Top 10 Reasons to Look Forward to Chemo (????)

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  • Methusala
    Methusala Member Posts: 285
    edited October 2007

    chemo seems to be making people nicer to me..

    (except for the stares... idiots) but really, my family has been great. 

  • shrink
    shrink Member Posts: 936
    edited October 2007

    This is strange but while at the shore this summer, the black flies were all over my SO, but they didn't come near me.  I wondered if it were the chemo or the cancer.

  • KeyWestEm
    KeyWestEm Member Posts: 16
    edited October 2007

    One in Eight, right? So since I've had breast cancer twice now, I figure I've "done it" for 15 other women in the world. I spent a lot of time choosing the 15 women in the world who mean the most to me, whom I wanted to protect from this horrific disease. (Is the disease horrific, or just the barbaric treatments?) I sent them each a letter, letting them know that I'd had cancer FOR them, so they'd never have to go through it. But as "payment", they had to do whatever I asked of them, whenever I asked, for the rest of our lives. (Rob a bank with/for me, shave your head, let me sleep with your husband,((KIDDING))  These special women are My List. It feels therapeutic, and somehow draws them to me when I need them.

    P.S.(actually it's only 14 women, with one spot "reserved" for my future granddaughter. My son was 9 when I was diagnosed the first time.)

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited October 2007

    Does it REALLY keep the mosquitoes away?

    I hadn't noticed them as much this year, but I didn't know that was why... I didn't start chemo til August, but... August is STILL a bad time for mosquitoes...  Hmm... maybe we should just spray some of the ingredients in the chemo at them...

    Debbie, they give you lunch??  I was just lucky to get snacks for the LAST 2 txs!!  No one came around for the first 2...

    I think it was good to know that I could always just say I was too tired, if I didn't want to do something...

    It is always good to be able to use the cancer card whenever it is convenient... 

    I was late returning a book to the library, and it sure came in nicely, to just say, I'm sorry... I had my first chemo tx that day, and it must have slipped my mind...Laughing

    I have another... not having to clean the house, and if people drop in, you can just say... well, I've been going for chemo txs...   

    Harley

  • livinginboji
    livinginboji Member Posts: 85
    edited October 2007

    I loved your list! Most positive! I will add (as others have) you really do find out who your real friends are. And you no longer have to worry about the weather (it's been raining for 4 days here) affecting your hair! And yes, I'm enjoying sleeping in later in the AM because you don't have to fix your hair. I did lose most of my body hair, but have about 10 stubborn ones on each leg! lol

    Cheryll

  • livinginboji
    livinginboji Member Posts: 85
    edited October 2007

    What an awesome idea KeyWestEm! Sorry to hear you've had to go through it twice. But I'd do it twice to protect my daughter or future granddaughters, for sure!

    Cheryll

  • AlaskaDeb
    AlaskaDeb Member Posts: 2,601
    edited October 2007

    I love this list :)

    I too spent a whole summer with NO bug bites while on chemo.  We have TONS of things that bite up here and the mosquitos are huge.  They would land on me, touch their little biting nose thing to my skin and then fly away...like my skin tasted so bad they didn't dare bite!  I had forgotten that one.....

  • TerryNY
    TerryNY Member Posts: 603
    edited October 2007

    KeyWestEm, I love your idea!  I hope your future granddaughter never has to experience this.  

  • mthomp2020
    mthomp2020 Member Posts: 1,959
    edited October 2007

    Apparently the mosquitos in Ohio didn't get the memo about biting people getting chemo!   I actually got mosquito bites on my hairless head!  I think I'm a mosquito magnet.  I can be the only one of a group that gets bit.  And I got the head bites when sitting outside with friends sitting there with me, and they didn't get touched!

  • yowyow
    yowyow Member Posts: 69
    edited October 2007

    I went to a concert and tried to meet the star - no hope the security dressed in black wouldn't even listen to me - ripped of my wig oh yeah !!!!!!!!! and

    the star (who's mother died of BC) was out of his dressing room in

    one minute - I got a kiss and a cuddle and chat for 10 minutes

    Gota use it where you can !

  • garnetann
    garnetann Member Posts: 158
    edited October 2007

    It feels so good when you walk out of you last treatment. 

  • figsgirls
    figsgirls Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2007

    Lord I can't wait until that day!

    My addition: Last month, DH accidentally paid one credit card twice and the other one not at all......but we blamed it on the chemo and the credit card company removed the $39 late fee.

  • figsgirls
    figsgirls Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2007

    One more: My 20 year old daughter is my ride. It gives us one afternoon each week where we can absolutely count on having nothing more to do than sit and talk. One of my friends offered to take over, and my daughter refused Smile.

  • Traci-----TripNeg
    Traci-----TripNeg Member Posts: 2,298
    edited October 2007

    Am I the only one that cracked up over no-surrender's "fall asleep standing up". Man.....that is hysterical!!

    I hope that smiley shows...

    For me.....having to do chemo made me re-focus my attention on appreciating the little things in life.

    Hugs, Traci

  • sue79
    sue79 Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2009

    I went through the chemo in 2007 and in 2008, as I was getting eaten alive by bugs, I realized that I couldn't recall that happening while on chemo. 

  • cherneski
    cherneski Member Posts: 726
    edited September 2009

    This is so the laugh I needed tonight.  Thank you.

    You find out who your real friends are I like.

    You feel a breeze on your head.

    You are not expected to remember anything.

    Bug repellent.

    Chemo also keeps fleas from biting you, as I found out because my cats just had fleas, they bit everyone in the house but me.  Not one bite.

  • lumineaux
    lumineaux Member Posts: 9
    edited September 2009

    It's easier to diet and eat healthy when food has no taste due to chemo.  Salad becomes a lot more attractive when food texture is all I get.

    I get a whole lot more pleasure reading done because I have insomnia.

  • MaineCoonKitty
    MaineCoonKitty Member Posts: 125
    edited October 2009

    Chemo got rid of the pesky chin hairs that I have always had to tweeze. And my skin looks better than it ever has with the freeby "internal skin peel" from the chemo.  I really, really, really LIKE my bald head and the way my hairless body feels like a sleek seal when I get out of the shower.  I almost dread the day when my hair starts growing back and I have to wax, shave, and tweeze various body parts again.

    And chemo got rid of the pesky toenail fungus and athlete's foot I've been fighting for years!

  • Laurie09
    Laurie09 Member Posts: 313
    edited October 2009

    I saved $$ not having to buy shampoo or tampons.  Tongue out

  • otter
    otter Member Posts: 6,099
    edited October 2009

    Wow, this is a really old thread. There are some names here that we haven't seen in a very long time...

    As I look back (rather than forward) on my 4 rounds of Taxotere & Cytoxan (finished in June 2008), I can think of 4 things.  These are in no particular order:

    1) People really did wait on me, especially the chemo nurses and my dh.  I did not like the "pity" I got from a few other people, but plain ol' kindness and thoughtfulness were greatly appreciated. 

    2) My complexion has always been a problem (zits, blotches). To my amazement, my skin (on my face, anyway) was never clearer than while I was on chemo.

    3) I did not like the baldness, and the curly-curls during the growback stage were a nuisance.  But I really like my hair short.  I never would have known that, if it hadn't been forced on me by chemo.  My hair has always been somewhere between chin- and shoulder-length ... until last year.  Now, I'm keeping it really short.

    4) I hate to admit this, but I think down deep I really did look forward to each round of chemo.  Well, maybe look forward to it is a bit strong, but I was resigned to it. I did not fight it in my mind, like I thought I would.  Two different oncos recommended chemo after we found out my Oncotype score.  So, I knew chemo would make me miserable for awhile, but it was kicking cancer's a**.  And, each time I sat down in that chemo chair, I knew that in a few hours (okay, plus a couple of weeks of SE's), I could check one more round off the list -- and I would be one round closer to finishing!

    otter 

  • cd1234
    cd1234 Member Posts: 169
    edited October 2009

    I ate ice cream by the gallon and did not care. All flavors...mmmmm my favorite was Neopolitan. I miss it!

  • mmm5
    mmm5 Member Posts: 1,470
    edited October 2009

    It gave me a chance to really take stock and reevaluate my life to see changes I wanted to make.

  • Cathicam
    Cathicam Member Posts: 47
    edited October 2009

    LOL this is great and something I'm sure I will come back to often. I haven't started my chemo treatments yet just a few more weeks (haven't been given an exact start date, still have to get surgery this friday) and then I will be starting.

    Your right about finding out who your friends are. I have always been a bit of a loaner and had no idea how many true friends I have. I think about it now and want to tear up so won't as I'm still at work. lol

    So far I love these ideas and once I start treatment or before if I think of something new will try and add to the list.

  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited October 2009

    I didn't sweat during chemo, so I guess I would have to say that the positive thing was all the money I saved not using deoderant and disposable razors.

    Leah

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