ANY INFO WOULD BE FANTASTIC

[Rita]

Any info would be great My Bestfriend started her chemolast monday and I visited her on Friday and to my horror she looked terrible, I could not believe the change in a week... but I did not show my emotions but she sure did show hers.... I did not know what to do or say as she cried in my arms......... I am still learning about this disease and do not understand any of the terms etc...... She is on extreme chemo 4 (which i do not know what this means) where she will have 2 hours of chemo every 3 weeks for the next 6 months.... I asked as many questions as I could but when she visited the doctor I think she just went blank and did not take in any information of what they told her and she could not answer many of mine....... Her first hit of chemo was obviously terrible as she has had nausea, vomiting, bad bad headaches, burning feelings over her chest, can't eat, and no energy and OMG she has bloated up like a fish..... My heart breaks for her... My question is..... will she feel like this until her next hit or does it calm down?.... Is there anything she can do to relieve the burning sensation?.... and what can i make her in meals which she can keep down?? Any answers would be greatly appreciated and what should she expect from her 2nd hit.??? thankyou Rita

[cremm]

Hi Rita, From what I have seen everyone responds differently when under treatment... It is more likely I believe that she will stay the same or get more sick, it might die down a little bit later in the week but when she has the dose again she may feel sick again. Like I said though everyone is different and their bodies react differently. While mums been on Chemo she has small meals more regularly rather then large meals... I'm not sure what exactly u could try and feed her but light meals with some natural sugar for some energy is probably a good idea... Just like you would of u had a stomach bug... Also lots of leafy greens and vegies is the best for the body. This is just from what ive seen from my family's experience, I'm sure there are other things you could try. Best wishes, and be strong - if she can't ask the questions it's good that you do. xo

[kj]

Rita What you can do for your friend is what you are doing be there for her with love and encouragement, maybe her next dose of chemo might be better you can only wait and see, what I found when I was really sick from chemo all I could tolerate was scrambled eggs on toast and a few other people on chemo ate the same so its worth trying at some stage, even though I have finished chemo I still eat that meal when I feel unwell good luck to her in this battle against this disease kj

[kayemc]

I found I was really unwell at the beginning of each cycle and then felt better for the last 5 to 7 days. Thenis starts all over again. The most encouraging words that I received were from a friend who had experienced chemo. She told me that it was tough but doable. I found that very small quantities of food suited me. Some days toast and vegemite was all I wanted. I could only eat plain food such as meat or chicken and steamed vegies. Your friend is so lucky to have someone so supportive. Kaye

[The_Rowan]

Hi Rita, I have been lucky enough to not need chemo as yet, but I did watch my mother go through it in the 80's. Like the others have advised, small meals om tap whenever your friend feels like eating are good. Another thing we did for Mum was to try and start her day with a mug of Sustagen. It has a whole lot of goodies in it that will help build her up. Keep up your good work in supporting her through all of this. It really helps to know you have lots of love and support when you are on the roller coaster that is dealing with cancer. Yay to you!! xx

[sarah]

Hi Rita, from what I understand, depending on the illness, how "agressive" the cancer is, and what organs to navigate around, depends on the dose of chemo: the higher the dose the sicker the patient will be. You say your friend is on extreme chemo, sounds like same as what I was on - Hodgkins Lymphoma=agressive=high dose, once every 2 weeks. The first one is the easiest, I'm sorry to say. From there on you just start feeling almost able to eat or function a bit, then you are hit again. To say it's exhausting and terrifying doesn't describe the depth and breadth of it. I would advise that, it's ok to show emotion and cry with her - it will only demonstate that you empathise, that you feel for her, and that you love her. It gets really hard being the only one seemingly emotional around the illness, with everyone else around not showing any emotion (seemingly feeling nothing). Made me feel sometimes that no one was feeling anything for me at all. Then again, good to show that you are strong too, able to handle it, and be strong for her to support her. Hope this helps. You're a good friend, don't give up on her. Sarah.

[CJF]

Hi Rita, Your friend is lucky to have you. The best thing you can do is just be there. In terms of food, when I was feeling really sick, i seemed to tolerate banana on toast. Weird but it worked. Also silken tofu - japanese style, and miso soup - there was a Japanese shop opposite the hospital. My friend also gave me a vegetable soup base/stock from the health food store which was full of vitamins and tasted great - a little salty but I liked that. I also tried to eat simple foods - vegetables etc that did not put a strain on my body. Sustegen is also a good option - full of essential fats and vitamins. Small bits of food often is best. Stay strong and know that we are thinking of you and your friend. CJF