Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer - the long winding road it has become

[ChrisF]

Cois, Robbie het ons gedagtes, en emosies, mooi saam gevat.

 

Woorde voel so leeg in sulke tye .... weet net ons bid vir julle albei.

 

 

[Cois]

Went to see the oncologist last week. Bloodwork seems normal for what is taking over my body. 
i could not start chemo due to the weight loss I experienced. The oncologist recommended that we might have to wait a week to see how my body reacts to the liquid diet.

The biggest problem is that I vomit out 90% of the foods I take in. Last night was the worst. I did not eat anything yesterday only took in liquids (decade coffee, and Rooibos tea and some water) just before bedtime I ran for the bathroom. Everything came out.

Drank a bit of water and headed back to bed (we fall under the part of Pretoria with no electricity since Saturday night) attempting to fall asleep. Woke up at 01h00 and ran for the bathroom again. Had to run back to get a flashlight, and vomited out some water.

Went back to bed and was woken at 03h30 and had to do the run, run back, get a flashlight and vomit out the last bit of liquid my body could expel. Was awake till 04h30 when Reinet woke up to start the shower in cold water to get ready for work. 

At work today just after 13h00 I had to dash to the bathroom (at this stage I am doing Tech, reception and client liaison due to people having Covid exposures) again, making it just in time.

Dinner was Sago in drinking form that Reinet prepared on Saturday. So I really hope it stays in.

Weight this morning was 70,2 kg’s

I have to see the oncologist on Thursday for assessment and to see if I should start or rather can start treatment. That and the booking for my Covid vaccination on Friday morning is two goals for this week for me.

 

[Scary Rider]

Sterkte, Cois. Jy bly 'n inspirasie vir ons almal. Ons bid vir jou!

[Mats]

Wens ek het woorde gehad wat jou kan laat beter voel.

Sterkte Cois 

 

[Muttley]

You've got this!

[BigDL]

Hope all goes well with your appointment tomorrow lad and that treatment can start. 

[The Ouzo]

Everytime I read your updates I'm heartbroken. Your never give up attitude certainly puts other ailments into perspective.

Cois you are always in our minds. Sterkte.

 

Incidentally my elderly neighbour has also been going through chemo and radiation and what not over the last few years. 2 days ago I learnt that he had decided to stop with chemo and let nature takes its course. This was apparently in January already, but since stopping chemo he has put some weight back on, is not retaining water, can keep meals down and is feeling better over all. Obviously the disease is silently doing its thing inside him, but he feels that he would rather live fewer days comfortably than more days but being sick and weak.

[Cois]

We postponed the chemo session until later this week. I went for my Covid Vaccine on Friday, and the chemo would kill the effects of the vaccine.

The past weekend I could not keep any food down. So I am very weak, and it is very difficult at the moment to walk.

I was without my pain meds the past weekend, and that was the worst idea ever. So last night I had the pain patch on again. I could not get my morphine prescription filled at Dischem Menlyn as the do not have morphine powder to mix my morphine (have to back on morphine as that is the only medication that will work and not cause anymore damage, even though I am allergic to morphine)

The worst thing at this stage is knowing that I am going to be sick if I drink something. Even eating something just can’t stay in.  And weight loss is my biggest enemy right now!
 

 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Cois

[Cois]

So we started the next round of Chemo last week.  5FU chemo pump, and a derivative of 5FU per IV.  Friday was not to bad.  The steroids they gave me still worked.  Saturday morning felt a bit weak and Saturday morning was hit by the biggest wave of tiredness.  But in floored.  Had to make a few stops at the shops for water (I can't drink the tap water in Pretoria anymore) and bought a Gluten free bread, just to have something else to eat than Ensure and smoothies.  Felt lethargic in the shops and decided that I did not want to pass out in the shops so I told the wife that it was time to return to home as I was not going to make it.

Was locked on the couch most of yesterday, got into bed at 21H20 and fell asleep till 05H00.  The one positive of the chemo is that it causes diarrhea, but the downside is dehydration.  But at least I wont have a blockage.  Another problem with the 5FU is hiccups.  I hope I still have some medication for that at home.  Or it might be hell for the next few hours.

And just realized that everyone knows better about how to treat hiccups.  Even though I tell them home remedies will not help, they still insist that it will work.  So tired of people thinking they know better.  This is not my first rodeo with 5FU and the dreaded hiccups

[RobertWhitehead]

6 minutes ago, Cois said:

So we started the next round of Chemo last week.  5FU chemo pump, and a derivative of 5FU per IV.  Friday was not to bad.  The steroids they gave me still worked.  Saturday morning felt a bit weak and Saturday morning was hit by the biggest wave of tiredness.  But in floored.  Had to make a few stops at the shops for water (I can't drink the tap water in Pretoria anymore) and bought a Gluten free bread, just to have something else to eat than Ensure and smoothies.  Felt lethargic in the shops and decided that I did not want to pass out in the shops so I told the wife that it was time to return to home as I was not going to make it.

Was locked on the couch most of yesterday, got into bed at 21H20 and fell asleep till 05H00.  The one positive of the chemo is that it causes diarrhea, but the downside is dehydration.  But at least I wont have a blockage.  Another problem with the 5FU is hiccups.  I hope I still have some medication for that at home.  Or it might be hell for the next few hours.

And just realized that everyone knows better about how to treat hiccups.  Even though I tell them home remedies will not help, they still insist that it will work.  So tired of people thinking they know better.  This is not my first rodeo with 5FU and the dreaded hiccups

Good luck sir, I am holding thumbs that this round kicks some butt. 

 

PS: on the hiccups front, have you tried holding your breath? ????????. Sorry, I had to add some humor ????

[BigDL]

57 minutes ago, Cois said:

So we started the next round of Chemo last week.  5FU chemo pump, and a derivative of 5FU per IV.  Friday was not to bad.  The steroids they gave me still worked.  Saturday morning felt a bit weak and Saturday morning was hit by the biggest wave of tiredness.  But in floored.  Had to make a few stops at the shops for water (I can't drink the tap water in Pretoria anymore) and bought a Gluten free bread, just to have something else to eat than Ensure and smoothies.  Felt lethargic in the shops and decided that I did not want to pass out in the shops so I told the wife that it was time to return to home as I was not going to make it.

Was locked on the couch most of yesterday, got into bed at 21H20 and fell asleep till 05H00.  The one positive of the chemo is that it causes diarrhea, but the downside is dehydration.  But at least I wont have a blockage.  Another problem with the 5FU is hiccups.  I hope I still have some medication for that at home.  Or it might be hell for the next few hours.

And just realized that everyone knows better about how to treat hiccups.  Even though I tell them home remedies will not help, they still insist that it will work.  So tired of people thinking they know better.  This is not my first rodeo with 5FU and the dreaded hiccups

Sterkte - Hope the Hiccoughs get better soon. 

[Muttley]

Hope the side effects of the chemo are worth it in the long run mnr!

Keep fighting the good fight - we're all rooting for you!

[Escapee..]

Baie sterkte Cois!

[W@nted]

Hoe gaan dit daar Cois?

[Cois]

10 hours ago, W@nted said:

Hoe gaan dit daar Cois?

Thanks for asking W@nted
At the moment things are trough.

I have never been this weak. Weight-loss is still a huge problem. The scale said 65.6 kgs this morning. Had to go shopping for new clothing as nothing fits anymore. 

Has the first proper meal last night. A piece of Lasagna. Glad to say it stayed in with help of Zofer (anti nausea medication)
On Thursday I will have the 2nd round of 5FU Chemotherapy if my bloodwork and liver function is still correct. I made the epic mistake of attempting to reduce my pain medication (I have a system that works for a week in the form of a plaster) needless to say, last night was a sleepless night. So will be on pain medicine from now on. It helps a lot with my upper back pain where the chemo dissolved the pads between the vertebrae. 

[BigDL]

7 hours ago, Cois said:

Thanks for asking W@nted
At the moment things are trough.

I have never been this weak. Weight-loss is still a huge problem. The scale said 65.6 kgs this morning. Had to go shopping for new clothing as nothing fits anymore. 

Has the first proper meal last night. A piece of Lasagna. Glad to say it stayed in with help of Zofer (anti nausea medication)
On Thursday I will have the 2nd round of 5FU Chemotherapy if my bloodwork and liver function is still correct. I made the epic mistake of attempting to reduce my pain medication (I have a system that works for a week in the form of a plaster) needless to say, last night was a sleepless night. So will be on pain medicine from now on. It helps a lot with my upper back pain where the chemo dissolved the pads between the vertebrae. 

Vok, so sorry to hear about the suffering lad.