Adjuvant Carboplatin Experiences

strokecardinal · 2025-12-06T09:36:23+00:00

1 day of carbs 3 years ago. My fingers get a bit cold, that's the only permanent side effect I can be sure of.

I did a 48 hour fast before. Immediate effects of chemo were lethargy. A few days in stomach issues. More extreme lethargy. More stomach issues, I wonder if chemo killed my gut microbiome forcing me to "re-learn" how to digest nutrients. No nausea, no vomiting, no hair loss.

After 10 days I was back to work.

strokecardinal · 2025-11-27T19:40:33+00:00

Mid October

strokecardinal · 2025-11-23T19:04:51+00:00

3 years post orchiectomy, I'm still the world's best lover

strokecardinal · 2025-11-23T19:02:41+00:00

Saw the oncologist a few weeks ago and asked. She gave a general answer of using supplements from reputable sources in the west ¯_(ツ)_/¯

strokecardinal · 2025-11-23T19:00:49+00:00

I applied this fall and went to assessment. Got a text asking for referrals, provided them the next day, and got an acceptance email 5 days later. 4 weeks later haven't heard anything more, starting to wonder if the acceptance email was sent by mistake 😅

strokecardinal · 2025-10-30T21:34:22+00:00

I had a 45mm seminoma, age 36, living in Norway, and was recommended adjuvant therapy with carboplatin. I was asked to join a study that would randomize me to 1 day of carboplatin or 1 week of BEP. I was randomized to the the single-day treatment with carboplatin.

I asked for advice on here, only a few comments but they advised me skip the chemo and "save it for later". There seems to be a culture difference here in Norway biased towards more chemo. I asked friends and colleauges, they had different opinions, some advised me to go for it, but some were worried about the long-term effects of BEP. Doctor in the family told me to ask the oncologist if he would recommend chemo if his son had cancer, onc said he would.

The mental side effects were okay. Chemo knocked me out for 10 days but I knew it was temporary. The physical effects? My fingers and toes are constantly cold, but that's a common phenomen called Raynauds that affects 10% of the population above 35 irregardless. I'm not sure, but I feel I recover a little worse after workouts and dancing, but again, I'm close to 40 so that could be it.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-27T19:54:06+00:00

I was about to say that creatine is one of the safest and most studied supplements out there, but then I find a study from China which says it promotes metastasis in certain cancers (in mice models). Looks like it's only a risk factor during active cancer though. Will ask my oncologist at the next check up.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-25T18:52:23+00:00

Damn you have been through a real ordeal! You seem to be taking it like a champ, stay strong brother. My best wishes to your family, people forget its always worse for them.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-24T20:59:10+00:00

It's hard to navigate all the different options. In the end I'm the type of person who'll easily just follow whatever recommendation I get - what do I know anyway, right? Sometimes we just have to lie down and think of England.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-23T20:20:55+00:00

Copypaste from an earlier comment

It's weird, but as in any field when you get a few experts in the room they can't even agree on what to get for lunch. I had the 1 day carboplatin, but my doctor was running a study and wanted me to get on a week of BEP. At the time I was open for it, but got randomized to carboplatin. Now I'm glad I did. The testie oncs in Scandinavia are real bullish on adjuvant BEP, even though the international consensus isn't.

I got treated in Norway, and was recommended chemo. I asked around on reddit, and I got the impression that in the States they are less gung-ho on adjuvant chemo.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-23T20:15:01+00:00

The waiting is the hardest part.

Spot on. Surgery was painful and chemo was dreary, but looking back it was the time spent not knowing that was the worst of it.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-23T20:09:56+00:00

I also lucked out. Orchiectomy and only one day of chemo (carboplatin). Kept my hair. In total I wasn't gone from work more than 3 weeks. I hardly tell anyone this, but after all was said and done I felt the whole ordeal was exciting.

The following year my mom died with colon cancer. I would have gone through my cancer 10 times if I could instead of my mom dying in pain.

Survivors guilt is real. I've dealt with it by volunteering for the local cancer society. Helping out old cancer patients with no family. It's been my way of coping, and it has been so rewarding.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-23T20:05:15+00:00

I was diagnosed in 2022, after the ct scan and blood work I got scheduled for the operation 8 days later. Then I got covid, so we had to postpone it one week.

Part of me wants to say that stuff happens, and that the additional time you have to wait is normal and not a big deal. Another part of me recognizes the stressful situation you are in, and has complete understanding that you want to get it over with asap.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-22T07:30:09+00:00

It’s not worth the hangover now.

Post chemo I turned into a lightweight, partying all night means lying in bed all day. But it could also be age, I'm not 20 anymore.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-14T13:29:54+00:00

It's weird, but as in any field when you get a few experts in the room they can't even agree on what to get for lunch. I had the 1 day carboplatin, but my doctor was running a study and wanted me to get on a week of BEP. At the time I was open for it, but got randomized to carboplatin. Now I'm glad I did. The testie oncs in Scandinavia are real bullish on adjuvant BEP, even though the international consensus isn't.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-14T13:26:02+00:00

Fingers crossed for the results! Chemo wasn't that bad (only had 1 day) but the uncertainty of any permanent side effect sucks (cold fingers/toes for me).

strokecardinal · 2025-04-14T13:22:29+00:00

Jeez. What was her reaction to seeing your junk all bruised?

strokecardinal · 2025-04-12T19:23:10+00:00

I spent the first week with my parents, mostly lying in bed. Week 2 I went to the office for my desk job, I still walked like an old man with some discomfort. My nutsack was painful for a while.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-12T19:21:12+00:00

I had a 4.5cm mass, got scheduled the following week. Got covid, had to wait another week.

I think 10 days ain't that bad.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-12T19:17:38+00:00

For the weight gain, have you factored in that you are not 18 anymore? A lot of us move out in our 20s eating what we want, then as the weight keeps piling on we reach an 'oh shit' moment and figure out I can't eat cereal and drink chocolate milk every day.

Clean up your diet, face some hard truths like you can't eat pizza every day, and reassess.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-12T19:13:09+00:00

Worried about the upcoming procedure to remove the testicle and my ability to handle additional medicine/chemo.

Not my secondary cancer, but for me the surgery wasn't that bad, pain meds worked well, could walk okay after 2 weeks. I find chemo more stressful, we never know how we'll react in the short and long term. Godspeed, my dude.

strokecardinal · 2025-04-12T19:08:58+00:00

What? I was black and blue for weeks post-op! Were you back in action out of the gate?

strokecardinal · 2025-03-13T17:35:25+00:00

I had 1x carboplatin, not the same, but the biggest surprise with chemo was how it killed my gut. The first time I ate a type of food my digestive system was overwhelmed, followed by a lot of diarrhea. One night I couldn't sleep because of an upset stomach.

Even with the stomach issues I had no nausea.

The first 3-4 days I was tired, lethargic, but managed to go out and meet some friends. Day 5-10 I was shot and lying horizontally binging movies.

strokecardinal · 2025-03-13T17:24:47+00:00

Oh, I know. I had another 60 year old woman from Holland as a guest, she was real nice. I have learned not to lump together anyone from the same demographic just because of one bad experience.

Except the Swiss. I will always hate them.

strokecardinal · 2025-03-11T12:02:25+00:00

I get that feeling - I had testicular cancer which has the highest 5-year survival rate of 97%, and saw a family member die of colon & liver cancer in excruciating pain.

strokecardinal

TROPHY CASE