Chemotherapy

[Kaludneisucks]

Fuck it fire away kids:
Was wondering if any of you out there have first hand/second hand exp. dealing with Chemotherapy.
Stage 1 testicular cancer, tumor removed Chemo- Recommended by my doc. Digging shows that this is a course of action i should undertake. What i want to know is, REALLY, what to expect. Heres my potential regimine:

Cycle 1) week 1
Bleomycin on tues and every tuesday thereafter for cycle
Week 2
Mon- fri : Dose CISplatin/Platinol and Etoposide
Week 3
Mon- fri : Dose CISplatin/Platinol and Etoposide

Cycle 2) Repeat Cycle 1.


Obviously the side effects vary, simple google shows lots and ive read some first hand accounts. Apart from the FACT that i have cancer i am VERY healthy, active eat well and positive about life. 35 non smoker stable relationship, no kids lots of family support. Not worried overmuch, but some of the severe side effects are terrifying and quite frankly i am a little scared.

Anyone shed any insight on what i can actually expect?

[Vandole]

you're probably completely useless for a while, you won't be in control of anything other than tv/video games pretty much. just gotta push through it and survive. i wish you all the fucking best and if there's anything we can do to help let us know.

[Tymon]

Chemotherapy is direct treatment to an extent; testicular cancer is obviously a very small area and as such your side effects should not be as widespread or vast as say, metastatic lung cancer.

That said, chemotherapy in general will give you the same side effects no matter what.

You're a healthy guy just past his physical prime, you should be fine. Expect to have to eat smaller meals, as your appetite will likely be affected. Don't eat less, just spread it out.

You NEED to stay active. Most people that can't handle chemotherapy are either too young or too old to handle the effects, or they don't get off their ass and let it take them out from the bed. Just don't let it win, and you'll be fine.

[solanis]

no one here will know what the fuck because no one here is your oncologist. trust the words of your doctors, seek a second or third or fourth opinion where needed. a close family member just got done with her chemo and radiation, shit was scary but god bless modern medicine is all I can say

you'll get through it like a champ, especially if your family is there to love and support you

[Tymon]

Forgot to mention:

Stage 1 testicular cancer is one of the most highly treatable and least likely to metastasize cancers we know of. Shit was done the second they found it.

[Kaludneisucks]

Absolutely, and am sooo grateful, but just trying to get a feel for the next, hopefully last stage of this sillyness. Again, anyone with any first/second hand accounts, would be great, and i appreciate the confidence y'all, nohomo.

[TheTaru]

I did chemotherapy for late stage brain cancer, but that's quite a bit different than the chemotherapy for stage one testicular cancer. If it's just six weeks (might be misreading), it really shouldn't be that hard on you. Just stay hydrated and try to eat as much as possible when you don't feel sick.

[Slapper]

you get to smoke weed legally

[Kaludneisucks]

Thank you thetaru, and good on you for getting through that. /salute.


Edit, taru did you bank sperm?

[Kaludneisucks]

you get to smoke weed legally

yeah...

[TheTaru]

Thank you thetaru, and good on you for getting through that. /salute.


Edit, taru did you bank sperm?

No problem. I wish I could help you more, but your chemo regimen is so vastly different from mine.

I was a teenager when I had it, so banking sperm didn't cross my mind. Recently had it tested though and it was fine. You should talk to your doctors if you're curious what you should do. I'm pretty certain fertility issues can arise from Etoposide (and other complications with testicular cancer, of course), but I'm not TheTaru, M.D.

[Blabj]

I don't wish to scare you, but my second hand experience with chemo isn't the best of stories (I'm sure you're getting sick of people sugar coating the truth by now anyway...)

Spoiler: show

Some back story: my step dad had very aggressive small cell cancer in his stomach, incredibly rare (10 documented cases) and the doctors didn't quite know what to do. They wanted to cut him, and after the initial scans they noticed that the tumor was very large, so they started him with a course of chemo. He was a very fit guy, he would run at least 2 marathons a year, if not more, had morning jogs and didn't really slow down during the day until dinner. He responded very well at first to the chemo, he was still able to go running and still had his hair. The oncologist then discovered that he wasn't on the correct dosage he suggested, and they almost doubled his dosage. This completely wiped him out. He became very tired as the chemo began to take an effect on his system. As an onlooker this was a shocking turn as he changed almost overnight from being fit and healthy to house-ridden and hairless.

However, the chemo had a great effect on him, it actually completely removed all the cancer they could find on all the scans, but they still cut him open to remove the (now benign) growth left on the walls of his stomach. This had a knock on effect of severely reducing his food intake and also allowed the cancer purchase on a newly exposed wound. To cut a long story short, they shouldn't have operated on him in this case, and after 9 months of struggling against it we sadly lost him in the middle of the night (it was actually the eve of my 21st birthday...)

In terms of actual wisdom I can impart, I would echo what other posters have said. Keep hydrated, stay well fed and stay positive. Gather support from whoever you can, being able to talk to people who understand what you're going through can be a massive help, for both parties. I know talking to my step dad about his general feelings, heck, even what he was having for lunch, made me feel better and gave some reassurance.

You should take solace in the fact that they got there early and you have a well researched and common type of cancer, the odds are stacked way in your favour. All the best in your recovery, be strong!

[Blabj]

Oh yeah, make sure you take them up on the offer of weed. Medical marijuana is pretty dank.

[kuronosan]

Fuck it fire away kids:
Was wondering if any of you out there have first hand/second hand exp. dealing with Chemotherapy.
Stage 1 testicular cancer, tumor removed Chemo- Recommended by my doc. Digging shows that this is a course of action i should undertake. What i want to know is, REALLY, what to expect. Heres my potential regimine:

Cycle 1) week 1
Bleomycin on tues and every tuesday thereafter for cycle
Week 2
Mon- fri : Dose CISplatin/Platinol and Etoposide
Week 3
Mon- fri : Dose CISplatin/Platinol and Etoposide

Cycle 2) Repeat Cycle 1.


Obviously the side effects vary, simple google shows lots and ive read some first hand accounts. Apart from the FACT that i have cancer i am VERY healthy, active eat well and positive about life. 35 non smoker stable relationship, no kids lots of family support. Not worried overmuch, but some of the severe side effects are terrifying and quite frankly i am a little scared.

Anyone shed any insight on what i can actually expect?

It is going to suck. Hardcore. They essentially pump poison into your veins. Your hair will likely fall out, you will lose your appetite, and you will generally feel like someone is draining your life after every session. You'll lose a lot of weight too, and you will look like someone ran you over with a truck; on a good day. Your family will need to support you every step of the way if you are to make it through, but you can do it.

Cancer is often a battle of willpower (and money) and most people that lose that battle either lose it because the tumor was too big (which isn't the case, as they elected for chemo second), it spread (again, less likely), or just can't take chemo anymore.

I reiterate. You can do this. Best of luck and I wish you well.

[Uzor]

I'd like to wish you the best of luck with your treatment, and you should be thankful they discovered it in its early stages. I've lost two family members to cancer even with chemo because it was discovered too late. It's the one thing I'm absolutely terrified and extremely paranoid about.

[shidobu]

I dont know you op but
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5yAd_znQqw...400/hugs05.jpg

gl hope you got a good support system, best of luck with your situation

[archibaldcrane]

Stay as active as you can handle, and stay positive.

Good luck man. My uncle had brain cancer and had 6+ months of chemo, but sadly the cancer hurt him way more than the chemo did and he passed away.

[Jodwahh]

All the best getting through this chap, you can do it!

[Fhqwghads]

You've got my intertubewebs virtual support also. Good luck to you.

[Odon]

I actually am in school (Last year of pre-med) to become an Oncologist,

Don't trust "well meaning" advice.

As soon as you receive any type of diagnosis, especially of cancer, it seems that everyone and their brother will be coming out of the woodwork to give you their own special cures and tips. One of the major don'ts of chemotherapy is to make major life changes that you don't need to. Most doctors will recommend keeping to a fairly regular diet with some additions or subtractions as necessary. Doctors strongly warn of fad diets involving anti-oxidants as they could interfere with treatment. There are a million different variations of cancer and no single person's treatment will be the same. If your neighbor has the exact same type of cancer in the exact same place, chances are they need a slightly different mix of drugs due to body weight, medical history, or doctor preference.

Do Not Miss Treatments

This one can not be said enough. One of the major don't of chemo is to miss a treatment! Just don't do it! Oncologists will specially plan out weeks and months of treatment down to the last day to make sure your body is getting the full amount of healthy drugs it can handle with the proper amount of rest in between. Even a single missed day was shown to have negative effects on the overall outcome of the treatment. For this reason, make it your number one priority to attend every chemotherapy infusion session. If you are too ill, transportation can be provided to ensure you arrive on time. If weather is bad and makes travel difficult, a hospital stay may be required to ensure that the chemo arrives on time. The biggest "Do Not" for chemotherapy is to just give up, to start moping. Enjoy yourself. Listen to your body. Do you feel well for the first time all week? Skip the fruits and veggies and have a big cheesesteak. Whatever it is that picks you up in the day, go ahead and do it and don't feel guilty about it. It could mean the difference between staying strong when you need it and making a mistake.




With that said, I wish you the best man.