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More Tips (and a Shopping List) for Getting Through Chemo

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Comments

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited November 2018

    Nico - thank you so much for continuing to bump this thread. GREAT info.

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited November 2018

    Thank you for your help bumping this thread, Minus Two!

  • MLAnne
    MLAnne Member Posts: 65
    edited November 2018

    Thanks! I just created a wishlist on Amazon since my Chemo is scheduled to start after the holiday. Anything I don't get as a Christmas present, I can order for myself later.

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,581
    edited November 2018

    That's a great idea, MLAnne! We wish you the best with your chemo, please keep us posted!

    The Mods

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited December 2018

    Bumping for Pam . . .

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited December 2018

    Nico - Happy 1st of December. Thanks for continuing to bump.

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited January 2019

    Thank You, Minus Two! Your help in keeping this vital thread going is greatly appreciated! The best to you in 2019!



  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited January 2019

    Nico - you are so much better at remembering than I am. Thanks. And hope this New Year treats you well.

  • nanette7fl
    nanette7fl Member Posts: 412
    edited January 2019

    Dh & I bought one of those new foam mattress pads and it's 4 inches thick from Big Lots last year. It has a chill gel pad on one side. Helps keep us cool while we sleep!

  • Mylife42
    Mylife42 Member Posts: 11
    edited January 2019

    I will be starting my first chemo treatment on Tuesday. I have a chemo bag packed for when I go to keep me occupied, but these tips are going to be really helpful as not sure what to fully expect!

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited January 2019

    MyLife - wishing you the best. I had all of these tips ready but luckily didn't need most of them. May you experience the same. Go easy on yourself.

  • Rojsn
    Rojsn Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2019

    First chemo Feb15/201

    Hi everybody,

    I did my surgery on December 28th 2018 and I should do my first chemo on Feb 15th 2019. It's herceptin and paclitaxel for 12weeks, every week. I don't know how much it will be strong and how will the side effects! Is it possible to go to work

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited January 2019

    Rojsn - Many people do work through chemo, but every body is different. I had chemo on Thursday and the day after wasn't bad since I was still on steroids. That way i could crash all weekend. Maybe some shorter days?

    Take a look for the current chemo thread. These are groups of people who are going through it together & can compare. I also read the month or quarter before. Examples are January chemo group, winter chemo group.

    Good luck

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited January 2019

    Bumping for Denise . . .

  • Glittertits
    Glittertits Member Posts: 7
    edited January 2019

    holy cow I'm glad I

    Found this site and this thread! I'm starting 2/5/19 (day after my birthday..hooray) and I def need to add some stuff to Ye Olde Chemo Bag.

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,581
    edited January 2019

    Welcome, Glittertits! We’re so glad you’ve joined our community and that you’re already finding helpful information! Best of luck with the start of your treatment!

    The Mods

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited January 2019

    Glitter - sorry you had to join us but glad you found this site. It was so useful to me. Hope all goes well next week.

  • Glittertits
    Glittertits Member Posts: 7
    edited February 2019

    Re the amazon wish list-it’s made it soooooo much easier for people to find the right thing I need AND to add things that helped them or a loved one. All hail amazon! Now, to get through the next 36 hours til I get my port accessed for the first time and get this show on the road.

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited February 2019

    Bumping for Rhonda . . .

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited March 2019

    Bumping for Toni . . .

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited March 2019

    Nico - so glad you're still faithfully bumping this thread. Such amazing information.

  • Pinky24
    Pinky24 Member Posts: 10
    edited March 2019

    My wonderful neighbor brought me carrot ginger soup after my first AC, and I swear it saved my life. Nothing else tasted good at all, but I craved that soup

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited March 2019

    Bumping for Aisha . . .

  • s3k5
    s3k5 Member Posts: 411
    edited April 2019

    Hi,

    This is a great site for information for people facing Chemo and the side effects.

    I have gone through ACT in 2008 and now I am back with mets in bones and liver. After trying a few oral chemo regimens, I just started weekly Taxol. My oncologist/nurses at MSKCC were very helpful in educating me about dealing with side effects - the most important to me was avoiding complete hair loss and neuropathy. I thought I would add my experience here.

    MSKCC has a cooling system call PAXMAN from where I ordered the cooling cap and cover. The onco nurse helped me put it on and hooked me up to a cooling machine so I didn't have to change the cap every 20 mins. I am sure there are other cooling scalp methods that you could use instead of Paxman system, which is kind of expensive. By the way, these tips are available on 'Weekly Taxol" forum too: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics/788735?page=356#post_5382385.

    For hands and feet they provided disposable ice paks over my fingers and toes (put on a pair of disposable gloves to keep them in place). Hopefully this will help minimize nail issues and neuropathy. I will find out if these cooling methods work for me in about 6 weeks. Everyone is different. According to my onco, it works for 50% of women in her care.

    Please keep this posting bumped up and please add any tips you may find to deal with this monster disease and the treatment side effects


  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited April 2019

    S3K5 - thanks for posting your experiences and upcoming treatment. Pretty much everyone thought I was nuts at my infusion center when i insisted on icing. Since the icing is supposed to be 30 min before & 30 min after my 60 minute Taxotere treatments, I took 6 bags of frozen peas. One for my hands & one for each foot. They let me use the freezer in the employee's fridge and switched them out for me half way through the 90 minutes. For my feet, I anchored them in a portable Igloo ice chest & put one package of peas on top or the toenails of each foot. For my hands, I just held the peas & dug my nails in. Needless to say I kept a blanket between my hands and my lap.

    I neglected to ice my toenails the first time - which was of course the loading dose. The big toe nails partially detached but never came off. I didn't have any problems with my finger nails (well, related to this - since of course they were brittle & tended to split after treatment).

    As for the neuropathy, I had Taxotere AND Carboplatin - both with the potential to cause CIPN (chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy). My doc gave me a choice to stop or reduce the doses as my toes got more numb, but since I was already being treated for a recurrence and i was hormone negative & HER2+, I decided to go for broke. For awhile I couldn't do up my own pants, but now I have very little problems with my fingers. However 5 years down the road my feet are still mostly numb. Luckily there is no pain, but there is no treatment for neuropathy - only for the pain. My feet used to be solid blocks of ice. I have some feeling in some toes now, but I have to be very careful walking since I have no way to balance.

    I just let my hair go, but I used Latisse on my eyebrows & lashed. Although they thinned some, I never lost either.

    Sorry you're having to go through this again. Best of luck with your treatment.

  • Nico1012
    Nico1012 Member Posts: 1,152
    edited April 2019

    S3K5 and MinusTwo ~ Thank you so much for sharing your tips on getting through chemo. Please continue to 'bump' this thread with it's valuable information and personal experiences in getting through treatment with minimal side effects.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited April 2019

    Nico - ALWAYS!!! Even if the posts aren't every day, the information back to page one is really valuable.

  • fac03
    fac03 Member Posts: 40
    edited April 2019

    S3K5, can you let me know where/what is MSKCC? I saw it mentioned many times on this forum. I saw you are from NJ, I assume it is in NJ. Thanks

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,320
    edited April 2019

    fac - It's Memorial Sloan Kettering. If you google MSKCC you will be able to see all the locations.

  • fac03
    fac03 Member Posts: 40
    edited April 2019

    MinusTwo,

    thanks.

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