wiredotter75 said:I’m currently taking Aloxi during my FOLFOX protocol—this is my 6th round—but before this, I went through 49 rounds of FOLFIRI plus Avastin, where I was also on Emend. In both of those previous cases, I never once threw up. However, when I made the switch over to FOLFOX, nothing was prescribed, and I ended up losing my soul—about 32 bouts of vomiting on the very first day of chemo. Once I mentioned it to my oncologist, they put me on Aloxi, and everything has been fine since... at least, that’s my experience. Regarding the blood work, the crucial part is the neutrophil and white blood cell count; that neutrophil number needs to stay above 1.5. For example, if your neutrophils are 0.4 and your white cell count is 5.0, that gives you a 2, which means you're cleared for chemo. That’s the one solid piece of information I can give you regarding the labs; as for the other parameters, who knows? Heh, after all, I've survived 55 rounds of chemo myself...
Thanks for the reply, but what about the other side effects? The exhaustion, the loss of appetite, the tingling sensations...
Could someone who has used Aloxi during chemotherapy share their experience? I'm wondering if it truly just helps with nausea, or if it actually provides some relief for other symptoms as well?
stormyfalcon6 said:I find myself thinking along exactly the same lines as you all. I lost my Mom in such a devastatingly short window of time—she had stomach cancer. 😢 Now, the situation involves my mother-in-law. To be honest, she is the primary obstacle here; her pessimism is relentless. Every single day, we find ourselves circling the exact same conversations, yet there is absolutely no progress to be made. I truly believe that if God saw fit to help catch that pancreatic issue early enough—especially since the surgery went flawlessly—then perhaps there is hope for this, too. It just requires an immense amount of mental fortitude to face such a massive battle. My greatest fear? That she might simply give up because of her own mindset. Right after the operation, she actually admitted she knew exactly what was coming—which is why she almost refused to go through with it in the first place. 😢 Naturally, she has turned her nose up at any offer of psychological counseling.
I realize this might not carry much weight, but I personally know two people who fought through it and are now living completely normal lives after battling pancreatic cancer—which should, hopefully, serve as some motivation for you, given how much we all dread the mortality rate associated with that specific diagnosis.
What are your thoughts on immunobran? My Mom’s immune system is practically non-existent right now—she’s dealing with inflammation and a low-grade fever, and she's currently on a course of antibiotics. She’s feeling incredibly weak, which is a massive concern because her chemotherapy protocol is scheduled to start in just two weeks. She tried supplementing with beta-glucan and some raw propolis, but honestly, things seem to be heading in the wrong direction regardless...
Mom is really struggling right now... she’s in a constant state of pain. She had major surgery back on March 27th—they removed everything they possibly could from her abdomen: ovaries, glands, the peritoneum, even part of her intestine—and now the pain is just relentless. It’s her back, her stomach, and specifically that right side where the ovary used to be. To make matters worse, the fever keeps coming back; it hits 100.4°F in the evenings, she spends the night drenched in sweat, and then somehow it breaks by morning. She’s incredibly weak, mostly just lying in bed, and if she tries to take even a short walk, she’s completely exhausted. She’s trying everything she can to boost her system—beta-glucan, raw propolis, zinc, selenium, and beetroot juices—but she’s still just hanging on. Her appetite seems fine, though. Her abdomen is swelling again—we’re worried there might be fluid buildup. Her next round of the chemotherapy protocol isn't until May 27th.
Since we’re feeling a bit lost on who to turn to for actual guidance, I figured I’d post here... does anyone have any advice? Is this kind of instability to be expected at this stage?
I am fully aware that we are dealing with an incredibly serious illness and that the "real" treatment hasn't even truly begun yet, but still—it is heartbreaking to watch her suffer like this...
vividsailor7 said:Aspirin is included in the basic coverage for specific medications—things like high-dose cisplatin, carboplatin, doxorubicin, mitoxantrone, ifosfamide, cyclophosphamide, and dacarbazine. I believe that covers the essentials, though one must also account for the dosage.
It’s absolutely not on the list. We actually went and asked the oncologist—apparently, they only cover Zofran; everything else (and frankly, the better options) has to be paid for out of pocket.
Aspirin is honestly the gold standard among all those options for managing side effects—it costs about $233 per chemo session here, though I heard it's closer to $333 in Boston.... we have Zofran covered by Medicare around here, but let's be real, it's the weakest one on the market, even if it does work for some people. Reglan is just your run-of-the-mill option; we keep it in our home medicine cabinet for everyday stuff, though I've heard that for certain patients, it's actually enough to get them through. I suppose it all comes down to the specific chemotherapy protocol being used, doesn't it?.....
My mother just had her follow-up appointment with the oncologist, and I’m left wondering—is it actually standard practice to wait two full months after surgery before starting chemo? Or is this just another instance of our healthcare system being inefficient? ☕
On another note, I’ve been looking into Alexa—apparently, it’s highly recommended to help mitigate some of the side effects during treatment. It isn't covered by insurance, so it has to be purchased out-of-pocket, but I told her that if there is any way to make this process more tolerable, we shouldn't let the cost be the deciding factor... what have your experiences been with it?
I’ve also heard whispers about certain supplements or treatments designed to prevent hair loss. If it's alright to ask that here, does anyone have any real insight or personal stories regarding those?
We are doing our absolute best to gather as much intelligence as possible from every available corner of the web regarding any potential supplements—anything that might offer even a modicum of support for strengthening the body before starting chemotherapy.
Angela Wright said:Beta-glucan is an ingredient extracted from mushrooms—available at a much more reasonable price point while maintaining the exact same concentration as, say, the famous Mycosan. It’s a supplement backed by solid clinical studies. Just make sure you buy it exclusively from a pharmacy.
So, is this actually legit? She just got this new stuff in a bottle all the way from America, and apparently, it usually goes for about $233...
Does anyone here know if it's safe to start taking it right away? I heard the recommendation is two tablets a day on an empty stomach—am I getting that right? And how long should one take it before needing to step back and take a break?
Angela Wright said:So, I suppose one should just avoid these kinds of things from birth until the grave—as if there’s ever actually a "right" time for anything, right?
We’re looking at a four-year-old girl who’s been bouncing around, full of life, and she hasn't even stepped foot in a doctor's office once... she’s essentially managing her own wellness. I suspect—regardless of what anyone else thinks—that there might be some merit to this approach, provided, of course, that everything has been properly vetted within standard American medical guidelines...
Thanks for the response. I’m asking for a friend here—though my mother is already adamant that she won't touch those supplements if they turn out to be carcinogenic. We’re talking about a blended preparation involving B17 capsules and some kind of Shiitake mushroom... something along those lines. She's also curious about Beta-glucan and Graviola? Is it safe for her to start taking those right now? It’s been two weeks since her surgery, and if everything goes according to plan, chemo should begin in about another two weeks.
vividsailor7 said:There is just too much ambiguity here—things that simply cannot be resolved through formulas alone. I would strongly suggest seeking a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic.
It is far too early to draw any definitive conclusions about that—we’re talking about a lifelong trajectory, after all.
I’m sorry, but I didn't quite grasp what you meant by that. Could you clarify?
Angela Wright said:I have no idea what fungi you're referring to, but I can tell you this—with absolute certainty—that if you're looking into crushed apricot kernels, you've likely asked the wrong people in all the wrong places. They are incredibly toxic; they contain cyanide, which specifically targets the liver. And let's be real, your liver needs to be in peak condition just to survive the chemotherapy. Be extremely careful about where you get your information and who you trust. There are plenty of charlatans out there—absolute masters at wrapping up fairy tales in fancy medical jargon, fake letters from "recovered" patients, or pseudo-scientific studies. Please, Google everything. Fact-check every single claim. Don't let the desperate hope for some kind of miracle cloud your judgment. As for those encapsulated supplements? Don't take more than two or three at once, and try to stick to a consistent routine from the very start.
I appreciate the response... truly. But keep in mind, all of this advice comes from a woman who has been fighting cancer for four years and has essentially experimented with every possible avenue herself. Still, I couldn't help but wonder—was it perhaps too soon to consider those bowel surgeries?
My mother is currently about two weeks out from an incredibly intensive surgery—we're talking removal of the ovaries, uterus, a section of the bowel, glands, the peritoneum... the whole works. She’s already started diving into all sorts of supplements to try and bolster her system—flaxseed oil, beet juice, blueberries, aronia berries, then some blended mushrooms and apricot kernels... plus green tea and Vitamin C. It’s all been thoroughly researched, of course, but I can't help but wonder—is it actually too soon to be introducing all this after such a massive, grueling procedure?
My mother has finally been discharged to recover at home after her surgery... she’s describing this bizarre sensation of an internal chill—almost like a deep, creeping coldness—accompanied by tingling all over her body. It comes in waves, lasting anywhere from five to ten minutes at a time; she says it feels as if her very veins are freezing up. Now, she's left wondering what on earth could be causing this. Is it the underlying illness? Could it be some lingering effect of the procedure itself? She did require a blood transfusion during the process, and the surgery lasted about three hours—could we be looking at some sort of delayed shock? Aside from that, she’s still running a slight fever (around 103°F), though she’s scheduled to finish another week of antibiotics. She’s also dealing with intense night sweats, though I suppose that was something she struggled with even before the operation took place. Has anyone here experienced anything remotely similar to this?
Angela Wright said:Coco Six cycles of chemo essentially means she’ll undergo therapy six separate times at specific intervals. Your mom needs to eat healthy—light meals, nothing too heavy, ideally sticking to a Mediterranean-style diet. It's also vital to boost her immunity with vitamins and any scientifically proven complementary supplements you can find at a reputable pharmacy. Regarding the nausea from the chemo, the doctors will provide medications to manage it—for instance, Zofran. If and when things get difficult, come back here and we’ll share more tips. I mentioned a few of them earlier in my post in the fifties section. The most critical thing right now is to stabilize your own life and focus entirely on the present moment. You simply cannot predict the future or solve problems that haven't arrived yet. When a problem hits, then—and only then—do you deal with it. You have to conserve your energy. Another crucial point you must accept and internalize is that this is primarily happening to your mother, and she is the one suffering most. As terrible as you feel, you are ultimately an observer to this struggle. You absolutely cannot make things harder for her by letting her sense your fear, despair, or panic; doing so will only deepen her own pain, anxiety, and that crushing sense of guilt. You need to be her rock and her support system—find somewhere else to vent those emotions. I won't lie to you; there aren't easy days ahead. But humans have a way of surviving just about anything, and you will too. Hang in there and stay strong for your mother's sake. Show her that she raised a daughter who knows how to face life's storms. To her, seeing that strength will be the greatest relief and reward of all.
Nancy Lee said:There are others here who might be able to give you more specific answers than I can—for now, I’m just sending a massive hug your way. I truly understand what you're going through; I’m navigating a very similar situation with my own father right now, and I know just how heavy this feels... it's incredibly difficult.
Thank you so much....sending one right back at you...🙂