I just started chemo... (Treatment Day 5 pics added to OP) - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I just started chemo... (Treatment Day 5 pics added to OP) (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:04:36 AM EDT

To those who have lost loved ones to cancer (as have I) and who are or know someone on chemo fighting for their lives, I sincerely apologize for this post. I'm just injecting a little humor, and absolutely do not mean to compare my situation to yours.

I had a suspicious mole on my hand and saw a dermatologist last week. She agreed that it needed to be biopsied, along with another one on my shoulder. She also found multiple precancerous lesions (actinic keratoses) on my arms and face. She emptied a bottle of cryo-spray on them, and prescribed a two-week regimen of fluorouracil cream, to be applied twice daily on the affected areas.

I thought the lesions were just a dry skin condition or some other minor dermatological condition. Nope, they are fairly serious. I looked up 'flurouracil' and was surprised to find out that it's used as an injectable chemotherapy for quite a few internal cancers, and as a topical treatment for basal cell carcinomas and the precancerous lesions I have.

I actually got her and the equally hot nurse (both of whom I was standing buck naked in front of) to laugh. After she cut out the suspicious moles she said, "That wasn't so bad, right?"

I said, "Piece of cake, although I doubt the biopsy will come back 'cake.'"

"Fluorouracil (5FU) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat different cancers including breast, bowel, skin, stomach, esophageal (gullet), and pancreatic cancer. ... Like all chemotherapy drugs, 5FU can cause side effects."

------ Day 5 of 14 of the 5FU treatment. I guess this means it's working.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:13:37 AM EDT

[#1]

Prayers out to you, my friend.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:18:58 AM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
Prayers out to you, my friend.

View Quote

Thank you.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:19:25 AM EDT

[#3]

Glad you caught them early

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:19:48 AM EDT

[#4]

Stay strong brother

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:21:03 AM EDT

[#5]

Prayers out for you. My wife has been undergoing chemo since last October. Breast cancer, triple neg.

Stay positive, it helps, believe me.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:26:08 AM EDT

[#6]

You have nice hair for a guy

J/K. The hive is here for you

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:26:53 AM EDT

[#7]

You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:27:45 AM EDT

[#8]

Good luck!

<—- cancer survivor

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:28:16 AM EDT

[#9]

Hoping for the best for you man

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:29:04 AM EDT

[#10]

I'm humbled. Thank you all for the kind thoughts.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:34:55 AM EDT

[#11]

Hang in there brother! Only happy thoughts for you and yours.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:34:57 AM EDT

[#12]

Prayers brother.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:35:56 AM EDT

[#13]

Glad you caught it early. you'll get through this .

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:37:22 AM EDT

[#14]

FUCK CANCER

BEAT THAT SHIT BROTHER!!!

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:38:35 AM EDT

[#15]

Good luck to you OP.

Just started my second round of chemo last week

Fuck cancer

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:44:12 AM EDT

[#16]

My oldest son had brain cancer, he's 4 years out now. Prayers! Cancer sucks!

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:49:06 AM EDT

[#17]

After many years of working outside, my wife asked me to get scanned last summer. Doctor and nurse looked me over, found nothing of interest. The nurse explained to me that people who get skin cancer at my age are usually doing so because of sunburns and abuse 20+ years earlier. Apparently it takes time to manifest itself.

My dad has been having skin cancers 'burned off' as he calls it, for at least 10-15 years now, with no significant advances in the cancers, that he knows of. Point being, skin cancers are very treatable. I hope your goes smoothly.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:49:55 AM EDT

[#18]

Good luck with this.. you caught it early so good on you!

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:55:13 AM EDT

[#19]

Just be thankful they caught it. I just finished my 5th cycle of chemo (Capecitebine oral) which is a 5U also. Three more 21 day cycles to go. I had Colon cancer and had right hemisphere removed, stage 2.

Worst part is loss of feeling in my hands and feet. Walking is like stepping on Legos with every step and almost total loss of smell and taste. I also have severe skin peeling off my soles. If you start experiencing some of these symptoms or severe itching I found from others that Udderly Smooth and Nivea cream work wonders.

Good luck to you!

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:56:09 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
After many years of working outside, my wife asked me to get scanned last summer. Doctor and nurse looked me over, found nothing of interest. The nurse explained to me that people who get skin cancer at my age are usually doing so because of sunburns and abuse 20+ years earlier. Apparently it takes time to manifest itself.

My dad has been having skin cancers 'burned off' as he calls it, for at least 10-15 years now, with no significant advances in the cancers, that he knows of. Point being, skin cancers are very treatable. I hope your goes smoothly.

View Quote

Interesting. I do play golf and fish, but I've had an indoor job for nearly 40 years. I'm pretty religious when it comes to sunscreen.

As a child we used to have contests to see who could peel the biggest pieces of skin off our burned shoulders. Sunscreen? What's that?

And I worked on a commercial boat from age 21-25. No sunscreen. I suppose my fair skin, blond hair and piercing blue eyes have something to do with it as well.

Posted: 2/23/2020 9:56:46 AM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
Just be thankful they caught it. I just finished my 5th cycle of chemo (Capecitebine oral) which is a 5U also. Three more 21 day cycles to go. I had Colon cancer and had right hemisphere removed, stage 2.

Worst part is loss of feeling in my hands and feet. Walking is like stepping on Legos with every step and almost total loss of smell and taste. I also have severe skin peeling off my soles. If you start experiencing some of these symptoms or severe itching I found from others that Udderly Smooth and Nivea cream work wonders.

Good luck to you!

View Quote

And thanks.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:02:25 AM EDT

[#22]

I’ve had a bout with skin cancer about 15 years ago. Ordinary looking mole on my right earlobe that had been there for years. I was at my primary care DR for a ordinary checkup and he noticed the mole had turned dark (I hadn’t noticed). He referred me to a dermatologist for a biopsy and cancer was confirmed. Had most of my right earlobe removed. Nowadays I check every mole carefully and often.
Prayers up bro.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:11:39 AM EDT

[#23]

Uncle went through that last year. Those pictures are pretty spot on.

Good news... He's fine now.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:13:08 AM EDT

[#24]

Good luck, we're pulling for you.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:15:29 AM EDT

[#25]

Those pictures are scary as hell.

I assume that the inflammation ultimately goes away?

But it looks like the cure is almost as bad as the disease.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:16:45 AM EDT

[#26]

Good luck, you can do it.

<---22 year survivor of Stage 3a Testicular Cancer, complete with four three-week cycles of PEB chemo

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:16:56 AM EDT

[#27]

Hang in there...………...my father and uncle have both had skin cancers removed. Its a scary business

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:17:14 AM EDT

[#28]

Best of luck fighting this.

Fuck Cancer

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:17:58 AM EDT

[#29]

If you have to start iv chemo, buy stock in Hagen Daz or Ben and Jerry's. It will help you keep on weight, and tastes better than most things coming up. Lack of weight loss has a correlation (not causation) with a positive outcome.

Prayers sent on the biopsy results.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:18:06 AM EDT

[#30]

Prayers out to you eracer. † You can and will beat this!

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:18:08 AM EDT

[#31]

I had a “sore” on my nose that would not heal up. It was just a red irritation on the surface of the skin that looked like a scab had been peeled off. I had it biopsied and remainder frozen off. It came back as early stage of cancer. Cannot remember which though. Went back for the 1 year follow up and it was still there, but on the outer edge of the old spot. Doc froze it again and prescribed the same nuclear cream. It made a pretty nasty mess of my nose, but all is good now.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:18:20 AM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
Those pictures are scary as hell.

I assume that the inflammation ultimately goes away?

But it looks like the cure is almost as bad as the disease.

View Quote

That describes a lot of chemo.

One of the drugs I was given, Bleomycin, is so toxic that the oncology nurses have to wear heavy smocks when administering it, as it will burn a hole in your skin.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:22:26 AM EDT

[#33]

I use the creams daily on the pre cancer cells also. Those pictures are spot on at the beginning of the treatment. Once it's killed those pre cancer fuckers your skin doesn't look that bad with daily use.
Good luck op,

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:24:41 AM EDT

[#34]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you have to start iv chemo, buy stock in Hagen Daz or Ben and Jerry's. It will help you keep on weight, and tastes better than most things coming up. Lack of weight loss has a correlation (not causation) with a positive outcome.

Prayers sent on the biopsy results.

View Quote

I put on 15 pounds during chemo. But, I was going through it over the winter, starting in the middle of November and ending the first week of February and I was in the Army, TDY to Wright-Patterson AFB. That meant a lot of Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, as the base commander sponsored one for the single Airmen and invited those of us staying at the base's Fisher House, plus volunteers came to the house to feed us, and I had a family friend in the area who fed me, as well.

I only got sick four days out of 81, and it was always the last Tuesday of each three-week cycle. Any other day, I could eat greasy cheeseburgers, pizza, Chinese food, whatever. But, on those Tuesdays, I didn't leave the bathroom floor in front of the toilet. The next day, I'd be right back to eating what I wanted.

I credit my weight gain to the fact that I was in the Army, had just completed Basic, AIT, and Air Assault school all within the preceding nine months, and, other than the cancer, was in the best shape of my life.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:25:22 AM EDT

[#35]

Chemo sucks! Best of luck to you!
Humor and anger really helped me get through my ball cancer bullshit last year.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:28:07 AM EDT

[#36]

Glad they caught it and are treating it. You’ll be good to go! Prayers out, brother!

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:30:44 AM EDT

[#37]

Quote History

Quoted:
FUCK CANCER

BEAT THAT SHIT BROTHER!!!

View Quote

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:34:10 AM EDT

[#38]

Thank You for the stark reminder I need to go to the dermatologist. I'll make an appointment Monday.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:41:24 AM EDT

[#39]

My dad had basil cell cut out 10 years ago but the spot on his nose kept changing. Doc blew it off but eventually - way too long - he determined it was cancer and deep. They removed his nose two years ago, at least most of it, cut a flap from his forehead to his neck and folded it over his face. a few months later they shaped it into a new nose.

He's the same dad I always looked at my whole life. This was upper Michigan hospitals, not some world class hollywood plastic surgery boutique.

It'll look like shit for a while but it does heal. Best of luck in beating it.
My wife had triple negative breast cancer on 04. Very aggressive. She's snoring on the couch next to me now.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:41:37 AM EDT

[#40]

Best to you eracer. Whip it's ass.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:43:27 AM EDT

[#41]

I had a 5 year battle with invasive melanoma...4 wide margin surgeries, chemo ect. Stay positive is correct. Good luck and I hope this isn't long term having to deal with. I just recently got cleared for yearly exams instead of every 3 months. It is a nasty form of cancer and wouldn't leave me alone. It was not easily treatable for me but I had probably the worst form you can get.

Prayer's you have them from me. 1 other thing if things go really south for you, keep your sense of humor that helps also.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:44:05 AM EDT

[#42]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thank You for the stark reminder I need to go to the dermatologist. I'll make an appointment Monday.

View Quote

Me too, I've been putting it off way too long

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:45:23 AM EDT

[#43]

God luck brother!

ETA: I meant to type "Good luck" but maybe the first one is appropriate too.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:45:36 AM EDT

[#44]

Best of luck.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:47:03 AM EDT

[#45]

I've had 15 plus keratosis and basal cell carcinomas either frozen or burned and scraped off.

The thing to remember is it's NOT melanoma. They aren't malignant. They will continue to grow if left untreated though.

Ask your doc about imiquimod.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:49:05 AM EDT

[#46]

Stay strong Brother! Prayers as well.

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:50:32 AM EDT

[#47]

Quote History

Quoted:
You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

View Quote

Posted: 2/23/2020 10:53:58 AM EDT

[#48]

Best of luck on this going away quickly sir, I will say a prayer for you. Naked in front of 2 hot nurses... hmm

Posted: 2/23/2020 11:38:02 AM EDT

[#49]

It is suggested you wait about 15 minutes after shower or face washing before applying that stuff due to the fact it is too strong for the open pours at that time.

Posted: 2/23/2020 11:48:01 AM EDT

[#50]

Prayers for you

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I just started chemo... (Treatment Day 5 pics added to OP) (Page 1 of 2)

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