Health Diaries > Colon Cancer > Llama Farming with Colon Cancer

September 20, 2005

Sick as a Dog: Nausea, Weight Loss

I'm still waiting for things to get better. Before getting into this post's bad news, a little review. I never have described the treatment process and really it's very simple. I don't recall if I mentioned what happened to get ready. I had out-patient surgery to implant a port just under my left collarbone. All IVs and blood are taken through the port. Saves a lot of needles in the arm. Also had to do an update CT scan for the experimental drug test I was accepted into. As I said, the process is very simple. Sit in an oversized recliner for about 6 hours and let it drip. Start with a bag of anti-nausea and then 3 different drugs. The last I guess is pretty strong. I have it hooked up to an infusion pump for 46 hours. That means I live with a shoulder bag with a 3-4 pound pump 24 hours a day. A home health nurse comes by the house and disconnects it. I rent the $3500 pump so I don't go to the barn with it for a couple days. For what all this is supposed to do, it is pretty simple. So, what's the bad news this time? I finished the 2nd treatment and was setting up #3 and all of sudden became nauseated. For the next several hours I vomited 12 times. The good news is that I got a jump on the nausea that shows up on day 4 and didn't have to go through that. The bad news is that I was sick for a week, no appetite, hard to eat or drink, off and on, mostly on, diarrhea. I finally went to the clinic today and got an IV fluid. I was so bad I have to go in 3 more days for fluids. I lost another 7 pounds. I look terrible, down to 139 pounds. I am also to take my anti-diarrhea pills 4 times a day and have a anti-bacteria pill to take for 7 days (when I see the doctor) to make sure the diarrhea is from chemo. I'm still having alot of problems finding something I can eat that's solid, no taste, hard to swallow with things sticking to mucus in my mouth. So many things with milk, but I'm to lay off dairy products for awhile. I did manage enough strength to finally make it to the barn and feed the animals. The last pregnant donkey that eveyone else thinks is ready to burst is not close to delivering yet. So, I guess that's an update. Everyone says "hang in there" and I'm trying.

Posted by Robert on September 20, 2005 7:40 PM | DIGG | del.icio.us | furl