Digestive Tract-
Pain Management-
Sleep-
Acupuncture-
Other Alternative Therapies-
Humor-
Sex-
Tears-
Family and Friends- Here's a good place to find out how my family and friends felt and coped with my disease.

Digestive Tract-

The medications that will be prescribed for you will read the warnings: "may cause diarrhea" or "may cause constipation." Believe it and have the anti-diarrheal and stool softening or laxative medicines ready to go before you start taking your medications. As always, check with you doctor to see which ones they recommend and don't wait until your feeling the effects...ask before you start taking the prescriptions.

Pain Management-

Let's face it, with modern pharmacology you don't have to suffer needless pain or nausea at any point in your treatment. There are numerous anti-nausea drugs that your doctor can prescribe to help you through the tummy troubles associated with chemotherapy. In addition to anti-nausea you might also inquire about muscle relaxing drugs that will help you settle down for a good night's sleep.  You may have an allergic--or unpleasant--reaction to some of the drugs that your doctor prescribes. If you start to feel funny after receiving or taking any medication tell your doctor or nurse immediately.  On a personal note I had two bad reactions during my treatment. On my second round of chemotherapy I had a bad reaction to one of the chemotherapy drugs...it felt like someone was poking knitting needles into my kidneys. My wife alerted the nurse and within seconds she had taken steps to alleviate the pain and with the doctors input started me on an additional drug that allowed me to take the rest of my chemotherapy with no adverse effects at all. The second incident happened in the recovery room after my PEG tube was installed. I was given a dose of morphine and immediately felt nausea. My nurse quickly administered an anti-nausea drug and the sensation went away.

While you might not like the idea, you may end up taking lots of different pills at different time of the day. I know, I know, you can manage a few pills but I found one of those pill packs really helped. You can get a 7-21 compartment divider that really helps, particularly when you're dealing with so many other issues. The last thing you should be worrying about is, "Did I take my last meds?"

Sleep-

It's the activity that you'll love to hate. I was cautioned that I wouldn't be able to sleep as my mind would wander thinking about the cancer and its effects. Well, so far I've had a great sleep every night since May 10, 2001 because I won't let cancer get control of me. Drugs can certainly help you sleep but you might also try a soothing meditation tape at bedtime. I found this to be very effective and I didn't have the drug hangover the next morning.

During the radiation phase of your treatment plan on taking lots of naps during the day. I found that every day after my treatment I got the overwhelming urge to sleep about 30-45 minutes after my treatment. I'd sleep for 60-90 minutes and then feel OK for several hours. Then in the afternoon, I'd take another nap of varying lengths. 

On those two occasions when I awoke in the middle of the night and did not fall right back to sleep I let my mind wander to the sound of the birds first awakening outside, to thoughts of swimming in a resort pool with my wife in a gentle Caribbean shower, or to fun times with my children and grandchildren. If you have to be awake fill your mind with good thoughts rather than bad ones. 

Acupuncture-

You'll be poked and prodded by a lot of doctors. So why would you voluntarily go to an office where someone sticks a dozen or more needles into you at one time? Because acupuncture might be able to lessen the side effects of your treatment. If you think acupuncture might help you, ask questions of a couple of acupuncturists to make sure that they have treated cancer patients before. 

On a personal note I went to my first acupuncture treatment with a bit of skepticism. My wife had been getting treatments for an allergic condition and every time she emerged from the office she looked like and felt like a new person. So, feeling a bit under the weather I said, "Why not?"

I can say for certain that on one afternoon when I was feeling a bit queasy I went in for a treatment not having taken any medications for 24 hours. I received my treatment and within 15 minutes I was nausea free and the feeling didn't return for the rest of the treatment cycle. Was it mind over matter...or do the needles somehow short out the signals that would otherwise tell your brain that you felt nauseous. Does it really matter? If it works for you...it's worth it and in many cases your insurance company will pay. The location of my radiation also affected my salivary glands and dried up my mouth like a Sahara. I did take pills for a while to see if they would help but acupuncture has been the answer for me. In fact, now I have time when I have too much saliva in my mouth.

Other Alternative Therapies-

Meditation, massage, support groups, and a host of other therapies may help your cope with the tests and treatments your are about to begin. In many cases you'll find information about these therapies at the cancer center where you are being treated. Alternatively you may have to reach out to others who have undergone treatments or you may have to search the Web for ideas. As a cautionary note, there are a lot of folks who have Web sites that offer helpful information and "medications" for a price. Approach those sites with extreme caution.

Humor-
 

You can let it get you down or you can meet your cancer and cancer treatment with grace, agility, and a bit of humor. Grace can sometimes be hard when you have to run to the rest room and you have several bags of chemo hanging from a pole that you have to drag along. You'll need agility to keep from tripping over all of the tubing. And humor, even when your stomach hurts, a few chuckles might help you forget.

TOP TEN REASONS TO GET CHEMOTHERAPY

10.    It's a great excuse to not talk to folks on the phone. 
        Put a second message on your answering machine: "Sorry I can't take your call I'm feeling ill."

9.     If you lose your hair, it will probably grow back darker and thicker than before.
        Who needs hair clubs when you've got chemotherapy? Rogaine be gone. If you're a male I've learned that some women find bald heads are buff.

8.    Now you can read that novel that's been on your nightstand for the past 5 years. 
        You may have enough time to read lots of novels as you sit there getting your chemo treatments.

7.    Lose weight without the pain of exercise.
        If the chemo makes you sick and keeps you from eating it sure beats going to the gym. (It won't work for everyone....I put on 10 pounds.)

6.    You'll have a great excuse to buy new hats.
       Even in the middle of the summer you'll discover that your bean gets chilly after all those years under a hairy cover.

5.    You'll save time not shaving.
        If you're a guy you'll get away with shaving once every week or two. Ladies, what a great way to do away with those unwanted hairs.

4.    You'll save lots of money on haircuts.
        If you lose your hair just think of the savings

3.    Bugs don't bite...they won't even light.
       We live in the woods in New Hampshire and when I took walks with my wife she'd get attacked by mosquitoes and they wouldn't even get close to me...not even the dreaded deer flies liked me.

2.    Your mechanic might even cut you a break.
       After 16 years, my mechanic actually worked on our cars twice without a charge.

1.    Chemotherapy shrinks cancers.
       That's the bottom line.

Sex

Yes. But with a stomach tube in place you might not feel very sexy. However, the good news is that your neck is a long way from your sex organs. You might find that alternate positions are more comfortable for you and your partner. At the very least you should find that cuddling with your partner is sweeter than ever!

Tears-

Throughout the months of chemotherapy, chemo-radiation and the first five days after my surgery I tried to "tough it out" and didn't get emotional at all. Then on the sixth day after my surgery--the day after I returned home and the day after my surgeon told me that I can cancer free--I cried uncontrollably for 30 minutes straight. 

Looking back, I kept my emotions under control because I didn't know how easy or hard the next procedure or test or treatment would be. It wasn't until I got the great news that I was cancer free and that I was home after the five painful days in the hospital that I was able to say I didn't have to be tough anymore. And it's OK to cry.