My friend's side effects of chemotherapy....tips?

[LAGrunthaner]

Over the last 2 weeks I have been to 2 funerals, friend and family due to that fucking dreadful "cancer". And once again only 1 week ago another friend with cancer and I'm trying to help in any way I can. Thankfully today I received a reply (exhaustion and distance slows communication) that the side effects are making it very difficult. I thought it can't hurt to hear what meds may lesson the effects of chemo as doctors are using the trial and error method. The side effects are exactly what you would expect with very high doses of chemo. My friend is trying to stay out of the hospital.

BTW my cat pictures and cartoons have helped a little.
The glass must always be half full.
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[madmike]

Pot ,helps
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[skills@eurocarsplus]

Sorry for your friend

My advice? (this is based on personal experience) would be determine if the cancer is in fact able to be treated into remission. If not, live your best life for your remaining time.

Your friend should have pain care nurses to help with the side effects. I've had too many people in my life live a poor existence on a chemical cocktail that made them feel like garbage, only to get off of it when "it wasn't working" to go directly into a home. Point being, they could have felt good for the last 3-6 months if they were going to end up in a home anyway.

Basically, they could be wasting the best time to feel good/do things.
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[scottyrocks]

[Letterman7]

[LAGrunthaner]

Yes skills@eurocarsplus, I agree regarding "quality of life" and I wish I knew the proper way to encourage that. Buying time with chemotherapy is only good if this extreme suffering is not in the equation. Chemo suffering is horrible and I suppose my job is to distract, encourage and be hopeful without causing any further suffering. Yes, scottyrocks, I will get that book "Being Mortal by Atul Gawande". I will assume it will help me, help them.

madmike, funny I never thought my friend try cannabis. A colleague said the same yesterday. I am going to suggest that today. Even mild CBD gummies have helped people suffering and encourage their appetite.

Thank you, skills@eurocarsplus, "live your best life for your remaining time".

That glass half full must be the quality of life.
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[finster]

I have little to add other than to say keep on with the whimsy (cat pictures and cartoons) as laughter is the best antidote to adversity.

check out the kiffness and his cat music on youtube (although cockatiel-o is my fave)
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[oprn]

Back about 1971 a good friend of ours (mid 30s) was having various abdominal difficulties that made no sense to the Dr so he put in a zipper to see what was going on. Well he saw more than he bargained for, the man's whole lower abdomen was full of cancer so he zipped him back up, told him to get his affairs in order, you have about 6 weeks left at best and see you in the cancer clinic in a week.

He went to the clinic, took 3 rounds of chemo treatment, felt so incredibly horrible that he told them "If this is how I am going to feel for the last 5 weeks of my life, I am done here!" He checked himself out and went home!

He eventually recovered on his own, went back to work, raised his 2 small children and we put him in the ground about 5 years ago . His 6 weeks turned into almost 50 more years!
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[Erik G]

there is nothing funny about the healing and relieving effects of cannabis during chemo - pretty sad that it's not more widely used / suggested / prescribed. Gummies are ok, tiniticure and vapor is faster...

the hospital your friend goes to is key - they need to be great at fighting cancer, not just the local hospital being overseen by your local PCP. Cancer specialist hospitals exist and are great. MD Anderson in Houston is the # 1 Cancer hospital in the US. Mayo clinic, Kettering Cancer center, etc are great as well

best of luck to your friend - she will need it but she can beat it with everyone's help

[jinx758]

@LAGrunthaner ...

Cancer is a M-F !

So sorry to hear this.
Chemo is an insipid thing - they need it to be powerful enuff to rid the ailment but not rid the patient.

I know a woman that has been stage4-ed & is in a maintenance phase & has been for 4.5yrs. Somehow she is positive & upbeat. Perhaps I don't have all the info & she covers well. She does look good in her wig. I change the batteries in her smoke detectors yearly & don't charge her even tho she lives 32 miles away. She insists on $20 for gas.

I've also heard of THC calming the nausea & etc side affects.

Sending positive thoughts, vibes, & prayers to you & your friend as it affects more than the patient.

Warm wishes ... stay safe

jinx

PS (disclaimer)
I say prayers as that's customary for most people.
I converted to Paganism back in 2000 but do not cast spells.
Some fear what they don't understand.
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[crofty]

Not sure its the CBD that stimulates appetite, i think its the funner THC.
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[Manfred58sc]

The best cannabis delivery system is suppositories ( 80%) bio-availability. Super high concentrations like RSO ( Rick Simpson Oil ) and Phoenix Tears have a very good track record for some. The patient will sleep for long periods and that seems to be the only , medically proven, magic. The body heals primarily during sleep cycles, which the patient is doubling. Can be used without contraindication in Chemo treatments.
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[Tram]

[74 Thing]

My mom has had 4 bouts of cancer. The third one was non hodgekin's lymphoma and the doc gave her 2 years tops to live. That was 12 years ago.
She is a fighter and the toughest person I know, and she took whatever the Cancer Center recommended from chemo to hardcore trial drugs that all were very hard on her body. Throughout the whole time she would always have the attitude that she was going to kick cancers ass.

A few months ago she was feeling really bad and had to go for tests and as it turned out the non hodgekin's lymphoma was no longer around but it was leukemia now and there was no chance at remission this time only the chance to extend your life for 12 months or so. My mom said F it give me the chemo or whatever it takes. Prognosis was no good and I saw my mom lose a lot of weight and be bed ridden at the hospital. It seemed like she was not going to escape the grimm reaper this time. Two weeks ago she went in for a bone marrow test to see if the chemo was doing anything and to the amazement of the Cancer Doc the cancer is in remission. She's doing exercises now at a rehab facility and looking forward to coming home soon.

I have never seen my mom in pain and suffering like the way I saw with this last battle, and it made me think about a lot of things. I reached out to some friends and discussed their loss of loved ones to cancer. One of my very good friends who lost his mom provided me with some sound advice. He told me his mom was going through chemo and trying everything available to her and he would drive from No CA to SoCal every weekend to help out. One weekend he got there and his mom told him she is done getting treatment. His immediate reaction was there has to be other options etc and he was kind of po'd. It took him some time to understand that everyone has their threshold and you have to respect their decision if it comes to that.

So support your friend with cancer by just being there for them and respect their decisions on how they want to care for themselves. There are many forms of cannibis that can help ease pain and provide comfort and increase appetite during treatment and hopefully they get cured or go into remission and live a happy quality life.

F Cancer

[bigdog1962]

[nsracing]

Short of turning your friend into a pot-head, encourage to eat even when not feeling eating. Loss of appetite is a big deal. If you do not eat, you die -

You can be on all sort of meds but if you do not eat, all sorts of other bad things show up. Bring in lots of fruits as the taste buds are all different during the treatment.


I would not encourage to turn the person into a user -just cause 'it helps'. Petesakes. Alcoholics say too it helps them get thru the day.

[2type2]

That was not nice. Not turning your friend into a pothead is a different thing than offering possible therapies with proven benefit, at least trying to find comfort. Your moral views notwithstanding, smh.
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[finster]

this site has a collection of short sound recordings from around the world and is a regular haunt of mine. pop on headphones, close your eyes and take a healing break from the everyday. from katydids in the moonlight, the hubbub of a viennese coffee house to the sound of alpine meadows it's all here to dive into

https://fieldrecordings.xyz/
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nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[hotsam]

My dad had Stage 4 non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at ~63 and beat it and lived to 84 before he died of something else.

Of course everyone's experience is different, but he had an amazingly positive attitude - and this was someone who wasn't normally positive. He also had the support of good friends who drove him to and from every single appointment (Maine to Boston and back). My mom took it upon herself to make sure he maintained his weight and cooked 3 meals every day for months - though he did lose 40lbs or so.

I am 100% a believer in science, but I really think attitude and a solid support network make a huge difference.
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[LAGrunthaner]

Thank you all, for these great suggestions. The personal stories are very inspiring toward hope. My friend has been in the hospital since my last posted update. Doctors are trying to get the effects under control, it is difficult.

The next step is trying to get acupuncture although that team located in the hospital doesn’t treat at the bedside. My dear kind friend is too weak to get to that department. All I can do is continue being positive, send humorous comics and always listen.
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