I started chemo today. It's called Xeloda. It's given in a pill form. I take 3 pills in the morning and 3 in the evening. I take it for 7 days, then skip 7 days, then repeat.
The main side effects are diarrhea and hand-foot syndrome. Hand-foot syndrome is caused by the small capillaries (blood vessels) leaking chemo into your hands and feet. This causes the hands and feet to turn red, become dry, crack and peel. I was advised to avoid hot showers or baths. I read up on it, and it says I can't wash dishes in hot water, should avoid cutting things with a knife, using a screwdriver, or anything that has to be strongly gripped. It also said to avoid walking alot, jumping, etc. Not exactly sure how I'm going to be able to do this long term. I will probably be on this drug as long as it appears to be effective.
I start Zometa on Monday. I believe it's given once a month in a 15 minute IV infusion via my chemo port. Side effects are too many to list, so if you're curious, you can read them from this reliable source.
0 comments:
Post a Comment