More Tips (and a Shopping List) for Getting Through Chemo
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Bumping for new girls.
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Thank you MinusTwo for keeping this thread bumped to the top !
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Nico - it was sooooo useful to me so hope we can all pay it forward.
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Bumping for those just starting
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MinusTwo ~ It really saved me when I was going through chemo, let's keep it 'bumped' to make it easier for the newbies to find.
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Nico - yup - I'll try to remember to bump it more often.
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YOu should add magnesium for constipation. It also helps with hot flashes and blood sugar. I have been a lifelong sufferer of constipation and magnesium is the the only natural thing that works for me.
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Bumping for Victoria ~
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Good advice, trvler ~ Several sisters have found that magnesium also alleviates muscle spasms and neuropathy !
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thanks for this...Should be starting chemo within a month...
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Bumping for Paula ~
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and thanks Nico for continuing to bump. This thread was essential to me before & during chemo.
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Thank you for the list. I'm not sure when I will start Chemotherapy I meet with my oncologist in Dec 1st. I do know 4 rounds AC was recommended. I'm glad I found this site. The discussions I have read are very helpful. I know I'm not alone..
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Swfarr. I am starting 4 rounds of AC on Dec 3 ;or Dec 4. Good luck to you and keep me posted
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Thanks so much for this! The pre-surgery list was a Godsend, otherwise DBF and I would have been standing and staring at each other the first time I got to take a shower, not knowing what to do with the drain. LANYARD! I'll be going through this and concocting a shopping list for when I start my fun and fascinating journey.
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Bumping for Trinity ~
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Newbie here,
Had my first chemo treatment on Tuesday (1/4 treatments) although I don't feel fabulous, I do think it went much better than I feared. Went back Wednesday for the Neulasta injection. My doctor has recommended the Claritin for a few days in efforts to ward off the joint pain. I have been sore, would I be better or worse without the Claratin. No matter, easy to take.I think water has helped tremendously, I have no serious side effects :-). I have no appetite either but that might be a good thing.
On Friday, I returned for IV fluids which really did help and I hope to pretend that life is normal - one week before Christmas!
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Sorry you have to be here MM2221. Those shots can be hard I didn't do claritin but i do hear it works. I would see if there is a December Chemo board so you can have people going through the same thing at the same time , it really helps and look through old chemo boards they are all still pretty active .. ask questions whenever you need people here are great about sharing. Glad it went better then expected, drink lots of fluids and get your rest but most of all enjoy your Christmas !! Sending postive vibe.
Lee Anne
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MM2221 - Glad you got through the first one. Yes, the Claritin made a big difference for me. Take it the morning of chemo infusion & continue 4-5 days. Be sure it's the regular Claritin & not the "D". Don't forget to tell your nurses you are taking it.
As Lee Ann mentioned, there is probably December chemo thread. It is so much easier sharing with people going through the same things. I also went back to a previous thread (say 'fall chemo') and found lots of ideas. Hope you stay feeling well for the holidays.
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Bumping for Rosalie ~
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Thank you SO much. Starting AC/T on 26th and besides the prescriptions I didn't know what else I needed!
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Best of luck to you Southern-girl ~ Please stop back often and let us know how you are doing.
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Had a delay. Due to infection, I had to have my implant removed so now on antibiotics. After removal,no pain, just tenderness of mastectomy side. But, collapsed breast more psychologically disturbing and difficult to find way to look "even" in public! Silver lining in the delay is I am working on gaining my stamina to prepare for chemo in 2 weeks!
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thank you so much for this list. I just found out that my mom will e starting chemo ASAP and so I joined in order to learn and help her. I am looking for any info I can to support her and help her prepare. This list is a great place to start. Thank you so much for sharing what you have learned from your own experience
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Gcasey-
We're so glad you found it helpful! Good luck to your mom as she begins her treatment, we're here for you both for support and any questions you might have!
The Mods
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Bumping for Lydia ~
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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 you're 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 you're 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 that's good to have on hand when you're 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 you're 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, you'll 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). Don't 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 one's 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 you're 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, don't 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 you've gone 'off it') may help! Avocados (eaten straight out of the skin, w/ a little salt, pepper, & olive oil). Magnesium.
- 12.HAIR LOSS: If you're 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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Wow, that is an awesome first response, thank you very much I love the shopping list. Are you still undergoing treatment 😇
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This is fantastic! Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this list. I haven't been able to find anything as comprehensive and real.
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Bumping for Shawna ~
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