More Tips (and a Shopping List) for Getting Through Chemo

rock

I am skipping, rather than bumping, because I am so very happy.  Skip for Nico!  (Boy am I annoying when I am in a good mood!)

Nico1012

rock ~ You've been CRUSHED!!! Oh YAH! You GO girl!

Nico

HelenNC

This thread is amazing! Thank you a million times to everyone who posted tips. I get my port put in this Friday, April 24th. First Chemo on Tuesday, April 28th.

 Question: I love the tip about popsicles during chemo. But how do you get them there & keep them frozen????

Nico1012

HelenNC ~ I packed my popscicles in a large mouth short Thermos bottle and they stayed frozen. After the third chemo treatment the nurse told me they have popscicles in the freezer right there on the chemo unit! I also froze lemonade in the Thermos and ate it with a spoon (plastic) and found that the lemon helped with the awful "taste" of the chemo. ***SO HAPPY*** that you found this thread! The info here saved me from many of the se's. Best of luck to you in your treatment.

Nico

rock

Bumping for Gina! (and Nico, but of course!)

HelenNC

Nico:

Thank you for those suggestions! I'll take my own this week then see if they supply them!

BrittaA

This is an amazing list and amazing community. I wish I had these resources when I went through cancer treatments, and then when my father suffered through them as well. I started a blog, Cinco Vidas, for cancer patients that I hope will become a wonderful source of information on everything from common side effects and how to handle them to the best places to find wigs and scarves. Please check it out and add your own thoughts - this community is the most important audience (http://blog.cincovidas.com/). Love, strength and survival, Britta

ddlatt

in 9 days i will have my last chemo treatment. i've had two months of AC and two months of taxol.

two of the most helpful things during my experience:

1. a prescription for atarax (hydroxyzine) for the neuropathy, unbearable itching of the hands due to taxol

2. my oncologist told me to only take 1/2 lortab (vicodin) and 400mg ibuprophen for any pain after AC and especially after taxol (leg bone pain). it didn't help much. my oncology nurse told me to take a whole lortab every 6 hours after treatment for three days. she saved my life! no pain whatsoever once i started doing that.  

Nico1012

Bumping in honor of ddlatt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YEAH! One more to go!

Nico

rock ~ bet ya thought I forgot ya!! NEVAH!! Just read the laughter thread............. LOVE that thread! Thank you, rock!

Nico1012

BUMP

Nico1012

Bumping for the May 2009 chemo sisters. You CAN do this!

Nico

Nico1012

Bump again.

Hey Rock!

Nico

Nico1012

Bumping for Brenda.

Nico

Nico1012

Bump.

Nico1012

Hey Otter!

Nico

Sandy364

I'm another newbie.  Thanks for all the helpful information.  The worst part of this journey for me has been the fear of the unknown.  It helps to have some idea of what to expect.  Thanks to everyone for sharingl your experiences!

Nico1012

Sandy364 ~  **SO HAPPY** you found this thread! Keep checking back for more great tips and please post any of your own that help make this journey a little easier.

Nico

Hey Otter! Hey Rock!

Nico1012

Bumping in honor of LindaYO, Love your attitude!

Nico 

GramE

The Look Good, Feel Better program is a real boost and you meet other women with cancer going thru self image changes.   I am the 3rd one down on the left -- 

http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/women/before_after/looks.htm 

Nico1012

Bumping for the June 2009 Chemo Sisters!

Hey Rock, everything OK with ya?

Nico 

GramE

bumping for our newbies.  Welcome.

afighter

Wow!  This is wonderful information.  I have printed a copy of it to share with my husband.  I have taken notes and I am preparing my shopping list.  This is sooo helpful. I will begin chemo at the end of the month and I am trying to be as prepared as possible for the side effects.  Boy!  I am so overwhelmed, but I feel like I have no time to be overwhelmed...I just need to be prepared as possible for what to expect.  I wake up in the night (once I finally get to sleep) thinking about my upcoming chemo treatments and how it is really going to effect my life.  Frankly, I cannot help feeling a little scared.  I have already started wig shopping.  I plan to continue working through all of this and want things to stay as normal for me as possible...but it already seems impossible.  Anyway, thank you, again for such wonderful information

GramE

Good luck afighter.   I live alone so had no one to run out for things.  Popsicles tasted really good and If you can freeze a meal or 2 ahead of time or have a friend bring you a  meal already prepared, this gives you more time to rest and recoop.   Husband might be good for getting some chinese take out on his way home from work.   Do NOT be afraid to ask for help - you have nothing to lose by asking.    

Nico1012

Bumping for our June 2009 sisters.

Nico

meinnj

I am new. B/l mastectomy three weeks ago and awaiting carboplat/taxatere/herceptin next week.I was wonderinf what you actually bring with you to treatmernt, 6 hours ina chair?  What do you do all day but cry...not my first choice.  Can you get up and go to the bathroom, chat with others around you,bad book? What should I bring?

DCIS with microinvasion St 2 11/20 nodes pos

o2bhealthyhusbum

My wife is going to have a Bilat in 10 days with reconstruction happening at the same time, in stages of course.  I cannot tell you how helpful this list will be as I am "in charge" of getting things that she might need.  Thank you!

rock

Hey, Nico.  Things are . . . .  Things Are.  Lets go with that!  The hair is growing. I have eyebrows. Shouldn't complain, right?! How are things with you?!

Glad the list is helpful. Again, people, you will not need ALL of the things on the list.  My "essentials" consisted of a pocket-sized bottle of hand sanitizer, chewing gum, artificial tears, Biotene mouth drops, pocket-sized Kleenex, and a thermometer.

Nico1012

Great to hear from you Rock! "Things Are" is not so bad. That aptly describes my life today.  SLOWLY but surely the ebb and flow of life is returning and that beats the hell outa the jerky starts and stops of a year ago! LOVE following your posts on the May board.

One truly essential thing in my chemo bag was "snacks". Crackers, cookies, trail mix, etc. It seemed as long as my stomach was full the nausea stayed away. After the first few treatments it will be easy to pack the bag because you will know what is essential for YOU.

LeapFrog39

Wow!  this list is great! very helpful.

Thanks

Nico1012

++SO HAPPY++ you found this thread wlproctor39! 

One more item that was essential to my chemo bag was Biotene gum. Not easy to find but is available on Drugstore.com  Dry mouth was my nemesis throughout chemo and the gum saved me!

Nico