Best Of

Hi to all of you! We are trying to come up with ONE master list of all your great suggestions around chemotherapy. Please help us out. We have looked at three threads and want to get it all together to best help everyone.

Please make suggestions here, or in this forum: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics...

Things to prep and purchase BEFORE you start chemotherapy:

• 1.FOOD AND THE KITCHEN:
• fresh fruit (bananas!) and vegetables
• bread for toast
• crackers
• rice
• unsweetened applesauce (in individual containers)
• prunes, dried apricots, prune juice
• lemons or limes to add to water
• teas
• protein and iron-rich foods (e.g. walnuts, pecans, almonds, meat)
• sugar-free chewing gum, sugar-free hard candy, breath mints
• disposable flatware, plates and cups (for times when youre tired or immune-suppressed; plastic flatware helps offset metallic taste in mouth)
• Non-latex gloves to wear when doing dishes to reduce
• Sign up for www.takethemameal.com and send the link to friends and family.
• Supplements: Check with a dietician or a nutritionist about supplements and multivitamins. Some dieticians and nutritionists recommended taking Calcium Citrate, Magnesium, Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) during chemo (and forever) to combat bone loss. Some also recommend a multivitamin, but make sure that there is no soy include

• 2.HYGIENE, CLEANING:
• Biotene oral wash (also get travel size for purse) specially formulated to manage a dry mouth. Warning: Mouth rinses and washes containing chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride -- like Crest pro-health -- may stain your teeth.
• Unscented moisturizer (also get small/travel size for purse). Some opt for natural oils (e.g almond or olive oil).
• Sunscreen for face and body Visit the EWG Sunscreen Guide.
• Lip balm/moisturizer
• Thermometer or two.
• New or washed shower curtain liner (minimize bacteria, mold)
• Package of new toothbrushes (mouth is really vulnerable to infections, sores so change frequently)
• Tissue boxes and on-the-go packs kleenexes (disappearance of nose hairs = dripping nose)
• Purell-type hand-sanitizer without scent (also get travel size for purse)
• Clorox-type disinfecting wipes (and some for on-the-go)
• A box/packet of the flushable moist wipes
• Squirt bottle for cleansing irritated skin after going to the bathroom
• Waterpik (in lieu of flossing if you have bleeding)
• lint roller to keep your pillow clean, if you are losing hair

• 3.MEDICATIONS:
• Artificial tears for dry eyes (consider Renew or Similasan brands)
• Immodium (for diarrhea)
• Colace, Miralax or Senekot-S, (for constipation)
• Tylenol (painkiller) or Ibuprofen (ask your oncologist which is preferred; some chemo drugs work the kidneys, others the liver so your doc may prefer one drug over another)
• Acidopholus capsules for yeast infections (if youre prone to them)
• Pepcid Acid or Nexium reflux/indigestion
• Regular Claritin (helps with joint pain)
• Blood pressure machine
• Ambien CR for sleeping

• 4.COMFORT:
• A satin or silk like pillowcase
• Comfortable slippers
• Get your hair cut short, if you know that you will be losing it during treatment.
• Get soft, seam-free (or as seam-free as possible) hat for sleeping
• Hair net to wear at night!

• 5.PREPARE A "My "chemo bag": (A great project for a friend). Assemble a small make-up type bag (say 4"x4"x6" or smaller) that you can move from purse to backpack back to purse to car or whatever that includes some of the stuff thats good to have on hand when youre out and about: digital thermometer, Tylenol or Ibuprofen (ask your onco), toothbrush, toothpaste, Breathsaver-type lozenges, lip balm, unscented hand lotion, eye drops, antibiotic ointment, Purell sanitizer or handwipes, Saltines or animal crackers, tissues, thin cap to ward off any sudden chills, mouth rinse. And maybe a maxi-pad in case of any port or drain mishaps. (Why this stuff? Important to ward off mouth sores, avoid fever/monitor temp, chemo dries out eyes, mouth, skin; lack of nose hairs causes drippy nose.

Things to do During Chemotherapy:

• 1.Drink a LOT of water!!! Drink, drink and drink some more. When you are finished, drink more still! Make it interesting by adding lemon or lime. Or try out different teas.
• 2.MOISTURIZE like crazy. After every shower, cover yourself in a high quality, paraben free, hypoallergenic moisturizer from head to toe. Moisturize your hands and feet every night, and wear cotton gloves to bed. Aquaphor is recommended, or Udderly SMOOth with urea
• 3.Exercise, or move around, every day. Seriously, even on bad days. Get up and go for a walk around the block. Every day go a little further. When youre feeling better immediately get back to your normal exercise routine. It helps so much! It gives you more energy and lifts your mood.
• 4.Wear slippers around the house, especially if you have hard floors. This helps prevent neuropathy in your feet. And forget about wearing heels during chemo.
• 5.Do something special that you can look forward to after each chemo, such as watching one season of your favorite show after every round on your bad day
• 6.Make laughing and relaxing as important as cleaning!
• 7.Support your immune system with iron- and protein-rich foods (but check with doctor before taking supplement
• 8.PORT CARE: The nurse may clean the port by injecting Heparin into it. A horrible taste can sometimes be avoided by holding your nose while the Heparin is injected. A numbing agent may make entry in and out of the port less painful. Locating "Good veins". A/C can be hard on the veins. At some hospitals, women on A/C automatically have a port surgically installed. You may be given the opportunity to use your veins. The goal is to keep your veins in good enough health that you can use them for all 8 treatments. Another goal is to "start low" on the arm so that if one vein is blown, then they can work their way up. A nurse can go to a higher vein for attempt #2, but she cannot go lower
• 9.Take care of your nails! Get the OPI Nail Envy and Avoplex cuticle treatment set here http://www.amazon.com/Opi-Say-Hi-to-Fortify/dp/B00.... Use the Nail Envy as directed, and apply the Avoplex twice a day or more often if you can remember. Keep one bottle of the Avoplex, at work and one at home. Keep your nails very short to avoid snags and tears. If you are going to get a manicure or pedicure during chemo, youll want to bring your own tools (not a bad idea anytime). Even if you are not, you should probably at least have your own nail clippers or scissors at home that you do not share
• 10.Closing the toilet seat before flushing will dramatically reduce distribution of bacteria in the bathroom. Some are told to flush twice first 2 days after chemo, depending on type they are using.
• 11.Replace (or wash w/ bleach) the shower curtain liners.
• 12.Get soft, seam-free (or as seam-free as possible) hat for sleeping
• 13. Wear latex-gloves when cleaning to avoid nicks and scratches
• 14.Use a satin or silk like pillowcase
• 15.Check out the website http://breastcancerfreebies.com/ had lots of offers for free products and services to help.

What if you experience these side-effects

• 1.INDIGESTION and REFLUX: Pepcid or other H2 blocker antacids (Nexium, etc). Dont lie down after eating if you have reflux.
• 2.NEUROPATHY: Ice your hands and feet during Taxotere. I used these http://www.amazon.com/Elasto-Gel-Chemotherapy-Hypo... and these http://www.amazon.com/Elasto-Hypothermia-slippers-... and never had any neuropathy or nail changes. It does make playing on your iPad or reading difficult with the mitts on, so I just listened to a podcast during that infusion.
• 3.DRY MOUTH, especially at night, try these for sleeping: http://www.amazon.com/Oracoat-855933000517-Xylimel... They worked like a charm for me. During the day I sucked on hard candies or ACT lozenges.
• 4.METALLIC TASTE:
• Use plastic flatware instead of metal. Biotene mouth wash and/or mouthrinse (and/or toothpaste and chewing gum, lemon/lime cordial, Breathsavers mints). Oasis products were also mentioned
• 5.MOUTH SORES: Get some Dixie cups and pre-fill them with 1 tsp of baking soda. I filled an empty 12 oz mouthwash bottle with about 3 tsp of salt and a 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract (for flavor) and poured some into the Dixie cup, swirled to mix, and gargled/rinsed with it in the morning, after every meal, and at night. I bought this mouthwash to take to work to avoid the mixing hassle, and I really liked it http://www.amazon.com/TheraBreath-Dentist-Recommen... Never had a single mouth sore. •The mouth sore cocktail: Equal parts of any liquid benadryl and liquid Maalox. Only mix up what you are going to use (about 1 teaspoon of each). Swish in mouth for a minute or two like a mouthwash. Then spit out. I put lemon or lime drops or slices into my water glass. Change your toothbrush frequently. Eating a popsicle or ice chips or something else very cold, while being given Adriamycin
• 6.BLEEDING GUMS: Flossing during chemo can cause bleeding, I learned the hard way. I got a waterpik instead and used this to floss. Much gentler on the gums. I found mine cheaper at Costco, but here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Waterpik-Aquarius-Water-Flos...
• 7.HAIRY TONGUE
• Frequent cleansing with combo of water, baking soda and salt is recommended. Sucking on lemon wedges to re-encourage salivary glands. Brushing ones tongue with a toothbrush, hydrating with water. Cytoxan seems to mess with the salivary glands.
• 8.NAUSEA: QueasyPops for nausea helped me a lot, and if you email the company at info@preggiepop.com and tell them youre undergoing chemo for BC they will send you a free box! Emend (for nausea), a steroid (dexamethasone aka decadron is the most common), and a medication like Kytril or Zofran (the Aloxi you may get in your IV at chemo is in the same family of drugs).
• Also, start taking your Zofran the night of chemo and take it every 8 hours on the dot for 5 days afterwards. I never vomited when I kept this up, even though I felt queasy occasionally.
• 9.DIARRHEA: Take Immodium immediately, dont let it go. The bottle says only 4 per day, but my MO said up to 8 daily is fine. • Imodium is good for stopping this. Key worry is dehydration, so keep drinking water! Stay away from sugary things, as refined sugar can aggravate diarrhea. From a dietary perspective, you can try the BRAT diet: Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. Use flushable moist wipes; they really help with general soft tissue irritation.
• 10.HEMORROIDS: They are not uncommon if you experience a lot of constipation. Prevention is key! Lotsa fiber! If it does develop, Tux pads can make you more comfortable, or baby wipes. And Colace or Fiber One or a stool softener can help you avoid straining.
• 11.CONSTIPATION: Eating fiber in days before chemo can help prevent/lessen constipation. Prune juice (you can mix it with Milk of Magnesia for a "cocktail"). Colace (docusate sodium) is an over the counter stool softener to have on hand. Senekot-S is a gentle laxative with a little Colace added in.Snacking on things like prunes or dried apricots can help. Lots of water (or tea) helps here, too. A square of chocolate ExLax the night of chemo, and another one the following evening. Eat active culture or probiotic yogurt every single day. A cup of coffee (if youve gone off it) may help! Avocados (eaten straight out of the skin, w/ a little salt, pepper, & olive oil). Magnesium.
• 12.HAIR LOSS: If youre interested in keeping your hair, check out Penguin Cold Caps. • About 18 days after my first A/C, I had my head shaved. When hair on head starts to fall, a lint roller (I liked the velvet covered kind) helps to remove lingering hairs. Hair in pubic area often starts to fall out first.
• 13.SLEEPLESSNESS (esp in first few days post chemo) Ambien CR or Benadryl
• 14.NEUROPATHY and Hand Foot Syndrome (associated with the Taxanes). Avoid going barefoot. Wear slippers or "Crocs" always. Gently massage feet and hands with lotion to keep them soft and improve circulation. Wash hands (and dishes) in lukewarm water, not hot. Ask oncologist about taking 50 mg of B6 to address neuropathy (tingling, numbness that often appears first in feet and hands
• 15.PAIN/ACHES: Check with your physician before taking anything! Each painkiller is processed differently in your body, and reacts differently depending on which chemo agents they are using. Regular exercise (e.g., a walk) seems to help lessen or prevent Neulasta pain. Naproxyn (e.g. Aleve) may also help if taken 30 minutes before the injection. Claritin seems to help some with joint pain, taken the day of the chemo, and for a few days after.
• 16.HOT FLASHES: Sleep naked
• 17.YEAST INFECTIONS: sleep naked, allowing circulation "down there". Also discuss with your doctor using Acidopholus capsules or other treatments.

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I just wanted to share with everyone my tips for getting through TC chemo, which I think helped me a lot. My only symptoms were a touch of nausea on days 3-4, a bit of diarrhea, constipation, dry mouth, and fatigue. I never got sick.

1. During chemo and for several days afterwards, drink a LOT of water. I drank 3 liters a day from this bottle: http://www.amazon.com/Nathan-Big-Shot-1-Liter-Bott...

2. Ice your hands and feet during Taxotere. I used these http://www.amazon.com/Elasto-Gel-Chemotherapy-Hypo... and these http://www.amazon.com/Elasto-Hypothermia-slippers-... and never had any neuropathy or nail changes. It does make playing on your iPad or reading difficult with the mitts on, so I just listened to a podcast during that infusion.

3. Suck on ice as often as you can bear it during your infusions to avoid mouth sores.

4. Get the OPI Nail Envy and Avoplex cuticle treatment set here http://www.amazon.com/Opi-Say-Hi-to-Fortify/dp/B00.... Use the Nail Envy as directed, and apply the Avoplex twice a day or more often if you can remember. I kept 2 bottles of the Avoplex, one at work and one at home. Keep your nails very short to avoid snags and tears.

5. Get some Dixie cups and pre-fill them with 1 tsp of baking soda. I filled an empty 12 oz mouthwash bottle with about 3 tsp of salt and a 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract (for flavor) and poured some into the Dixie cup, swirled to mix, and gargled/rinsed with it in the morning, after every meal, and at night. I bought this mouthwash to take to work to avoid the mixing hassle, and I really liked it http://www.amazon.com/TheraBreath-Dentist-Recommen... Never had a single mouth sore.

6. Flossing during chemo can cause bleeding, I learned the hard way. I got a waterpik instead and used this to floss. Much gentler on the gums. I found mine cheaper at Costco, but here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Waterpik-Aquarius-Water-Flos...

7. I got a value pack of extra soft toothbrushes at Costco, and bought this on Amazon to sterilize after every use: http://www.amazon.com/Oral-Stericlean-Portable-Too... I threw out the toothbrush and got a new one when I started each cycle of chemo. Clean toothbrushes prevent you from getting sick while immunocompromised.

8. Exercise every day. Seriously, even on bad days. Get up and go for a walk around the block. Every day go a little further. When youre feeling better immediately get back to your normal exercise routine. It helps so much!

9. Wear slippers around the house, especially if you have hard floors. This helps prevent neuropathy in your feet. And forget about wearing heels during chemo.

10. MOISTURIZE like crazy. After every shower, cover yourself in a high quality, paraben free, hypoallergenic moisturizer from head to toe. Moisturize your hands and feet every night, and wear cotton gloves to bed.

11. If you get dry mouth, especially at night, try these for sleeping: http://www.amazon.com/Oracoat-855933000517-Xylimel... They worked like a charm for me. During the day I sucked on hard candies or ACT lozenges.

12. Stock up on fresh fruit and bread for toast. On my "bad days," usually days 3-5, I really didnt want to eat anything besides fresh fruit, smoothies, and toast. Your mileage may vary, but this was the case for me.

13. Sign up for www.takethemameal.com and send the link to friends and family. This ended up being more for my fiance, who cant cook to save his life and I was not feeling up to cooking, but I also ate some of it when I was feeling better. The help was greatly appreciated, and the site is free and super easy to use.

14. Do something special that you can look forward to after each chemo, such as watching one season of your favorite show after every round on your bad days. For me, I downloaded the Game of Thrones game onto my iPad, which has 4 episodes, and saved them for my bad days when I didnt want to do much besides lay around. I played 1 episode after every round and it gave me something to look forward to, even though I wasnt feeling great.

15. If you have diarrhea, start the Immodium immediately, dont let it go. The bottle says only 4 per day, but my MO said up to 8 daily is fine. If you have constipation, Senokot helped me. Unfortunately every round for me was a different GI tract problem, so I never knew what to expect!

16. QueasyPops for nausea helped me a lot, and if you email the company at info@preggiepop.com and tell them youre undergoing chemo for BC they will send you a free box!

17. Also, start taking your Zofran the night of chemo and take it every 8 hours on the dot for 5 days afterwards. I never vomited when I kept this up, even though I felt queasy occasionally. I DID vomit when I forgot to take the Zofran after the first round, and learned the hard way.

18. The website http://breastcancerfreebies.com/ had lots of offers for free products and services to help. I was able to get free home cleanings through Cleaning for a Reason, a free high quality headwrap from Good Wishes (which I donated after I didnt end up needing it), a free bar of soap from Bethesda Skincare, a free bag of makeup from Look Good Feel Better, and sweet cards and gifts through the mail from Chemo Angels. All of these things were wonderful.

19. If youre interested in keeping your hair, I used Penguin Cold Caps with amazing success. While it was definitely a hassle, the feeling I got from keeping my hair was priceless. I felt in control, and I didnt look sick so I didnt feel sick. I could go out in public and be treated normally without stares, pity, or special treatment. That really meant a lot to me. And I was able to get financial assistance through www.ccaps.org. The cold wasnt fun but was bearable and totally worth it. I have a whole nother set of tips for cappers if youre interested!

20. Sleep naked. This helped with hot flashes, which I developed after round 3, and also apparently prevents yeast infections by helping maintain air circulation down there.

Thats all I can think of right now. I hope this helps. Any more tips ladies?