Today was Mom's first chemo day. We found out that instead of three rounds of five weeks, it is instead going to be three rounds of six weeks (four on, two off). Mom didn't seem too upset by this, however.
It took about three hours. They gave her a steroid at first to help with any nausea. Then they gave her two drips, one with a chemo (the name of it I can't remember), and the other with a vitamin (related to folic acid) that helps her body use the second chemo(5-FU) they gave her after the first two drips were gone. Dr. Nichols said that until a couple years ago they gave all patients with colon cancer the 5-FU, with only about 10% success rate. Then they found that people the chemo wasn't working on had a vitamin deficiency that made the cancer cells resistant to the chemo, and ever since they started adding the vitamin, their success rates have gone up to 90%. Good to know!
Mom looked and felt fine throughout the chemo. The nurse said if she does get any fatigue or any other side effects (apparently there will be some side effects, regardless of what we were told before), that they will appear the day after tomorrow. But most side effects start after about three weeks of chemo. So, we will just have to wait and see what happens. But so far, so good.
It took about three hours. They gave her a steroid at first to help with any nausea. Then they gave her two drips, one with a chemo (the name of it I can't remember), and the other with a vitamin (related to folic acid) that helps her body use the second chemo(5-FU) they gave her after the first two drips were gone. Dr. Nichols said that until a couple years ago they gave all patients with colon cancer the 5-FU, with only about 10% success rate. Then they found that people the chemo wasn't working on had a vitamin deficiency that made the cancer cells resistant to the chemo, and ever since they started adding the vitamin, their success rates have gone up to 90%. Good to know!
Mom looked and felt fine throughout the chemo. The nurse said if she does get any fatigue or any other side effects (apparently there will be some side effects, regardless of what we were told before), that they will appear the day after tomorrow. But most side effects start after about three weeks of chemo. So, we will just have to wait and see what happens. But so far, so good.
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