Skimommi, You said:

And at one point I asked them all what they thought everyone's reaction in the bar would be if I just ripped off my wig. So I did! And they all laughed and hugged me and said the look on my face changed immediately from despair to relief.

I really liked the idea of the expression of relief. My hair hasnt' come out yet but I did get the short hair cut before chemo. I am kinda looking forward to the baldness because it represents progress in the "Death to Cancer" journey. I have no modesty so I can bet that I will go au natural at some point. I absolutely won't wear a wig, I sweat during ice storms, got lots of hats and cute surgical caps.

The expression of relief that your friends described resonates with me. I believe for me that going bald and letting all see it will be a way of honoring myself. Having said that I have never felt like a beautiful, sexy, feminine woman. I am attractive but always prided myself more on my mind. Reasons for lack of sexy feminine feelings took me years in therapy to identify. Anyway long story, but for some reason this experience is making me feel more like a woman.   Don't worry guys I have a appt. next week with my psychologist and psychiatrist. LOL.

Love to all,

Sheryl

I will catch up with all of you later.  For now I need your help.  I'm not sure if I can eat something.  I have a large bag of sprouted rice and quinoa blen (organic) from Costco that I like.  Now I'm not sure if I can eat anything that says sprouted . . . and the audience says . . . Help!  I have company coming in a few minutes (DH's surprise) and need to know whether I can eat it or not.

Hi Everyone,

You can find something safe for your lips, by cross referencing on the EWG Safe Cosmetics Website:

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

For those of you looking for organic skin care lotion, face lotion and shampoo, I order only from NurtureMyBody.com  All of their items have a rating of 0 (the best) on EWG's site.

Also, I think lemons/limes and acidic items were suspected of aggravating skin and lips during chemo treatment.  

There is a book my insurance sent me which has food and recipes grouped to different conditions you might experience during chemo, and it also has a table/checklist for what foods are good for what things, etc.  It is called:  Eating Well Through Cancer ... I recommend it to everyone.  It has tips in it, and is loaded with information.  

Have a great day and wishing everyone a great week!

- Chemo Reference Books, Health and Nutrition Books, Organic Products, Safe Cosmetics Database Website

Just joined the group,  I will have my first chemo Jan. 31. Scared and nervous.  The postings from you all helped calm my nerves. 

Honeybair I am with Paula on the stool softener pills - take a few the day before , day of and a couple,of says after and it should help !



Kingboo - sorry to have to find you here but we can all help ! It is just a process you have to go through so think about taking steps - it will help .

Hey Everyone, 

Just checking in. Had pancakes for dinner and am now watching the Patriots game. (They'd better get their act together or I know a lot of people who are going to be very unhappy Pat's fans. LOL) I made a very yummy juice today that was a new one for me. It's very green and cool and detoxing. (It will be totally yummy during the summer while out by the pool, but.... it was almost 70 here today, so.... it totally worked. 1 lime, 1 lemon, 1 green apple, 1 large cucumber, 1 handful basil, 1 handful mint, 2 huge handfuls spinach, a little ginger to taste. The boys liked it as well. Im going to make more tomorrow. 

Approx 3 more days till I know if my cold caps are working. I so remember going bald the first time around, 18 years ago when I went through chemo for Hodgkins. I was wicked young, 27 and it was SO traumatic. (It is this time too at 45, but..... sigh) I never lost my eyebrows or eye lashes last time, but all the rest of it was gone.... up top and down below. I did kind of dig not having to shave my legs all summer tough. (Always looking for the positive... even if it's a tiny positive) Crossing my fingers that the Cold caps work for me. Sigh. I'll keep you posted. 

I did just find out that one of my best friends (weve been friends since middle school) is flying down for my next chemo treatment. She lives on Cape Cod, and has never been to Dallas, so I'm wicked exceited for her to come down here. I wish it was for a different reason, and that we'd be able to go out and about and do all kind of fun stuff, but.... since that's not the case, I'm so glad she will be here to keep me compamny while I  saddle up to the cocktail bar and then also to hang out with me for 5 days afterward. ! 

Well.... jsut checking in on everyone. Hope y'all have had a wonderful and hydrated Sunday!! Hugs, Deb

Honeybair--sorry about your constipation.  I have had the opposite problem: very loose stools since chemo!  Thank God I have been at home each time they attacked!

Paula, Sandra, LeeA - thanx for tips on taking care of being backed up. I HATE IT. and I know most americans walk around like this and think its normal. Well, its NOT. I feel like a rollie pollie.  and ZIFFY I'm sure its not easy beign the polar opposite either.  Hope we all get relief.

Amrdbit - yummmmmmminess - I'm going to have to make that smoothie.  {drooling}

giggle Ziffy @ les mis.......I bet you look better than ann

When I went throught 8 months of chemo for Hodgkin's in 1987, I ended up losing my hair from the top down.  I can remember seeing what seemed like hundreds of strands stuck to my sweater.  I ran my fingers through my hair and each time, twenty or thirty strands came out.  I did it over and over and over and each time I became more and more angry to the point that I just wanted to rip my hair out.  I didn't.  I went home that night and stood in the bathtub in front of the mirror.  I tipped my head to the right and cut the hair that swung over my shoulder to about chin length.  I tipped my head to the left and cut that side of my hair.  I went back to work the next day and the delivery man complimented me on my hairstyle.  I was so self-conscious I didn't know if he was complimenting or joking.  I went out of town for the weekend and the hair continued to fall out.  I ended up buying a wig.  Ugh.  I hated that thing.

I have a smallish head and have never really had that much hair.  They don't sell wigs that make you look like you don't have that much hair.  I couldn't find anything even remotely close to my plain style.  I ended up going with a wig that was similar to my color and sort of like a cross between a shag and Toni from the Captain and Tennille.  I wore it to work the next work day.  Here comes the delivery man again.  He compliments my hair.  Again.  Now, I'm getting all paranoid.  After that, I ended up having really low blood counts with a fever and had to be hospitalized for about a month.  Never wore the thing again.  My hair started growing back while I was in the hospital.  

I continued to have chemo treatments but was switched to an experimental protocol for the remaining 4 1/2 treatments.  I don't know why my hair started to grow back during the chemo.  It came back quite curly and very dark and shiny.  When I'd look at the pieces of hair as they'd fall out naturally I noticed the hair looked striped.  The hair that was growing during the time chemo was doing it's thing was thin.  As I recovered during each cycle the hair shaft was thicker.  So, I had these alternating thick and thin bands of growth on each hair. 

I've pretty much stayed in my house with the exception of my multiple trips to the hospital for the numerous doctors' appointments, treatment and surgery since I was diagnosed in October while I was in the hospital being treated for pneumonia and a few trips to the adoration chapel to recite the rosary.  

As for the reconstruction issue, I have always been small busted.  I didn't like being a small B on a good day, but I sure liked the way my breasts looked and I liked the way my body looked with my breasts still attached to it.  I am most likely going to have a prophylactic mastectomy on the left.  I'd really like to be reconstructed.  What bothers me though is the lack of feeling.  Can anyone feel any sensations on their chests anymore, either with or without reconstruction?  My mastectomy scar itches like H E double toothpicks.  So does my dang underarm where the axillary node dissection scar is.  I scratch and scratch and can't get any relief because interestingly enough, while my mastectomy area is numb, I can somehow manage to feel the sensation of an itch through the numbness.  I have to put pressure on the area to get relief.  Am I the only one scratching and digging under my arm?  And, does anyone know if I can ever sleep on my right side again?  I thought I read in one of the many pieces of literature that we should never sleep on the side that's had the axillary node dissection.

As for the constipation issue, I was REALLY concerned about that one.  I gave myself a hiatal hernia last year trying to muscle my way through constipation and wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything other than clear fluids and broths.  I've been taking a chewable probiotic for a couple of months.  Also, I take a magnesium, calcium, zinc, D3 supplement.  I haven't had constipation or diarrhea.  I haven't even had to take my GERD meds every day.  HOWEVER, the mouth thing for me HAS been a problem.  My mouth feels like it normally feels after I brush my teeth with a really strong mint toothpaste.  Kind of like a burning numbish feeling.  My husband made homemade chili last night and all I could taste was spice.  Nothing else.  He made this delicious smelling linguini with shrimp and scallops in an herbed garlic butter sauce.  I could hardly taste it.  Thank God for my husband.  Thank God for all of you who are so willing to share your stories and tips and things that make me laugh.  I don't think I'd be able to make it through this without you all.

Skimommy, you look adorable.  

honeybair,

I did!! It was worse than anything I have been through yet. I am taking daily stool softners, drinking a gal of fluid a day +. I don't know what else to do have increased fiber. I took laxatives and the only thing I haven't done is suppositories and enemas to get at from other end. Sorry for others who think this is TMI but if one is being bothered by something then so are others so I feel we need to share if we have a problem so we can find a solution.

sheryl

Eating fresh parsley or any fresh greens -- is that an option for us when we have neutropenia (have to avoid fresh fruits and veggies)?  Would the dried version be OK?

Also, I have the book "Eating Well Through Cancer," but some of the recipes put a lot of emphasis on getting our vitamin C, which I understand is not a good idea for us when we are going through chemo.