Starting Chemo December 2015

Agh, the many looks of chemo. I found that if you google cheap wigs on amazom.com. I found a slew of them for $6-$10 each and they work well with hats or scarfs. I use a wig cap underneath them and have gone as much as 10 hours before ripping those locksoff!

Thanks for the tips Memba and Opt4life!

Nebraska, My naturopathic MD said that pure and/or organic soy has been proven to help reduce breast cancer risks, but to avoid modified soy (avoid soy protein powders, soy protein isolates, processed soys, etc). I still eat soy (like steamed organic edamame, organic edamame pasta, etc) but am very careful in reading labels to avoid the other kinds.

For Anyone: FYI...... Things I've found helpful.......

For mild nausea, I love Go Raw Ginger Snap Sprouted cookies. It really curbs any mild nausea that I might have. I keep a bag in my purse and each room of my house! It's made with real ginger (it's non-GMO, Vegan, Nut-free and gluten-free) and I like the taste. You can find it in most health food stores, but I've found it's cheaper on Amazon. Also, I've found cold beverages work better for me when nauseated than anything warm or hot.

For constipation, I've found "Calm" (a powdered cit mag) each night helps me better than other stool softness or senna. You just add it to water and drink at bedtime. And since it's a power, it's easy to add or decrease the amount of powder until you find what works best for you.

For facial break-outs -- my skin has been much better and no more break outs since switching over to healthy non-toxic skin products. After diagnosis and finding out all my genetics weren't a factor in my cancer, I started researching how to get rid of environmental risks and toxins in my everyday stuff. I've been impressed with everything I've tried from the Ava Anderson Non-Toxic product line so far. (deodorant, skin, hair, soaps, household cleaning products, etc)

If non-dairy.... I'd read studies where diary (specifically casein in dairy products) can feed cancer, so we've cut out dairy in our diets since the breast cancer diagnosis. And we are cutting back on sugar, but definitely not eliminating it totally! Life's too short to give up everything!!! But I've found some really yummy non-dairy chocolates and other snacks/desserts that are non-dairy if anyone is interested. Gotta keep the chocolates around!!! Yes, I'm a chocoholic

????? Question for those of you who have had hair loss.... Would appreciate recommendations for taking care of our scalps. I still have prickly fuzz on my scalp. I've always had relatively dry skin and my hair did best if I only washed it every other day (and used regular conditioner each time). Should we be washing our heads everyday still or frequently still...and with some type of soap instead of shampoo? Should be be using lotion or other skin products on our scalps? Just curious to what you all are doing and what seems to work or not work so far. Thinking and hoping it will be easier once all the hair is finally gone.

I have to admit, it's much easier for me now that my hair is gone than when it was just coming out in the handfuls. Naturally, I'd prefer to have my "old hair" back, but trying different hats and hair coverings is actually kind of fun. And I like the look of some of the wigs; just wish they were more comfortable. Thankful my husband likes my new "bald" look as well.

So thankful for each of you and this discussion board. Appreciate the tips and how we can share, vent and encourage each other in this journey.

Enough rambling for now! Hope you each have a terrific day with little to no SE!!!!

Stay strong and fight on!

For those having pain from the Neulasta shot, try the Claritin! I took it the day of my first shot and did have one night of back pain. Felt like fireworks exploding in my back - shots of pain here, then there, then over here again! It was horrible! The next day it settled in my hips and I felt like an old lady when sitting down or getting up. I continued to take the Claritin every day and I didn't have any pain with the second shot.

I got one of my new wigs in yesterday evening!! It's more ME and my color and I like it better, but it's still uncomfortable and will probably come off when I go to lunch in a few minutes! I'll sport the scarf the rest of the day - it's WAY more comfortable, even if it screams I've got cancer! This is day 4 of wig-wearing and I did make it through one entire day! Yay, me!! I love knowing that I'm not only in the wig wearing, itchy head world! The stubble is KILLING me! Just fall out already!!

Fever hit the magic 100.4 last night. Paged my MO, and she suggested she send out an antibiotic instead of sending me to ER. Glad she did, although she did tell me to hit the ER if my temp came back up.

It got as high as 99.9, so I emailed my nurse practitioner about coming in (since my Dr. had actually called me right before boarding a plane.) Glad I did. My neutrophils didn't even show up on the auto count. She thinks they might on the manual, but gave me a Neupogen shot today, and I go back for another tomorrow. They would have done the Neulasta, but it would have changed all my chemo days since I'm only 11 days out from next infusion.

I know a lot of you have gotten the Neulasta shot as a matter of course after your first infusion, but I didn't. Don't know if that was an insurance thing, or just a wait and see how chemo affects me choice. Now, I will probably have to have the Neulasta after each infusion. I know many of you talk about taking Claritin for the bone pain. I take Claritin daily because of seasonal allergies. Wonder if it's going to help me?

Ladies please go log into www.cleaningforareason.org! I know so many of you are struggling and this organization looks to provide at least a little relief! Bee good to yourselves!

Hey y'all, I'm on day 4 of my second treatment. This time I took the Claritin the same morning as chemo since right after treatment my nose was runny. The first time I had a lot of mean bone pain but this time it's been better. Still achy but not the twisting in bed reaching for pain RX's pain. I will probably continue the Claritin until I don't ache anymore.

I took the Claritin day of chemo and day of shot and couple days after. I missed the dose the day after though because I was in hospital. The auto injector went great but I think I had a reaction to the shot. Who knows. Hope your treatment went ok. Get some rest. :

KHinMD and mvspaulding - Thanks for the scalp tips!

Mvspaulding - Please definitely don't feel guilty about diet! We've all have many more important things on our minds! I've always been interested in health and been a bit anal about making plans & lists... plus I feel empowered by DOING (or at least feeling like I'm doing) something pro-active on my own to kick cancer to the curb.

Proctor1725 - Thanks for the smile and giggles about your daughter's comments! I bet you never have a dull movement in your house!

KatG68 - I'm soooooo with you about the stubble. Love how you phrased it "just fall out already!"

Lyra10 - I've used Acure Organics shower gel and really liked it. Very gentle and with good ingredients and no toxins that I know of. I haven't tried any of their lotions though. Thanks for the tip on cleaning. Sounds like a great program/organization. Just wish they had providers near me. Maybe someday. Currently feeling grateful to have recently had a friend gift me with cleaning my house earlier this week. So wonderful and felt very spoiled indeed!

Went to a Look Good, Feel Better session this afternoon. It was fun and I got to meet 2 other local women with breast cancer in various stages of treatment. Even got to leave with a new wig! It looks more natural than the one's I purchased on line myself, even though the style is very different than what I'm used to. I stopped by to visit one of my best friends and my 2 neices/goddaugthers afterward and the 4 of us had a blast trying on the wigs. Being around kids can definitely increase the laughter factor! Good medicine!

lyra10 - a friend sent me M Press day cream and M Merse night cream (by M Pulse) and I love them. Here's where you can find them: http://www.aobmedspa.com/products-site/products-by...

They are paraben free, vegan and nonGMO. I normally don't really need moisturizer but now, well, my skin isn't as it was. These moisturizers are wonderful. I use it on my head as well.

mvspauling, i am sure you will be beautiful with the Bengals scarf and hat!! I will be wearing a yellow scarf and steelers hat on my bald head😉 Lol. I will be thinking of my fellow BC sister on Saturday;) you get home field advantage😉

Everyone sounds like they have some good tips. I will be going for treatment 3 on Wednesday. I am finally getting some taste buds back just in time to get them taken away again. I think I will splurge on a banana split myself!!

Lyra10, thanks for the cleaning tip. I'll check into that.

Hang in there everyone!!!

All - i wanted to share something with you. Yesterday, i had my hair shaved in a salon I have been going to for about 7 years. My hairdresser tagged me on Facebook (with my permission) after she saw this post. I wanted to share so that we all remember that we can and ARE inspirational to so many people. Stay strong ladies and don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You might inspire someone else!

Witnessed something truly beautiful today and it really hit home with me. Any of you whom were there, please correct me if I'm wrong:

I was getting my hair done this afternoon (much needed after the last couple of weeks I've had) and in the chair beside me, a lady sat down who had an appointment with her stylist. The friend who brought her to the appointment was sitting near and they talked back and forth among themselves as the stylist looked over the items the ladies carried with them.

One could tell she was very nervous in the chair, worried about the youngin' who was in the shop seeing what was about to take place. She spoke of intimate details I won't discuss here, but the talk varied of health issues which had started that day, as well as questions about what would happen next from young family members. I glanced at them from time to time and every time I caught her eye, this lady had a smile on her face. Her friend was positive the whole time, keeping things upbeat and so encouraging. Her stylist was so enthusiastic as well as mine, Misty Ann Svoboda-Beseda. What was a three person appointment very soon became a multi-woman conglomerate as it does many times over in many shops around the world.

As the process began, photos were taken and this lady's smile was still upon her face. I left before she was out of the chair but as Misty was blowing out my hair and styling mine I watched this lady's remaining hair fall to the floor lock by lock.... I sensed her fear of not being seen as beautiful because she was to have no hair on her head that was hers.

It has humbled me to my core tonight. How vain are we humans. What we do to ourselves to be that perfect weight, to look that certain way, to strive to achieve the unattainable when there are those who just want to have their own hair on their head!

I could not leave without addressing this woman. I could not leave without giving her a hug and looking into her eyes and telling her how amazingly beautiful she is. I did not mean for my words to make her cry because they were heartfelt but what she did not realize was .. in that moment she became the most beautiful woman on this planet to me. She taught me so much just sitting in that chair and being herself... Her beautiful self.

I don't know your name and may never run into you again. Whomever you are ... Thank you for today.

Sorry PezGal! Hang in there! Hugs from Texas! Stay strong!

proctor, that is amazing!! It absolutely made my day!! Cherished words!!

Pezgal, hang in there!!! I will be praying you get better ASAP!! CANCER SUCKS!!!!

Thinking about you all!!

Go Twirp! I love it! and love your attitude! Keep it up!