Re: This journey ahead...........

[Guest guest]

I wrote last week looking for answers and recieved some good information on

what to expect. My husband went yesterday to the onc tx center and we spent

over an hour with the radiology doctor explaining the treatment and

answering questions, he was very patient and calm with our questions. Bill

goes back this morning after drinking 2 liters of fluid with an additive to

have the scan and marking done for treatment. He will have radiation and

the chemo at the same time. The rad treatments will be five days a week for

six weeks then surgery then the same treatment following that. We still

haven't a schedule for the chemo but do know it will be 5FU. After seeing

the docs yesterday and talking to them it was almost as if Bill finally let

down. He is relieved and more relaxed now than since the diagnosis.

We live in Ca where it is almost 100 degrees this week and he crawled back

in the bed this morning and turned on the electric blanket and coaxed the

dachshund under the covers with him as he was 'freezing'. This was after

drinking the prep. He admits now to being exhausted and this man is one who

thought anyone who stayed in bed past 6 am was just 'lazy'. I think it is

finally catching up with him. He was told that the 5FU is not likely to make

him nauseous or more tired so I (who reads everything on the net!) am not

about to tell him otherwise. Sometimes it is best not to know and then

maybe it won't influence him.

I am glad to have this list to read and post to, it feels okay to talk here

because I know that all of you are on the same journey.

Jan

[Guest guest]

I wrote last week looking for answers and recieved some good information on

what to expect. My husband went yesterday to the onc tx center and we spent

over an hour with the radiology doctor explaining the treatment and

answering questions, he was very patient and calm with our questions. Bill

goes back this morning after drinking 2 liters of fluid with an additive to

have the scan and marking done for treatment. He will have radiation and

the chemo at the same time. The rad treatments will be five days a week for

six weeks then surgery then the same treatment following that. We still

haven't a schedule for the chemo but do know it will be 5FU. After seeing

the docs yesterday and talking to them it was almost as if Bill finally let

down. He is relieved and more relaxed now than since the diagnosis.

We live in Ca where it is almost 100 degrees this week and he crawled back

in the bed this morning and turned on the electric blanket and coaxed the

dachshund under the covers with him as he was 'freezing'. This was after

drinking the prep. He admits now to being exhausted and this man is one who

thought anyone who stayed in bed past 6 am was just 'lazy'. I think it is

finally catching up with him. He was told that the 5FU is not likely to make

him nauseous or more tired so I (who reads everything on the net!) am not

about to tell him otherwise. Sometimes it is best not to know and then

maybe it won't influence him.

I am glad to have this list to read and post to, it feels okay to talk here

because I know that all of you are on the same journey.

Jan

[Guest guest]

I wrote last week looking for answers and recieved some good information on

what to expect. My husband went yesterday to the onc tx center and we spent

over an hour with the radiology doctor explaining the treatment and

answering questions, he was very patient and calm with our questions. Bill

goes back this morning after drinking 2 liters of fluid with an additive to

have the scan and marking done for treatment. He will have radiation and

the chemo at the same time. The rad treatments will be five days a week for

six weeks then surgery then the same treatment following that. We still

haven't a schedule for the chemo but do know it will be 5FU. After seeing

the docs yesterday and talking to them it was almost as if Bill finally let

down. He is relieved and more relaxed now than since the diagnosis.

We live in Ca where it is almost 100 degrees this week and he crawled back

in the bed this morning and turned on the electric blanket and coaxed the

dachshund under the covers with him as he was 'freezing'. This was after

drinking the prep. He admits now to being exhausted and this man is one who

thought anyone who stayed in bed past 6 am was just 'lazy'. I think it is

finally catching up with him. He was told that the 5FU is not likely to make

him nauseous or more tired so I (who reads everything on the net!) am not

about to tell him otherwise. Sometimes it is best not to know and then

maybe it won't influence him.

I am glad to have this list to read and post to, it feels okay to talk here

because I know that all of you are on the same journey.

Jan

[Guest guest]

When do you see the onc? The 5FU may be Xeloda, the oral form that

gets converted to 5FU by the body. It's much easier than IV stuff.

My experience with this was that I was tired after the first week. I

think the radiation just causes the body to have to work harder to

recover from the damage it does. Xeloda does similar stuff. Xeloda

gave me a metallic taste in my mouth so I was always eating hard

candy or something to kill the taste. The bad taste tended to make

my stomach a bit upset, but not enough to make me nauseous. Keep the

diarrhea under control. They'll ask him every day how he's doing.

He needs to be very honest with them so they can help him out.

I'd suggest that Bill take his sense of humor to the

marking/simulation. By the way, alchohol wipes help remove the

marker from your skin. I sat on the toilet afterwards and left blue

lines on the seat that would not come off. :-)

I'm glad he's listening to his body and taking it easy. He'll need

to do more of that in the next 6 weeks. Good luck!

Miracles happen!

Cliff H.

> I wrote last week looking for answers and recieved some good

information on

> what to expect. My husband went yesterday to the onc tx center and

we spent

> over an hour with the radiology doctor explaining the treatment and

> answering questions, he was very patient and calm with our

questions. Bill

> goes back this morning after drinking 2 liters of fluid with an

additive to

> have the scan and marking done for treatment. He will have

radiation and

> the chemo at the same time. The rad treatments will be five days a

week for

> six weeks then surgery then the same treatment following that. We

still

> haven't a schedule for the chemo but do know it will be 5FU. After

seeing

> the docs yesterday and talking to them it was almost as if Bill

finally let

> down. He is relieved and more relaxed now than since the diagnosis.

>

> We live in Ca where it is almost 100 degrees this week and he

crawled back

> in the bed this morning and turned on the electric blanket and

coaxed the

> dachshund under the covers with him as he was 'freezing'. This was

after

> drinking the prep. He admits now to being exhausted and this man

is one who

> thought anyone who stayed in bed past 6 am was just 'lazy'. I

think it is

> finally catching up with him. He was told that the 5FU is not

likely to make

> him nauseous or more tired so I (who reads everything on the net!)

am not

> about to tell him otherwise. Sometimes it is best not to know and

then

> maybe it won't influence him.

> I am glad to have this list to read and post to, it feels okay to

talk here

> because I know that all of you are on the same journey.

> Jan

[Guest guest]

When do you see the onc? The 5FU may be Xeloda, the oral form that

gets converted to 5FU by the body. It's much easier than IV stuff.

My experience with this was that I was tired after the first week. I

think the radiation just causes the body to have to work harder to

recover from the damage it does. Xeloda does similar stuff. Xeloda

gave me a metallic taste in my mouth so I was always eating hard

candy or something to kill the taste. The bad taste tended to make

my stomach a bit upset, but not enough to make me nauseous. Keep the

diarrhea under control. They'll ask him every day how he's doing.

He needs to be very honest with them so they can help him out.

I'd suggest that Bill take his sense of humor to the

marking/simulation. By the way, alchohol wipes help remove the

marker from your skin. I sat on the toilet afterwards and left blue

lines on the seat that would not come off. :-)

I'm glad he's listening to his body and taking it easy. He'll need

to do more of that in the next 6 weeks. Good luck!

Miracles happen!

Cliff H.

> I wrote last week looking for answers and recieved some good

information on

> what to expect. My husband went yesterday to the onc tx center and

we spent

> over an hour with the radiology doctor explaining the treatment and

> answering questions, he was very patient and calm with our

questions. Bill

> goes back this morning after drinking 2 liters of fluid with an

additive to

> have the scan and marking done for treatment. He will have

radiation and

> the chemo at the same time. The rad treatments will be five days a

week for

> six weeks then surgery then the same treatment following that. We

still

> haven't a schedule for the chemo but do know it will be 5FU. After

seeing

> the docs yesterday and talking to them it was almost as if Bill

finally let

> down. He is relieved and more relaxed now than since the diagnosis.

>

> We live in Ca where it is almost 100 degrees this week and he

crawled back

> in the bed this morning and turned on the electric blanket and

coaxed the

> dachshund under the covers with him as he was 'freezing'. This was

after

> drinking the prep. He admits now to being exhausted and this man

is one who

> thought anyone who stayed in bed past 6 am was just 'lazy'. I

think it is

> finally catching up with him. He was told that the 5FU is not

likely to make

> him nauseous or more tired so I (who reads everything on the net!)

am not

> about to tell him otherwise. Sometimes it is best not to know and

then

> maybe it won't influence him.

> I am glad to have this list to read and post to, it feels okay to

talk here

> because I know that all of you are on the same journey.

> Jan

[Guest guest]

Hi Jan, Thank You for posting and letting us know what is going on.

Have they mentioned at all when you will see the Chemo Onc? Then you

will find out how often he will have chemo. Your husband is exhausted

and I feel bad for him. I bet he is also exhausted from all the

anxiety that this all brings on. I am hoping for the best for him.

Your right not reading all the info your getting off the internet

to him. I did a lot of research when I fitst was diagnosed. I will

admit the stuff did frighten me to no end. Best not to do this. Often

you only find the worst what could happen and that does not always

apply to everyone. We are all different and all of our bodies handle

the treatments differently. No one can tell you for sure how your

husband will react to the treatments. Even here on this board each of

us had different reactions to the same treatments. Keep posting and

talk to us. We are all one big family and always welcome knowing more

of this family. Ingrid

> I wrote last week looking for answers and recieved some good

information on

> what to expect. My husband went yesterday to the onc tx center and

we spent

> over an hour with the radiology doctor explaining the treatment and

> answering questions, he was very patient and calm with our

questions. Bill

> goes back this morning after drinking 2 liters of fluid with an

additive to

> have the scan and marking done for treatment. He will have

radiation and

> the chemo at the same time. The rad treatments will be five days a

week for

> six weeks then surgery then the same treatment following that. We

still

> haven't a schedule for the chemo but do know it will be 5FU. After

seeing

> the docs yesterday and talking to them it was almost as if Bill

finally let

> down. He is relieved and more relaxed now than since the diagnosis.

>

> We live in Ca where it is almost 100 degrees this week and he

crawled back

> in the bed this morning and turned on the electric blanket and

coaxed the

> dachshund under the covers with him as he was 'freezing'. This was

after

> drinking the prep. He admits now to being exhausted and this man

is one who

> thought anyone who stayed in bed past 6 am was just 'lazy'. I

think it is

> finally catching up with him. He was told that the 5FU is not

likely to make

> him nauseous or more tired so I (who reads everything on the net!)

am not

> about to tell him otherwise. Sometimes it is best not to know and

then

> maybe it won't influence him.

> I am glad to have this list to read and post to, it feels okay to

talk here

> because I know that all of you are on the same journey.

> Jan