Xeloda for colon cancer - Scared about side effects and need support

I to was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer with 2 lymph nodes positive after bowel resection surgery. After my initial oncology consult I was scared also because of the picture they painted.after 8 chemo sessions my side effects r minimum. Taste buds,brain fog, some diarrhea,that's easy checked. Anxiety that I brought 2 the table. No pain,,no fever,no hair loss,. nail color change (some)

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I hope you're not too uncomfortable. Yes, I'm sure diet has such a large part to play and eating healthily will help avoid the need for even a gentle laxative. Whilst I haven't needed any for several days now my bowel continues to be irritable much of the time, despite eating lots of home grown vegetables. It needs to learn how to behave itself. I shall follow your advice and take the pills in easy steps in future instead of swallowing all 3 in rapid succession (mainly to get the process over with!). Thanks for the tip, and for the ginger recommendation.
Best of luck over the next few days. It's good to compare experiences.

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Hi again, I wanted to wish you a very Happy New Year, and hope going forward you will feel much better and soon have good news that your treatment is working. I meant to tell you that drinking a lot of water or other fluids will most likely help with the constipation. I am also going to talk with my doctor next Friday about my going back on probiotics. I used to take them and it always was helpful in regulating the system. I read articles about clinical studies where cancer/chemo patients do very well with probiotics, and it is a great help. Check with your doctor first and ask what type he or she recommends. I will do the same. I eat mostly gluten free and dairy free foods, and had gotten into a habit of eating vegan cheese before all this started, and realize now that to help avoid the constipation I cannot eat it as much or even my gluten free bread and other food items that contain rice flour. As we know, rice is a binder, so maybe in moderation with vegetables and fruit is okay, but not as a steady diet. It's a whole new learning process. Hope you enjoy the rest of the holidays and are feeling better.

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Happy New Year! Thanks for your good wishes. I hope it turns out to be a good one for all of us currently undergoing chemo or surgery.
Since ending my first 2 week cycle last Thursday I have been a lot more comfortable - more energy and a taste for champagne and red wine reappeared yesterday evening during New Year's Eve celebrations with friends! And today I have done 6,800 steps so far with my wife which is a record since starting chemo.
I agree that drinking lots of fluids, particularly water, is so important. If I start to flag, a drink of water soon perks me up. Fortunately, I've been free of constipation for around 10 days now and so I hope the balanced diet I'm trying to achieve will work better once the next cycle of chemo starts in a few day's time. I tend to avoid supplements and focus instead on fresh or frozen produce from our garden, particularly greens, beetroot, carrots and potatoes. I like natural unsweetened yoghurt too. But I did experiment with a Chinese takeaway two days ago - the ginger with the prawns (shrimps) and spring onions was delicious but overall it was a bit too spicy for my system and so probably won't be repeated for a while.
I hope you're tolerating Xeloda well and that you avoid any significant side effects. Best wishes. Martin

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I took that chemo for 6 weeks five days a week. I was fatigued, but getting around doing the basic basics not so bad.. I was also taking the radiation 5 days a week for 6 weeks. If no radiation I would expect it to be manageable but weak weak for sure.. best of recovery! My big day comes on the 18th of Jan. Hope and pray for a healthier rectum. Was at 6cm. Maybe much smaller if at all ?

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Happy New Year! Thanks for your good wishes. I hope it turns out to be a good one for all of us currently undergoing chemo or surgery.
Since ending my first 2 week cycle last Thursday I have been a lot more comfortable - more energy and a taste for champagne and red wine reappeared yesterday evening during New Year's Eve celebrations with friends! And today I have done 6,800 steps so far with my wife which is a record since starting chemo.
I agree that drinking lots of fluids, particularly water, is so important. If I start to flag, a drink of water soon perks me up. Fortunately, I've been free of constipation for around 10 days now and so I hope the balanced diet I'm trying to achieve will work better once the next cycle of chemo starts in a few day's time. I tend to avoid supplements and focus instead on fresh or frozen produce from our garden, particularly greens, beetroot, carrots and potatoes. I like natural unsweetened yoghurt too. But I did experiment with a Chinese takeaway two days ago - the ginger with the prawns (shrimps) and spring onions was delicious but overall it was a bit too spicy for my system and so probably won't be repeated for a while.
I hope you're tolerating Xeloda well and that you avoid any significant side effects. Best wishes. Martin

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Welcome @dwarren69. You mention your big day is Jan 18. Is that when you’ll be having surgery? Do you have rectal cancer?

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Yes , 6cm mid rectum.. finished both radiation and chemo with Xylodo Jun 30th. See what 190 days look like for my Rectum. Mostly two bowel movements early each day and that’s amazing for a ulcerative colitis guy since I was 28 ( very little flare ups ) during that time. I am now 59.

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Hello, I am so pleased that you are feeling much better and enjoyed your holiday celebration. I totally agree that eating fresh fruit and vegetables is the best way to keep a balanced diet. I have started to add more of those foods to my daily routine, but still need to do more. Walking is a great way to get exercise and reduce stress, and I'm so glad it is helping with your energy level. Due to my sciatica flare ups, I have to limit my walking and standing for the time being until I get my next steroid injection in my back, which is scheduled for early February. It is always something. That's interesting about the Chinese food being a bit too spicy. A few weeks after my colon surgery I was craving my favorite eastern Indian food, so I ordered takeout. Even though I ordered it mildly spicy, I ate a third of it and realized my system is just not ready. Hopefully, that will improve over time. I am tolerating the Xeloda for the most part, but still do get that constipation, but it is slowly improving. I will know more this coming Friday when I see my oncologist. Until then, I hope your next cycle goes well, and that you continue feeling better. I will be in touch again soon. Stay warm and safe.

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