What is chemotherapy like?

Right now I'm being kept alive with lots of Prednisone, furosemide and lovenox but it's not enough because my lung rejection is steroid-resistant. Soon I'm going to start a round of methotrexate to try putting my disease in remission. Has anyone here been on this chemo before? What was it like? How bad are the side effects? Is my hair going to fall out? Any advice appreciated, thanks

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dancingtongue · 80-89, M

Your health care providers should have told you as part of your informed consent. Although, truthfully, I cannot tell you precisely which chemicals were used in either cycles of chemotherapy my wife went through -- first, prophylactically following a mastectomy for breast cancer, and second for lung cancer -- but the side effects were very similar. Lost her hair both times; lethargy and weakness for a spell following each treatment. Not pleasant. Successful the first time, as she remained free of the breast cancer for a couple of decades. Not so successful the second time for the unrelated lung cancer to the point that she opted out after three cycles to go into hospice care.

When I was offered prophylactic chemotherapy following my colon surgery, I recalled her experiences and declined. The chemo would have given me a 23% chance of adding 2 years to my life expectancy. Having been through that with my wife, I knew that nearly half of that additional 2 years would have little quality, and at my age, it did not seem worth it. At your age, definitely worth it, imho. But not a nice experience. If they haven't advised you of the side effects, demand that they do. It is your right, and their information should be more accurate than anything you will get on social media. And I wish you well in your treatment.

angoranimi · 26-30, F

@dancingtongue thanks for sharing your story and thank you!!

sree251 · 41-45, M

@dancingtongue You said: "When I was offered prophylactic chemotherapy following my colon surgery, I recalled her experiences and declined. The chemo would have given me a 23% chance of adding 2 years to my life expectancy. Having been through that with my wife, I knew that nearly half of that additional 2 years would have little quality, and at my age, it did not seem worth it. At your age, definitely worth it, imho."

2 years is not a long time. angorami wants to recover well enough to share life with her family and pursue her career.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@sree251 That's why I said it was worth it for her. And her prognosis should be far greater with a different form of cancer and her age.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@dancingtongue I am not a medical expert. My frantic reading up on her condition and treatment options has raise more questions than answers.

Basically, she has a lung disease. The Prednisone is suppressing the symptom giving her some relief. She now wants to move on to methotrexate. She does not just want to treat and cope with her ailment, she wants to recover well enough to pursue a scientist's career and live with her husband and child. You are offering her an option that gives her a 23% chance of getting 2 years of life of little quality. It's not acceptable.

How come you have not considered alternative medicine as an option; or even a miraculous cure through prayer.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@sree251 My references to 23% chance of getting 2 years of life was what I would have gotten out of chemotherapy. I was talking about MY situation, not hers. She does not have the same condition as me.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@dancingtongue You have recovered better without chemotherapy which you rejected. Her lung situation is a lot more complicated and cannot be dealt with by cutting it out.

She is right. It just isn't fair. You are a positive thinker. What would you do in her situation?

angoranimi · 26-30, F

@sree251 he was just sharing his experience which is different from mine. In my case, chemotherapy is obviously the right choice and I'm hopefully going to be starting soon. I do also practice alternative health treatments in addition to my standard medical treatments, they complement each other very well, doing both can lead to much better outcomes

sree251 · 41-45, M

@angoranimi You said: "I do also practice alternative health treatments in addition to my standard medical treatments, they complement each other very well, doing both can lead to much better outcomes"

I am proud of you, my friend. You have courage, and determined to succeed. You remind me of my mom. She just won't allow me to give up on anything. She is into homeopathy and prefers it to modern medicine.

Your body is acting up but you despite the pain you have to endure, you won't let it give in to the disease. So, I guess you have to stay positive and hang in there. You are not your body. Don't let your bodily pain transform into mental despair. Watch your physical pain. Don't fight it. You are not sick. You are not in pain. It's only your body that is ailing.

We will stay with you in this battle.