Welcome and Support for a New Cancer Patient

Are you having any side effects?

WhT kind of treatments are you doing? Chemo, radiation, or both? Good luck!

I'm doing 5 days of radiation and 1 day of chemo a week. I couldn't have chemo this week because my platelets were 52. I have one week of radiation left. I feel exhausted all the time. And nauseous all the time.

These are usual side effects for chemo and radiation. I'm sorry you're going through this. My doctors prescribed Prochlorperazine Maleate and Odansetron HCL for my nausea. I went for 5 radiation treatments a week for six weeks with chemo once a week. The radiation was tough, like a sunburn on your inside. But I had to tough it out. Everyday when I went in for my treatment I thought "There is someone here that is worse off than I am, this can't be that bad. Soon this will be over." I made it through that first treatment and the tumor in my lung shrunk from 7.5cm x 4.5cm down to les than 1cm x 1cm. My lymphnodes behind my esophagus didn't fair as well. I started immunotherapy, but that didn't work so well, everything was growing back. Three more rounds of chemo and it was just keeping everything at a standstill. My doctor got me into a clinical trial and after a month my latest CT scan shows a shrinking of my lymphnode tumor. Because I've been in and out of the hospital six different times with pneumonia in the past year, my lungs don't look that great. It takes about three or four months for your lungs to clear up after having pneumonia. The good news is they gave me a year to live in March of 2024. I'm past that and I'm not giving up! Ive got a great support group between friends family and church family. My 5 year old grandson is my life now! I live to see or talk to him every day! Don't ever give up and try everything you can within your means! I've changed my diet. I take whatever herbal supplements and drugs recommend by my wellness doctor. Ellen, the roommate of my wife, now a 20 year survivor of leukemia, always boasted her blood type, B+. She displayed it everywhere! It's an attitude that will help us all fight this terrible disease. Without it, it's sure to win. As I continue on my journey with my trial drug I pray to God that it keeps working and I pray for you too, that you will get through this.

Welcome to this supportive community where many others understand the challenges that come with treatment. The third week can feel particularly tough as the effects of treatment start to build up, and it's completely normal to feel overwhelmed during this time. This community has many members who have walked similar paths and are here to offer encouragement, practical tips, and understanding when things feel difficult.

I'm sorry your feeling that way. Ask your doctor to give you something for the nausea. Don't give up. You can make it through this. Try not to focus on the cancer and stay busy. Don't let it put you down. Take vitamin D and C and just try to stay active. I know it's hard. I think mindset plays a big roll in how well you go through this journey. Stay strong and you can get through it easier and don't ever give up!

I have 2 tumors. 1 in each lobe. They could only biopsy 1 of them. The other is attached to my aorta. I did 35 rounds of radiation and 6 rounds of chemo. They have both shrunk and I am in active maintenance right now. I told myself I wasn't going to let me down or I would surely die. I stayed active by helping other get to the grocery stores or just helping if anyone needed anything. It helped me not think of my own cancer because I was running from it and doing for others. I never let it put me out.

Praise The Lord for keeping me another day.