I finished my 7th treatment last week. I get a 4-hour, in-office injection via portacath. After that I’m sent home for the rest of it with a portable pump to do the remaining 46 hour injection. On day 3 I return to get the pump removed. I started doing a saline fluid injection before leaving and I believe it helps with my dehydration a bit. I get saline fluids and anti-nausea just before the initial treatment. I’ve recently found that staying hydrated helps a bit with the extreme loss of energy.
The worst side-effects I get are nausea and vomiting from day one to about day 6 after chemo begins. Zofran and promethazine help a little. My appetite is almost completely gone until day 6. My stomach feels full and when I can’t eat much, my energy level is poor. I usually sleep 15-20 daily the first 5-6 days.
I get neuropathy pretty bad in my fingers and toes almost immediately after the initial injection. As I’m leaving the doctors office, I can’t carry anything without my hands getting numb and feeling like they’re burning. For about 10 days if I touch anything cold my fingers get numb within 2-3 seconds. If I drink or eat anything cold, same effect in my mouth and throat. My toes get numb and painful if the room temperature is around 70 degrees or below. I’m going to try wearing gloves to see if it helps. Socks help a bit.I have diarrhea for about 5-6 days after chemo. I have a colostomy bag so I really have to pay attention to know I have to take Imodium which helps a lot.
I sometimes get blurry vision for 1-2 days just after chemo. Mouth sores aren’t too bad but I do get them. My hair is all gone but I didn’t lose my eyebrows, eye lashes or facial hair. I get “chemo brain” pretty bad sometimes and cannot recall a simple conversation from 1 minute prior.
I hope this helps somebody. Stay positive and do your best to enjoy life.