members suggestions on what helped them through chemo

Discussions relating to primary breast cancer and treatment. Also for those recently diagnosed, and for those concerned about possible symptoms of breast cancer.
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DancerMel28
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Re: members suggestions on what helped them through chemo

Postby DancerMel28 » Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:31 am

Have had 2 rounds of TC so far (3rd quickly coming round this Friday!).
There are lots of great tips here. To add a couple of things:
- Start drinking BEFORE you begin chemo. THe more hydrated you are the easier to find your veins.
- I've used a hot water bottle on my arm/hand the night before and the morning of my chemo to keep warm so it's easier to find vein.
- moisturise - The skin on my hands and feet in particular (but allover really) have been really dry. Have been using a good almond oil moisturiser from the body shop to help.
- Eyes: I've had a combination of really really dry eyes and other days teary eyes. Eyedrops are my best friend!
- Talk to your Onc/Chemo nurse team if you have ANY SEs as they can suggest things/provide a script to help. We have to put up with enough as it is - get whatever help you can!
- Meals - Smaller amounts more frequently is what I've found best. In the 5-7 days after chemo day I make sure I have something in my tummy every 2-3 hours. I had no nausea 1st round, 2nd round got a bit but I think it was becasue my tummy got empty - anti-nausea pills worked a treat.
- Also with meals - if at all possible have someone prepare food for you. I've found the physical act of preparing food and also the smell while cooking can put me off eating. Much better when the food is on the table and then all you have to do is eat it.
- Stay on top of constipation: take the tablets if you need don't put up with it!
- Good oral care: mouth gets very sensitive, brush after eating and rinse frequently (I've used a bicarb soda mix).
- "Metal mouth" - use plastic utensils when eating. Sounds silly but it works!
- Buy a BIG handbag! I've only ever really used smaller hand bags but I got myself a new one as all of a sudden I have so much stuff to carry - anti nausea meds, tissues (for the drippy nose as a result of no nose hairs!), moisturiser, some emergency food just in case, bottle of water, eye drops........
- Overall - take it one day at a time, if you need to rest do so but it also helps to force yourself to take a walk (even if it's only around the block), gentle exercise has helped through some of the fatigue on those bad days. Be kind to yourself and remember that even though we have bad days we can get through it.

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Ms M
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Re: members suggestions on what helped them through chemo

Postby Ms M » Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:34 pm

try not to think too much about how cr*p you feel!!!
ice-cream helps!!...oooo the magnum type!
natural mineral water!!...i found just drinking plain water...uuggghhhh!!
if indigestion persists, see your GP for help!!!..i tried nothing the first time round...it was horrendous, but am on Nexium...i think its called that ..great stuff!
Good friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there' 'Remember yesterday, dream about tomorrow, but live for today!'

[size=85]Diagnosed Feb 2010, Stage 1, Grade 2, 11mm, ER postive, no lymph nodes involved, lumpectomy, no family history of breast cancer. Did 3mths of chemo, 6 wks of Rads, have recently started Tamoxifen!

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Re: members suggestions on what helped them through chemo

Postby suziinoz » Wed May 12, 2010 8:11 pm

OK... I can confirm the fruit tingles... and ginger tea too.. as well as a wonderful cornucopia of anti nausea drugs

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Re: members suggestions on what helped them through chemo

Postby suziinoz » Thu May 06, 2010 10:22 pm

Fantastic thread I am going to have to digest more carefully over the weekend...
I start chemo on Tuesday... 4 courses of intensive chemo, followed up by weekly.... my head is spinning

hmmmm the fruit tingles were already suggested to me by a dear friend who has gone through chemo for bowel cancer... must stock up...

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Postby molly dooker » Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:33 pm

bumping again for scrapjacq
Chris

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Postby Warriormummy » Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:59 am

Thanks for all these invaluable tips! Journey I think I've taken nearly everything on board you've suggested. I think just feeling a bit proactive helps too.

Can anyone recommend something other than Dr Llewins Revitanail? I'm avoiding formaldehyde based nail products if I can but am guessing will need something once Taxotere begins??

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Postby yowyow » Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:50 am

Bump - lots of great posts here

I must get back to work on this and start adding and editing
Nav
every day without laughter is a wasted day !!!!


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debrathezebra
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Postby debrathezebra » Tue Feb 23, 2010 10:50 pm

After taking all my antinausia meds if I still felt a bit queezy I would pop a couple of Fruit Tingle lollies in my mouth and it really got me through.
It took the edge right off the nausia!!
1998 dx precancerous tumour ovary - ovary removed
Dx 01/10/2009 Grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma left breast 6 foci OE+ P+ Her2 -
2/3 lymph node removed - all clear
double mastectomy right propholactic
chemo - 3 x FEC 3 x taxotere - FINISHED!!!!!! 22/02/2010
Hysterectomy/oopherectomy scheduled mid 2010 bring on early menopause :(


~~ We can't choose the way we are hurt but we can choose the way we heal ~~

Journeygal
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Postby Journeygal » Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:49 pm

oh one more i forgot to add in here - my doc prescribed losec (anti reflux) tablets through the duration to prevent nausea and reactions with food, i think it must have helped as i didn't seem to have heartburn like some of the others during treatment.

God i have bad a%% radiation burns at the moment, i know this is the wrong forum but while i post this. Evil :rads: Having dark skin i've never had bad sunburn but i truly feel sorry for the fairer lot within the fairer sex!!!! Blistered and peeling like nuts, and just started back work this week after a 9 month break to see how i cope back 4 days a week. Have been trying flamazine and paraffin wax dressings that's making it a little more manageable. Sailed through radiation and 7 days out wham, skin peel galore!!!

Anyway, enough complaining.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend

xx

ps sorry - i haven't been great on the posts this last month

journey

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Postby JudyB » Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:22 pm

Bumped for Jacqui (or maybe it was Jackie, sorry, my memory is sooooo bad). I hope this helps you, it helped me.

Judy
DX Sep 09, LB mast with axillary diss. Grd 2 Ductal Carc. 50mm diam. Margins clear. 1/13 nodes. OR+ PR+, HER2- . FEC x 3, Taxotere x 3, RADS x 30, Tamoxifen, DIEP reconstruction April 2011, Femara 2013, Oophorectomy 2013.

Journeygal
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Postby Journeygal » Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:33 am

Oh No Chrissie! No good about your cold/flu! Rest up, plenty of OJ and fluids. Also - horseradish/garlic/marshmallow capsules and echinacea I reckon the drugs etc makes us glow a radioactive green and keeps some of the other ailments at bay!

Jackie, Chrissie, thank you for your welcomes and positive energy. It's good to be on here. Thanks for the rad tips too, i haven't done as much research into it as i did the chemo so nice to have somewhere to look.

Had another surgery on Friday so just waiting until that recovers for radiation. I think with these things you need to keep your sense of humour about you Chrissie where possible so it helps. Don't get me wrong, i have my bad days too but at the end of it all you just need to try and get through it. I've been lucky to have a supportive family who are at all my appointments and good friends. My coping has been to limit myself to my close friends as i have little energy I've wanted to spend on maintaining superficial friendships etc. I've also been really lucky that i've not had to work while going through treatment as i'm not back home with my parents who are supporting me through it all. I know what a luxury that is as not everyone gets that opportunity.

Anyhow, watching Edie Falco on Nurse Jackie and how much of "i am woman hear me roar is she?!"

Hope you ladies are well, i'm a bit of a night owl hence all the late posts!!!

Journey

:thanks:

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molly dooker
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Postby molly dooker » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:56 pm

[quote="chrissie"]. I must have been doing something right though, since March after main op and the six months chemo and these 3 months after finish, I haven't had one cold, flu or sniffle.
Me and my big fat mouth!! Feel like I'm coming down with the cold my daughter had last week. :crybaby: :crybaby: Fingers crossed I'm wrong. :xfingers: :xfingers:
Chris

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molly dooker
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Postby molly dooker » Mon Nov 30, 2009 12:36 pm

Hi Journeygal,
I love your healthy approach to coping with chemo. I wish I had been a bit more open to alternatives. I just took the meds prescribed and whatever food I could stomach, which wasn't a big variety. But I used to wonder what long term affects the meds and the chemo was doing to my body. I have the number of a naturapath recommended to me by a friend. I might look her up one day. I must have been doing something right though, since March after main op and the six months chemo and these 3 months after finish, I haven't had one cold, flu or sniffle. And I have only had about 3 headaches in all that time as well. So I must take advantage of my strong constitution and nurture it.
It's great having you on the forum Journeygal and like I said I loved reading your post. Refreshing and optimistic.
:hugs: :hi5: Chris
Chris

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Postby Jollyjac » Mon Nov 30, 2009 10:00 am

Hi Journeygirl,
Nice to hear you have finished the Chemo,
I finished Chemo 3 months ago and my hair is growing slowly it's about 4 cm now, people think I have a very short trendy haircut.
Don't forget to read the tips to help you get through radiotherapy, I breezed through the 6 weeks of Rads, with just the slightest pink tinge to my boob, no broken areas, I will try to find the thread and add my suggestions.
I've been back at work full-time now for about a month and I feel pretty much back to normal, just a bit tired by Friday, but the Chemo seems a life time ago now, I'm amazed how quickly I've forgotten how bad it was.
Jackie
Dx feb 09, aged 40 triple pos, multifocal 2.1cm, 1.5 cm IDC 2+ nodes
AC x4 Taxol x12 Herceptin Arimidex 1 yr - ceased due to osteoporosis
Zometa x 4, No hormone therapy

Journeygal
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Postby Journeygal » Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:16 am

Thanks for the welcome Gail - it's taken awhile to get on these forums. Have been trying to get through it and focus on healing. But, have realised that the people who know best how i feel are those dealing with this daily also. At this age i've struggled to find many people who know what it's like and have been lucky enough to have invaluable advice from older women generous enough to share their knowledge and struggle. Anyway, will stay on here. Am glad to have gotten through chemo though not enjoying the sigourney weaver from aliens look so hoping everything grows in. Had an unplanned surgery again this week but hopefully radiation will start in the next few weeks so ican get through the intense treatment and try and get back to normal whatever that may be.

Take care and thanks for the warmth

Journey


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