Chemo Shopping...

Good planning...I lost my taste, but I was on steroids to help with nausea and they made me hungrey.  So, I ate not for taste but because I had to.   I did a lot of ramen noodles and soups, I could taste a little bit of salt so they tasted better and were comforting.  I have two small children so I bought easy things my husband could prepare for them in case I was too sick also.  Chemo does everyone different and not everything that works for one will work for others.  I was just tired a lot and it hit me worse on day 3.  You'll need to drink a lot of water to flush everything out.  My first round hit me really hard, they ran AC in like 45 mins and I was super sensitive.  I had vertigo and couldn't even watch TV.  After that I told the nurses and they ran it slower (3-4 hrs) and I used a motion sickness patch behind my ear.  Which helped a lot and the other rounds went much easier.  Find what works for you and fine-tune it to fit your side-effects.  I did have terrible dry mouth, I used Biotene mouthwash to help with that.  Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I just had Taxotere last time and going in again this Wednesday, what I stockpiled based on this last experience is Imodium (if you're lucky you won't need it but better safe than sorry), Gatorade to stay hydrated in case you do throw up or get D, crackers. I also got some pain meds from my GP because the Taxotere caused bone pain not sure what you are taking so may be a non-issue. Good luck!

I just wanted to add that it sounds strange but I look forward to my next chemo, then I know there's something in me that's fighting the beast.  As long as you think of chemo as the big gun in this fight it makes any SEs seem worth it, in my mind anyways.

Each BC journey is reflective of that person. I developed three wonderful relationships with woman dx at the same time as me. I loved my wig and bought one that made me feel and look like me ( down to the blonde highlights). I wore it all the time and loved that it brought comfort to my kids( they picked it out). My one friend hated wigs and would ride her riding lawn mower bald for all the world to see...I loved her spunk. Another friend went to a total new hair color and style with her wig and loved feeling different. So to each their own. I would say find a wig you feel good and pretty in...but, maybe that's not you!!

I heard about the drug Emend to help with the nauseness of Chemo...I had to request it, but glad I did as I feel it help with handling the Chemo. I also ordered off Amazon Gin-Gins it is a ginger hard candy that helps the metal mouth, mouth sores and your stomach. Agree with drinking lots of water. I didn't do much milk products or meat as this made me feel sicker, but did do a Whey protein powder mix with fruit for the protein. But, again everyone's journey is a bit different so hope some of this helps. 

I am a planner and love to create dinners, trips and such for my family...I continued to do so through treatment but with more help from the kids and husband...it gave me something to focus on...I timed the events when I knew I'd be at my best after a treatment but before the next one. 

Jolly Ranchers or other hard candy -- for when they flush the IV which gave me a taste like Windex.

Ginger capsules and carmelized ginger--start taking 2 to 3 days before chemo if doctor permits; this helped me with nausea immensely during A/C

Stool softener of your choice--chemo causes constipation like nobody's business

Claritin--take this and Aleve on the day you get Neulasta; I had no problems whatsoever

Food--no advice here; there were days that I couldn't eat much of anything; I lost 20 lbs. in chemo which is unusual; the steroids did not give me an appetite. I ate a lot of scrambled eggs, my usual favorites like peanut butter, yogurt.

Spicy foods can be rough on your mouth; for instance, eating salsa burned my mouth. Oily foods, such as salad dressing, tasted awful! I ate a lot of oatmeal, cereal, ice cream, soups, and yogurt. Because I kept losing weight (my body trying to fix itself every three weeks, not nausea), I tried to eat more protein. I ate things I don't normally eat, such as fried chicken and Big Macs. Coffee and tea still tasted good to me, and I drank a lot of water.

Hopefor mentioned Emend. That was part of my chemo protocol. I was given Emend and Zofran for nausea, and I wasn't nauseated once, not even a little. However...I do want to warn you about one drug they may give you. It's a steroid called dexamethasone (decadron). I took it two days prior to chemo and then for four days after. It can make you hyperemotional. Some people become paranoid, others get very weepy, irritable, or even violent. If you are having dark thoughts, the drug will make them much worse. Nobody told me about this; I learned about it on the Internet about halfway through chemo. I really thought I was losing my mind, and that scared me more than the cancer! It helped me to know that the drug was causing me to cry uncontrollably, and I was able to tell my friends that it was "that time" of the chemo cycle so they could catch me as I bounced off the walls.

I took a vitamin B complex during chemo to help alleviate the peripheral neuropathy. I still have a little numbness in my left big toe, but I'm only aware of it when I think about it! Stock up on stool softener and if you do experience constipation, start taking the stool softener a day or two before your next chemo so it can head off any problems. In other words, don't wait for the problem to set in and then start taking the softener! You might also want to get some probiotics to help with digestion. Chemo really wiped out my digestive system for a week or so.

I always took a bag of "good luck charms" with me to chemo. These were small items, such as stuffed toys, cards, or jewelry, given to me over time by people who have always been good, positive forces in my life. When I felt scared or sad, I would pull them out of the bag and look at them. It was the next best thing to having those people there in the room with me (my boyfriend was always there, but sometimes I needed to bring out the reinforcements!).

Books, magazines, laptop...you will probably be there at least 3 hours so take some snacks to get you through too.  Anything to make you comfy...pillow, throw.  Your oncology nurse will be your best friend and have lots of recommendations up her/his sleeve.  Just need to be sure you tell them what kind of problem you are having.  Confession:  I ate at Mcdonald's after every chemo.

Don't stock up on your most favorite foods, at least till you know if your taste buds are affected. I'm 4 months post chemo, taste has pretty much returned, there are some things I can't even look at, much less eat. McDonalds is one!



My chemo nurse recommended Activa yogurt, I had diarrhea really bad. Supposed to help the good flora in your gut. Can't eat that now either

Hi leecy5, just checking to see how everything went with your first chemo.

I second Outfield's suggestion.  After the first shot caused me a lot of bone pain, I took Claritin and Aleve starting 12 hours before the Neulasta shot, kept that going twice a day for 7 days, and did not have any bone pain again throughout chemo.

I had my first chemo session on the 12th. I go back in two weeks (26th). Is it pretty much the same symptoms you have the first time or does it get worse? 

Humanity, for me the SEs varied, but the tiredness became worse gradually.