Starting Chemo March 2015

Molly1976, I am ER- so the soy part doesn't apply to me. I'm assuming you were asking about soy in the context of tumor generation? I think the debate about soy is only if you are ER positive.

I am on no restrictions unless my white blood cell count drops low which hasn't happened so far. MO said eat sushi, or anything I want, unless my numbers drop.

yikes! All that veggie juice I've been drinking. I do wash vegetables with a natural safe (supposedly) fruit and vegetable wash. Takes off wax, chemicals etc etc.

however I just quickly read a couple of articles in the topic. The alerts range from peeling everything, no soft eggs, and absolutely no lettuce anywhere, to just being careful to wash the perks. Except lettuce was consistently mentioned as s no-no. All also commented on when you peel you still have to wash the peel first anywaybecause your knife can touch outside contaminants and then get inside the fruit....and you. Sigh. Also only eat fruit and veg at home since you know where it's been so to speak. It's all very scary. I guess I'll start peeling everything before juicing. I really feel good when I drink my juice. GD cancer.

Hmm, ok, that is good to know. My MO has been really adamant that I should keep my life (including diet) exactly the same - his laid-back-ness makes me nervous at times! I am only on weekly taxol, though, which is not usually as hard on the immune system. So far my WBC are holding steady.

I'm here - I was at PT so have been out of the house - then had to grocery shop because my DD is coming home this evening from Georgia.  Yay!

The fruits, eggs, and veggies thing is because of bacteria, parasites, salmonella, e coli, etc., due to farmers using manure as fertilizer, cross-contamination, salmonella in eggs that are not completely cooked (unset yolk) when your white count is low due to chemo. Chemo causes you to be immune-compromised so you don't have the normal ability to fight off a bug that you would be able to normally.  If your WBC is holding steady you can pretty much do what you want, within reason.  My MO said no salad bar, or eating salad or raw veggies prepared anywhere other than my house - but I could still have it, and he cautioned that sushi might be better after chemo - but he left it pretty much up to me.  My WBC never tanked, and I did not have any opportunistic infections during chemo or during the many surgeries you see in my sig line.  On the soy question - it is a phytoestrogen so if you are ER+ you may not feel comfortable consuming it. There are worse soy products than others - soy foods like tofu, soy sauce, and edamame are deemed acceptable, but soy isoflavones, soy protein powders, not so much.  I don't eat dairy because it is the product of a lactating animal, thus laden with estrogen.  My protein powder is plant based, rather they whey based.  I eat very clean protein, but any animal product has some intrinsic level of hormone in it. I don't eat soy because 90% of what is produced in this country is GMO, so likely doused with pesticide.  Also, both dairy and soy are inflammatory foods and there are some links between inflammation and cancer.  Those of you who are ER+ may experience joint pain when you start hormonal therapy and reducing inflammation may become more important to you at that point. I do follow the Dirty Dozen that should always be purchased organic, and the Clean Fifteen that do not need to. 

I am a coffee drinker - I would even classify myself as a coffee snob.  It did not taste good during chemo except for that International Coffee flavored stuff, or Taster's Choice instant coffee! What??? That is so far outside of my norm, but I abandoned my usual routine because I wanted some coffee! 

Eheinrich: Good for you for standing up to your MIL! It sounds very satisfying.

K: Do you have any information on flax? Normally, I would avoid it but it is the only granola I can find that is small enough to add to my smoothie and it gives the smoothie a nice flavor.

The lack of coffee drove me crazy, so I used the International Mocha that is cold in the dairy case. That was yummy, I just cut it a bit with skim milk or whole milk. But the calories, I gained 20 pounds on chemo. Yikes! I should have not paid attention when the nurses got on me when I lost weight!

When I hear people say all the different things, all I can think of is that they don't know. If you wear a condom while having sex the entire time you are on chemo, does that mean you should kiss anyone while on chemo either? It just seems like a lot of speculation to me.

Eileen- good for you for starting to make some plans on the recon. I am older and think I'm done and will stay flat. So no advice there. But proud of you for looking ahead.

I knew SpecialK would come through. She's a dictionary. No. Encyclopedia! Thank you. It's very comforting to get thorough info. That makes sense. It seems to revolve most heavily around wbc which had been good for me until last bloodwork

Italychick - you remain the beacon that shows us all what is possible. I am in the "I'm not worthy position" haha. Seriously, not just your health but your attitude is truly uplifting.

Trvler- yes to flax- I have organic ground flax in the fridge. I know it's better to grind it yourself but I have to put some limits somewhere. Hah! It adds a nice nutty flavor to my smoothies!

Angel- great to hear from you. And thanks for the support. Today is such a different day than any of the previous four.

And once again, Theresa, putting coconut oil on the booboos from my fall and also on the last remnants of my nasty basement rash. I figured it would try to double back on me after round 3 last Thursday so I'm getting out ahead of it.

I miss Bekah! And the rest we don't hear from as often, Joanna (who being good a good mother to her 6 yr old, appropriately, is not here.

Love you bunches everyone

I think a couple of our people joined the April group.

Haha. Yep.

I think if you started late in the month, it's good to straddle both groups for info.

My MO also never said anything about foods either. I'm planning to ask this week...so far so good so not sure what I'll do if she says I shouldn't be eating something I have been eating all along.

Just checking in... I haven't really read through so hoping everyone is well. My 2nd round of AC was not near as good as the first Unfortunatly. This is day 5 in bed. Hoping to go to work tomorrow but who knows. Trying to pull out of this funk. I hate these steroids and I can't seem to get a handle on the nausea this time. My happy gal persona has def left the building. Feeling like this is so not worth it. I have 2 more rounds of AC then 12 taxol and it now seems like this is an impossible task. Overwhelmed with all this and can't believe I thought I could power through. I feel like they took my pretty healthly youngish body and destroyed it. I'm 42 and I feel 80

Today is my pity party. Sorry for the rant. I'll be back when I feel better. Hopefully soon.

Hang in there Leighrh...I finished 4 DD AC on March 23. Yes, it sucks. You can do it. I think #3 had me in bed at the day 5 mark too. Hopefully tomorrow you will wake and be on the road to recovery. I'm 44 so not much older than you and I"m telling you, you will get through this. Just give your body the rest it needs and you will be amazed that in a couple of days you will feel almost like your old self...except then you have to do it again....but just concentrate on each day, not on what lies ahead. I'm also doing 12 weekly taxols - number 3 on Wednesday. It is so much better than the AC - I almost feel normal. I hesitate to say that thinking that the worse is yet to come; however, like I said, just take it one day at a time & don't fret about the future appointments and side effects. You've got this!! Hope you're sleeping now & don't see this until tomorrow :-)

On another note, one of my surgeons told me that we need "pity" days and days where we are sad and upset. He said there is a grief process that we each need to go through and to think of it like a mortgage. Every time we have a little - or big- moment, cryfest, etc. we are making a "payment" towards our BC emotional mortgage. He said that in his experience, those who never pay into their mortgage have more problems once treatment ends and have a harder time moving on with their life. Anyway, I just found his words interesting and I thought his analogy was kind of cool and unique.

Special K, What are the dirty dozen and the clean 15? I assume foods, but would you mind listing what they are? Thank you!

Lynn