....it's all good....
Thursday, June 21, 2007
what's the first thing that comes to mind
when you hear the word 'chemo'?
the more popular answers are 'loss of hair'..bald'..and 'vomiting'.
that's true but its really more than that. you have most probably heard how damaging chemo is for your body. that's true too but how?
each person's reaction to chemotherapy is different...some take it well..some don't. of course, it depends on the drug used as well. i may have done well on the surgery side given my high threshold of pain but i'm not so sure what's my torelance level when it comes to multitude of discomfort.
as mentioned before, i will be given aggressive treatment..which mean high dosage..high toxicity drugs. i will be given 2 drugs for my proposed regimen - drug 1 is to be given once a month to allow for recovery period. drug 2 is usually given on the 1st and 2nd week and then allow for recovery period but in my case, i will have the 2nd drug every week instead. treatment follows by a rest perod is term 'a cycle' and i will have 4 cycles in the next 4 months.
i should expect severe acute nausea and vomiting for drug 1 and mild to moderate nausea and vomiting for drug 2 in the first few days after treatment. the more major or most common side effects of the drugs are:
1. decreased numbers of white blood cells, which increases the risk of infection. it can begin 7 days after treatment has been given, with resistance to infection usually reaching its lowest point 10-14 days after chemo. the blood cells will then expected to increase steadily and will usually have returned to normal levels before the next cycle of chemo is due.
2. decreased numbers of red blood cells which lead to anaemia... which make you feel tired and breathless since red blood cells involve moving oxygen around the body...and the scary part is i'm only working at one lung capacity.
3. decreased production of platelets, which help the blood to clot and control of bleeding. during this time, i have to be careful not to cut myself..taking really good care of my oral hygience to minimize gum bleeding etc etc.
given the toxicity of the drugs... there is also risk of kidney, liver, heart and lung damage. probably you know chemo will not only kill cancer cells, it damage the good cells too and increases the risk of secondary cancer later in life (if i ever live that long).
now, you must be wondering why am i still so upbeat, so high spirited and so overrun with enthusiasm when there is so much suffering and so much damage to my health. yeah- i wonder too at first. i put my health in great danger just to save it- does it even make sense?
when i was diagnosed, i'm already at stage 3...a very thin line...a very very thin line for them (the medical institute) to treat me to cure or to treat me to just prolong my life. they said they can cure me and want to cure me. to get to the safer end, it's my choice to walk a tightrope or the plank with scattered pieces of broken glasses. there is no guarantee i will get to the other end but doesn't the plank seems like a safer choice for me not to fallover?
when you look at it that way. a little suffering may not seem much in exchange for a 2nd chance in life. it may even sounds like a good bargain.
i will handle the future when it comes, right now, i need to concentrate on walking that plank...to get myself to the safer end.
note: hey Jazzmint and ZMM, i'm so touched that you would like to visit me. we will meet up but might need to delay it for a while. i'm starting chemo next Tues and i really don't know what to expect. i will be damned to ask you gals to come over with me spending the whole time hurling over the toilet bowl puking or too tired or breahtless to even hold a conversation. give me a month. since the side effects follows the treatment cycle..do let me monitor myself for the next whole month to figure out the good days and the bad days. i would love to meet you two and i want it to be fun or at least nice in our first meeting in person...is that alright?
the more popular answers are 'loss of hair'..bald'..and 'vomiting'.
that's true but its really more than that. you have most probably heard how damaging chemo is for your body. that's true too but how?
each person's reaction to chemotherapy is different...some take it well..some don't. of course, it depends on the drug used as well. i may have done well on the surgery side given my high threshold of pain but i'm not so sure what's my torelance level when it comes to multitude of discomfort.
as mentioned before, i will be given aggressive treatment..which mean high dosage..high toxicity drugs. i will be given 2 drugs for my proposed regimen - drug 1 is to be given once a month to allow for recovery period. drug 2 is usually given on the 1st and 2nd week and then allow for recovery period but in my case, i will have the 2nd drug every week instead. treatment follows by a rest perod is term 'a cycle' and i will have 4 cycles in the next 4 months.
i should expect severe acute nausea and vomiting for drug 1 and mild to moderate nausea and vomiting for drug 2 in the first few days after treatment. the more major or most common side effects of the drugs are:
1. decreased numbers of white blood cells, which increases the risk of infection. it can begin 7 days after treatment has been given, with resistance to infection usually reaching its lowest point 10-14 days after chemo. the blood cells will then expected to increase steadily and will usually have returned to normal levels before the next cycle of chemo is due.
2. decreased numbers of red blood cells which lead to anaemia... which make you feel tired and breathless since red blood cells involve moving oxygen around the body...and the scary part is i'm only working at one lung capacity.
3. decreased production of platelets, which help the blood to clot and control of bleeding. during this time, i have to be careful not to cut myself..taking really good care of my oral hygience to minimize gum bleeding etc etc.
given the toxicity of the drugs... there is also risk of kidney, liver, heart and lung damage. probably you know chemo will not only kill cancer cells, it damage the good cells too and increases the risk of secondary cancer later in life (if i ever live that long).
now, you must be wondering why am i still so upbeat, so high spirited and so overrun with enthusiasm when there is so much suffering and so much damage to my health. yeah- i wonder too at first. i put my health in great danger just to save it- does it even make sense?
when i was diagnosed, i'm already at stage 3...a very thin line...a very very thin line for them (the medical institute) to treat me to cure or to treat me to just prolong my life. they said they can cure me and want to cure me. to get to the safer end, it's my choice to walk a tightrope or the plank with scattered pieces of broken glasses. there is no guarantee i will get to the other end but doesn't the plank seems like a safer choice for me not to fallover?
when you look at it that way. a little suffering may not seem much in exchange for a 2nd chance in life. it may even sounds like a good bargain.
i will handle the future when it comes, right now, i need to concentrate on walking that plank...to get myself to the safer end.
note: hey Jazzmint and ZMM, i'm so touched that you would like to visit me. we will meet up but might need to delay it for a while. i'm starting chemo next Tues and i really don't know what to expect. i will be damned to ask you gals to come over with me spending the whole time hurling over the toilet bowl puking or too tired or breahtless to even hold a conversation. give me a month. since the side effects follows the treatment cycle..do let me monitor myself for the next whole month to figure out the good days and the bad days. i would love to meet you two and i want it to be fun or at least nice in our first meeting in person...is that alright?
posted by lisaOne at 4:48 AM
21 Comments:
you'll surpass all this in no time.. have faith always..
i may not know how it feels to be in your position, but i do feel for you.. *hugs*
take care always and be strong k?
I'm sure u'll succeed walking dat plank. Just think of ur love ones who are waiting for u at the other end! Yeah! U can do!
Hey, Captain Jack Sparrow can do it, you can too!
On a more serious note, I really feel for you! I do.. I want to do mad things to cheer you up!!
I hope you respond well to the treatment with minimal side effects and suffering. :)
Pray to God and ask him for stregth.
I want to share something with you. My mum was diagnosed with cancer when I was around 15. Hers was Kidney. I don't know what stage she was when she was diagnosed, but she had 1 of her kidney removed. She then underwent chemo. Only my dad knew about her cancer. None of us did, not even her own mother.
The time she went through chemo, she lost some hair yes. But not a lot that caused any of us to be suspicious of her illness. She was still chirpy and high spirit, her normal self.
She prayed a lot. And she recovered.
7 years later, she had a relapse. This time everything happened so fast (or she discovered very late), and we were older, so we were told of her situation. I remembered my dad asking her in her hospital bed, if she's ok, if she felt any pain all these while, and she said, no, smiling, she said her prayer took away her pain.
I'm not sure if she said that to give my father comfort or in deed that's true.
I hope your treatment will also have minimal side effects, and no suffering.
And yes, Jasmine's and my visit can wait.
*Big hugs to you*
Always think positive yeah. I pray that your body can work well with the drug to give u minimal side effects.
max's and my prayers are for you. have faith!
hi! i feel for u whn i read ur post. pls stay strong n hv faith for urself n your lovely family.
just want to share with u on this cactus concentrate juice which helps wonders for ppl goin for chemo. it's rich in pytochemicals that repair n nourish the damaged body cells n it'll help to alleviate the side effects of chemo. A friend's father of mine took it and it really made a whole lot of difference when he had his chemo sessions, and even the docs commented on that. It helped him tremendously. Pls read up more on Millenium and nutritional immunology at www.eexcel.net It's absolutely natural n it's a good source to build up the resistance of a weak body as u know chemo kills even the good cells. I really really dont want the side-effects to be tough on u after the chemo. I know that at the end of the day, it's your strength n will power to put you back up again! So have faith n be strong ok.
I am not hard-selling but I really hv 101% confidence in this product. Actually it took me 1/2 a year to read up on nutritional immunology before I started my son with the products. It's great. And now I am taking them too. Do feel free to email me at mika_mummy@yahoo.com if you need any further info. I'll be glad to help u, anytime. Do take good care yeah! Lots of *hugs* for u.
hi again. This is FYI. Millenium contains a proprietary mix of cactus concentrate, royal jelly n lemon juice, water, orange flavoured honey n fructose. I know it's just those common ingredient that we know of. But the amazing combination of those really boost up the immune system.
A friend of mine took it b4 goin for a surgery. she didnt come out weak n pale after the op. It has to be taken in large qty if there's any major problems. Normally is a single pack for daily comsumption for good immune system.
Do read up on Dr Jau Fei Chen and her books on cancer n nutritional immunology. She's brilliant and worth reading up on her research n work. It's easy to google on her wonders over the internet.
Have a good weekend.
I haven't been visiting and when i saw this, my heart stop...really, i'm at a loss of words.
Just want to give you my hugs and support...be strong, and take good care. You can do it!! Jia You!!
all the best...you sound as cheerful and spirited as ever. yes...and i'm glad that you see things your way...what wouldn't anyone do for a 2nd chance in life?..
Like what tracy said, i am sure you will overcome it. I know sometimes say is easy, but i hope everything will turn well later..
Good luck to you and may God bless you.
I am sure that GOD will help you for you're such a strong person. Do pray and also rest when you need it. I hope your reaction to the chemo will be on the milder side & get well soon ;)
we will hold your hands and we will walk together with u...and no worries, we all know that you will make it true.....I'm really looking fwd to meet you in person :)...one of these days ;).
I'm sure you can go thru it ... i can tell that u r strong. My FIL is also diagnose with cancer - renal. He's still on trtmt. He's cheerful and spirited and I think that's the key to all illnesses. Be cheery and all will be well. Take care and hope effects will be minimal for you. Hugz.
Hi..first time here, hop over from Jazz's blog.
U're very brave! I wet my eyes when i read ur blog. All i can said is take good care and will keep u in my prayers.
My prayer n support to you.
Be strong...
Try to get a medication to reduce your side effect like nausea from your Dr. There is a medicine which I forgotten the name...will try to check for you from my ex-colleague..
Take care...
Hi there? You don't know me yet.. But I just want to pray for your recovery. Its really hard to accept this kind of news especially knowing that you're a friend of a friend of mine, Yvonne - mom to Ryan.
You be strong ok. Im glad that you be able to post about all this while actually you suffer more than all of us here. For this, I pray you good health and fast recovery. Your children need you still. You be strong and don't lose that smile. From a little knowledge PapaJoneh here. :)
I dunno what to say just take good care and may god bless you.
I hope you're feeling better today. We hear you, the one above does too. He's looking after you im sure. So be a good girl, stay strong and hang in there.. okay? Things will get better soon...Take good care.
Hi, first time visit ur blog. Don't think too much my advise is think positive, be happy and I'm sure u can go thru it. Cheers and take care!
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