first semi-annual scan is next month.

Hi @roland64, I think you are about to start chemo in a few days. I hope you saw all the helpful responses from fellow members who have been there.

What type of chemo will you be having? How are you doing?