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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Gail
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Postby Gail » Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:46 am

I would say the most important thing I would recommend is getting a housekeeper to do floors, showers and toilets while having treatment, this is what got me through. As well as getting rid of of anything that smells strong, eg shower power and using products that have either no odour or are natural. Took me a few showers before I realized it was the shower power making me so sick.

yowyow
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kids and chemo & how others can help in general

Postby yowyow » Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:06 am

You might also think of a subject we have not included - i.e. I just thought about - chemopause/menopause/medical suppression


My boys were 4 & 5 - when my hair started falling out I let them cut my hair, explained what was happening with the "yukky medicine" I was having to keep the boob germ away.
My girlfriend come over later that night and shaved it. When the boys woke up in the morning and I had a beanie on there was no fright or shock for them as they knew already they had cut it.

yowyow

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With your children, i have organised other people to collect/look after them on chemo day, and the day after. And my friends have made sure that i've had dinner waiting for me here when i've gotten home, this has been great.
Kiwijanelle Sun Feb 08, 2009

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My suggestions relate to days 2-7!

I have a beatiful friend who cooked frozen meals that could be reheated with little smell. To be truthful, I never fancied them but hubby and kid loved them (Tuna mornay, sausage curry, beef stew), which was really important - I had dry bikkies and cheese spread for 3 days to cope with nausea. Taking the burden off cooking for the family is just as important as feeding the chemo patient.

Someone to distract the kids, take them out, even sleepovers - I felt really bad on my first few days because I couldn't not be a neglectful mum at times. On those times I wished I had tee-d up a happy sleepover for my baby that was 'special' with other kids etc (ie I didn't want her to feel babysat by a well-meaning adult - she sometimes is and she sometimes hates that and feels she's being palmed off).

Someone to take down the messages on my answering machine - when it gets over 3, I can't cope, and I wish my exec assistant from work could come home and take down a list of messages every 3 or 4 days. (she probably would, she's gorgeous, but I would never ask her or let her.) Pathetic, huh? But I need it on for resting, and then can't stand the stress of returning the calls.

Someone to tidy up daughter's play area every couple of days - she's too little to do a thorough job, but there are so many little things that I can't cope with my chemo brain. Takes me hours and by then she's back into it and it's everywhere again. And it's overwhelming for her then.

Hubby does all these things too, but somethimes, with the extra load, he needs help as much as me - if not more some days.

A container of fresh air from the forests of Tasmania pumped into my house every time the smells get to me....even someone to open the doors and windows to let the air in and stay around while I sleep, then close em up later.


Belinda
Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007
Last edited by yowyow on Wed May 06, 2009 9:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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cheryl
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members suggestions on what helped them through chemo

Postby cheryl » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:21 am

We are putting together a list of suggestions(which will become a "sticky"on the Forum) that we think will be helpful to others who are going through chemo.

Would you like to contribute, do you have any suggestions that helped you cope???. I know that over the years members have posted their suggestions, but if your memory is like mine you have probably forgotten what you said, especially if it was awhile ago. maybe you would like to
do a search of your posts and copy across any information you think would be helpful.
We will be attaching usernames to each suggestion and as we may get many answers the same, please don't be offended if your suggestion doesn't appear.

following is a list of some of the subtitles that we will be using.

= days before first chemo (feelings and nerves)
= first few days after chemo
= foods that helped
= different side effects suffered and how they were managed
= hair loss
= coping with kids
= accepting help from others and what we found most useful (i.e. frozen meals, etc)

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm sure they will be very helpful to all our members going through treatment.

Yowyow and Jayem have graciously offered their time to help me collate the answers with a view to creating a "stickie".

thanks again for your anticipated help.
Cheryl


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