Hi Kevin and Sue,
The one thing I can promise, is that if you're like me, once you're done with chemo, you'll barely remember it. You really will look back on it in the past tense, and really have to think when someone posts on these boards and asks you to share their experience.
Because the pre-meds and anti-nausea are so good, it is unlikely you will have a lot of trouble with nausea. I had a little here and there, but the drugs keep track of it really quickly. After the first chemo, I woke up feeling like I had heavy blankets on me and like I had a really bad hangover (I've definetly had worse
That feeling didn't stay around for long, and once I got past the first three days, I felt pretty much like myself. I also used Ativan to sleep, which really helped calm the nerves, plus it is an anti-nausea.
A friend who had had treatment for Hodgkin's 10 years ago, and who now works as an acupuncturist with a lot of cancer patients, gave me the following advice: WATER and WALKING. After each chemo, I left the cancer center and did a loop around the resevoir in Central Park. And drank a ton of water. The chemo does its job very quickly, and after that, I wanted it OUT. It is also important to keep moving because you want to keep your body in working condition-- if you curtail your activities you're going to create other problems-- potty problems, muscle atrophy, etc. I definetly got out of shape during treatment, but I could still walk, so I did whenever I could.
Remember-- you're not sick!!!!!!!! Your health is being threatened by a cancer, but don't think of yourself as a sick person. A counselor at the cancer center told me that, and it really changed the way that I thought about this whole experience.
The truth is, that each individual's toleration of chemo is about as unique as the cancer that they're fighting. Some don't miss a beat (like a fellow patient who ran 6 miles a day), and some really have problems with it. Both of these cases are rare. Most of us limp through it, a little worse for the wear, but not at all broken.
I hope this helps. Keep your eyes on the horizon-- the healthy future ahead of you.
Jen