(1) They don't charge extra for the nausea and vomiting. For what you--or your health insurance--is already shelling out, they shouldn't. The worst of it often starts a week after the first treatment.
(2) Anti-nausea meds plug you up. As in backed up to the esophagus. Instead: Gerolsteiner mineral water, the bubbliest kind. Ginger-root tea. Candied ginger root. And for some reason, the stinkiest French cheese you can find--the kind supposedly good for gut bacteria. I haven't tried Kimchee for nausea, but that'll be next.
(3) Expect napping to become a serious hobby. I'd get out of bed, make myself walk to the end of my room and back, and feel as though I'd spent an hour at the gym. Naptime!
(4) You'll probably lose weight. With regular chemo you're nauseous but gain weight. With Enhertu, you're nauseous and lose weight. Makes more sense.
(5) Reading is fantastic therapy. Stay away from the screen. I've consumed Great Expectations, most of a short story collection and some of Crime and Punishment since my first infusion.
(4) You might feel like King Kong after your first infusion, but that's just the cortisone. When it wears off after a day or two, you'll look as though you'd drunk five Schnapps--grogblossom cheeks. You'll feel like a deflated ballon.
(5) Actual alcohol will probably increase nausea, at least for the first week or more. Yesterday a glass of white wine went fine with dinner, which was melted cheese into which I dipped baguette.
(6) I wouldn't be at all surprised if you're constantly wondering whether you'll ever feel normal again. Wondering this has become my second hobby.
(7) Try having a spicy restaurant meal delivered.
(8) If you start coughing, don't panic. Have a pulse oxymeter nearby. When it says your lung capacity is anything over 95, you probably don't have interstitial lung disease.
(9) If the oxymeter dips--even to 80--call your doctor right away.
(10) Join a Facebook group of women taking Enhertu! I find reading everyone else's experiences, tips and favorite foods helpful.
Enhertu has some well-known rough side effects, but glad to hear you finally convinced your insurance company/gov't gatekeeper that it is worth a try.
ReplyDeleteYes indeedy! I feel very lucky. But am already wondering about dose reductions. The side effects are nothing to sneeze at.
ReplyDeleteWeeks later, how are you doing? Hope you are OK. Still teaching?
ReplyDeleteHi--no teaching, alas. Mandatory retirement here in Deutschland. Also not on Enhertu at the moment--a couple of pills instead; they have fewer side effects.
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