Started Zofran (anti-nausea) at 3:50am.
Vomited again around 8am.
Thought the nausea might be over. He had a big breakfast (bacon, eggs, rolls) around 9:30 or 10. I didn't think that was a good idea, but it's what he wanted. He slept a long time.
Vomited 1:50pm. Tried Zofran again.
Vomited 3:30. Called the after-hours number and talked to the on-call physician's assistant.
Rudy now has a 2nd nausea med to take – promethazine (taken around 4:10pm). My mom had this from her cancer treatment a few years ago and the PA said that was what she would prescribe so it’s fine to take it, even though it’s old. The PA advised sticking to liquids for the next 24 hours - like with a stomach flu. She said taking him to ER for fluids was not necessary today, but if the vomiting continued thru tomorrow, I should call the office. The PA also said he'll likely need stronger nausea IV meds with chemo round 2. Plus, we'll be sure to start taking the pill form BEFORE he gets queasy.
He had another bad bout of vomiting around 6pm. I went out and picked up Sea Bands (acupressure wrist bands). Found them at a drug store 20 minutes away! Funny - while there the pharmacist got a phone call asking if they carried Sea Bands. It turns out, it was Linda calling. She was trying to help me locate some.
The nausea and vomiting is unreal. I know we'll get this in hand, so I just have to keep telling myself that. But it sure is hard watching him suffer. It's horrible and I feel helpless. There's nothing I can do to help. Surely next time will be better. I'm documenting everything so I can hand it all over to CTCA for Round 2.
The medical oncology community try real hard to make sure patients don't go thru this awful vomiting anymore. I guess the first round is often a gamble. I know I said this before - 1st time chemo patients should not have their chemo on a Friday and be left adrift over a weekend (when offices are closed).
I'm putting out an all-call in case anyone can think of other ideas I may be missing.
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Next time, he'll take the anti-nausea stuff BEFORE it hits. Meanwhile, I'm trying to get organized for dealing with the appetite and tummy issues.
We've already been dealing with loss of appetite and nausea for a week or two because of the pain meds. Now, the pain meds have changed, but the chemo nausea is kicking in. At least we had one good day between.
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For chemo patients experiencing nausea and/or vomiting, it's recommended to:
- eat more often in smaller quantities
- avoid things that are greasy or spicy
- eat with plastic utensils if there's a metallic taste
- try things that are cold if smells are the problem
When he knows he needs to eat, he hates me to start naming things. But I can tell he's frustrated because he can't think of anything to have. My solution is to have a menu of snack or mini-meal ideas. I've started working on it. * These are not the high-nutrition things I'd love to see him eat the majority of the time. These are "get something on your stomach that won't make you nauseous" things.
Below is the list I have so far. If you can think of anything else to add to the list, please let me know! * I am updating this list every so often with suggestions from others.
Fruit
- Banana (room temp OR FROZEN)
- Apple
- Applesauce
Breakfast
- Toast
- Eggs
- Roll + Apple Butter
- Pancakes
- Cereal
- Oatmeal
- Grits
Snacks
- Yogurt
- Popsicle
- Crackers
- Orange Sherbet
- Pudding
Drinks
- Gingerade
- Tea
- Water
- Smoothie
- ENSURE
- Instant Breakfast
- Boathouse Farms Green Goodness
Anti Nausea Candy
- peppermint
- lemon drops
MORE
- Cornbread and Buttermilk
- Soup or broth
- Rice
- Baked Potato
- Pasta (plain or with a little broth)
Additional Resources
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| Link to Recipe |
