i had my first round of chemo and i was sick for 5 days but after those 5 days i got stronger than i used to b and even worked out for a few days

i need to know if the side effects lasts longer with more chemo?

im going to b taking radiation treatment for the colon cancer and i need to know what the side effects will be for the radiaton?


and by the way
im 17yrs old i have stage 3 colon cancer
i have 6 months of treatment left

i really need more info ?

What kind of chemo are you having? FOLFOX? Once we have an idea of that, I'm sure we can all give you more information.

BTW, how are your parents dealing with this?

im talking 5-fu and oxaliplatin

my parent have been really supportive and they are really just trying to stay strong for me...

Hi::)
ALL chemo regimens give different side effects in different people. What MOST people can experience from oxaliplatin is diarrhea, sensitivity to cold and hot-- you will have to drink and eat room temp drinks and food, and touching anything cold causes severe tingling down to the tips of your fingers. What the docs and nurses worry about is you drinking something cold or with ice and having your throat seize up. So just be careful. Oxaliplatin was not that bad for me, although (two years later) I do still get the very unpleasant feelings in my fingertips when getting things out of the freezer (called parasthesias).

The trouble for me the first time around was the with the 5FU (I used to refer to it as 5 F. U.). You can figure out what the initials COULD stand for!!! ;) Anyways, I did get HORRIBLE mouth sores that were SO painful I ended up on morphine. Also something called "Miracle Mouthwash"-- a prescription written by your doctor helps if you need it. It contains lidocaine, benadryl, and maaolox. It works well to numb the sores. You usually get them if you don't rinse your mouth regularly with salt water. I did a lot, and STILL got awful sores. This is why I say-- side effects are different for everyone.

I also got very tired as time went by with the chemo and radiation. The radiation causes burns towards the end, I'm assuming you are doing 6-8 weeks.?? Tell me WHERE exactly is the tumor for you to receive radiation?

Good Luck. How are YOU holding up??:confused:

Fondly,
CancerDad:angel:

Like CancerDad said, everyone will react differently to chemo. I would guess that everyone on oxalpalation will have sensitivity to cold. I could swear that 17 months after chemo my fingers will tingle sometimes when I first put them under the faucet. My nurse practioner told me that the effects of chemo are usually cumulative. It can take your body a little longer after each treatment to recover. I also was able to exercise, even doing aerobics (much slower and more carefully) at least during most of the treatments. If you haven't done it yet, contact the colon club. It is made up of a number of young people who were diagnosed with colon-rectal cancer. They also do a calendar (colondar) with real people showing their scars. Please post anytime you have questions or concerns or just want to talk. There are many people on this board who can help with your concerns.