Christina R. - chemo questions????

Hi. I was wondering how you are doing with your chemo treatments? I was also wondering if you wanted to share the "hows" of your treatment. I saw my rheumatologist this week for continued joint pain and barely being able to move. In the past, I tested ++ for the lupus DNA antibodies. But now, he is sure I have psoriatic arthritis. The treatment for this is low dose chemotherapy. (the jury is still out on whether or not I have lupus too. ) I will be starting these chemotherapy treatments this week. These are low dose treatments and I'm sure are nothing compared to what you are going through.. . . But I am curious about nausea and hair loss. Also, do you take yours via IV or pills. I will start out on pills. Three pills in 24 hours. The drug is called methotrexate. Then, I will take a folic acid. I'm nervous. I was told that they will make me sick for the first 24 hours and to be prepared to have some help with my kids. But other than that, I was just curious. thanks and ((( HUGS ))) Leslie

Reply back so I can have your email and I'll send you a pic of me without my hair! ok.. I take my chemo through IV. I had a port installed in one of my right veins so it doesn't hurt a bit. Some chemotherapy takes a really long time, but mine is 20 minutes for one and 1 hour of the other (I take two drugs). I also have saline pumped in for dehydration because I don't drink enough. Bad I know, but I have to drink more than I do for Gastric Bypass and I just can't get it down. Before you start chemo they should go over all possible side effects. Getting chemotherapy is pretty easy. You go in, sit in a recliner, they "hook you up" (for me it's the port) and start pumping you full of saline and drugs. I asked them to tell me when the Cytoxin was coming. The nurse told me, and I just pointed to the bag and said, "That's the nasty one!" "Yep. That's the mean one alright," was her come back. Once you're done, they unhook you and you leave. For my next session my mom or dad will probably take me down. My Dad's good weeks are my bad weeks, so it works out well. He drives me after chemo sessions to get my blood drawn. Oh yeah... you have to have your blood checked (for me it's weekly) for white and red blood cell counts. When you blood cell counts are low, you are fatigued and susceptible to illness and infections. Also wounds don't heal as fast. For me, I don't want to be around people during the first two weeks. The third is ok. I'm starting week 3 and I feel good enough to be productive a work. Unfortunately it only lasts a week, then I'm back into another dose and two more weeks of crap feeling and no work (save emails from home) and no crowds and a lot of sleeping which brings on some very funky dreams after a while. OH! just remembered... diarrhea or constipation - you'll probably end up with one of them. They told me I would have diarrhea. HA! NOT. Totally the opposite. I know.. icky subject, but I'd rather warn you than not. So pick up laxatives and Imodium AD so you have it handy for which ever one you get. If you lose your hair, which is not necessary with all chemo, you may end up shaving before they hair falls out. I didn't think I would, but the follicles hurt and once you get dizzy with pain once from washing your hair - you'll never wa**** twice. Buzz it. It's ok. It will grow back - get du-rags. And if you are on a chemo that makes you feel nauseated, hair is the last thing you'll be concerned about. Eating takes on a whole new meaning! I was so upset losing my hair. I cried shaving it off. Now it gone and there's nothing to do but wait and grow it back after chemo. Amazingly, I'm not upset about it anymore. This is me take it or leave it. (of course the second option isn't open to my husband, but he loves me bald and sagging.) If you stopped protein shakes - start them up again. The nausea hits and you have to get the protein down and food won't be how you do it. Some of the anti-nausia medications are really expensive, others have their own nasty side effects. I was on one (little red pill - Prochlorperazine) that caused fuzzy vision. Oh man, you just wanted to sleep so you didn't have your eyes open. I couldn't focus or concentrate. Another one, Zofran, is really expensive (over $700 for 20 pills), but it is good stuff. Let me know more questions... Tina

Thanks I just emailed you.