Tomorrow I’ve got my appointment for starting on the Xeloda tablets, the second half of my chemotherapy. It’s supposed to be less side effects than before so I should feel happy about it but I feel quite nervous about having to get used to yet another phase of this whole process. Not that I was sorry to finish the last stage but it just feels that so much is thrown at you in such a short space of time and no sooner do you finish one stage than you’re being zapped with something else…
I’m not a great breakfast person but I understand you have to eat a decent amount of food before taking the tablets and I don’t like feeling under pressure to eat. I’m full of cough and cold at the moment as well. I keep checking my temperature and it’s gone up a bit but not too much, just enough to make me feel grotty
Sorry for the moaning. I should be thankful that I’m onto the next stage! One day at a time…
Good luck Nicola, can’t comment on the tablets but I’m sure that once you get started on them you’ll be looking forward to finishing this stage.
Hope all goes well, A xxx
My mum has just finished her very last cycle of tablets today and suffered very few side affects. For breakfast she just had a bowl of cereal and a bit of toast then waited 10-15minutes and took her tablets…
The only problem she incurred half way into the cycle was sore feet and somtimes blisters - this tended to happen just before her free week so she phoned the hospital and they advised her to stop taking the last two days of tablets. This happened twice but her last treatment they reduced her dosage and she has had no problems with her feet this time.
Hi Nicola
I too am taking Zeloda tablets as the second stage of my chemotherapy. I am on arm 4 of the Tact 2 trial. After the epirubicin the Zeloda tablets are much more bearable. I don’t like having to take loads of tablets so you do feel you rattle a bit! It is important to eat a good meal before each dose of tablets so you may need a bigger breakfast than normal. I usually wait till the children have gone to school then tuck into weetabix and banana or something similar.
Side effects have been minimal although I have found that I have been getting increasingly tired, especially in the afternoons. I am now on my third cycle of Zeloda. I have had a few days of hot burning feet but this has settled with lots of E45. My skin generally has become drier and my finger tips are very dry. I’ve been using loads of intensive handcream.
I do know how you feel about ‘entering the next phase’. It’s all so very daunting and part of a world you’d rather not have to know about at all. I see my treatment in ‘blocks’ and I don’t look at more than a week at a time. I’m intending to go back to work part-time next week which is rather scary.
I’m sure you’ll be fine once you’ve started the tablets. They have to be better than more needles!!
Good luck and let me know how you get on.
Margaret.
