Anyone remember their progression through the eight drawer chest

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ratface
ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Soon after diagnosis the organizer in me kicked in. I promptly went straight to a manly big box store and purchased two plastic four drawer chests. Stacked one upon another, I could not see into the top two drawers. (I'm short) Into the drawers went everything connected to treatment. Syringes, plastic gloves, bandages, oral products and lotions, toothpaste and tooth brushes, tube cleaning supplies, ace bandages, sterile wipes, anti bacterial ointment, hurricane spray,every associated medicine for nausea, and every other chemo and radiation, and neck dissection must have. It has sat in the living room for two years now near the entry door. My wife hasn't said a word.

I'm 2 yrs post and my next scan is in November and damn tired of waiting for the other shoe to fall. So today I packed it all up and gave away 4 cases of Jevity. Just wondering if others have progressed through their own versions of the eight drawer chest and what it was for you?

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  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    #2
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    Not Enough
    Wow you were organized. amazing the difference now vs 15 years ago. they did not have enough help products to organize. feeding tube was not option, so syringes, plastic bags, bandages, tube cleaning supplies, sterile wipes were not needed. teeth requirements were not a focus, they just did not talk about the damage. No lotions were offered. No pain meds were offered. Don't know what hurricane spray is. Only med was Zolfram in a small bottle at 30 dollars a piece so did not take up alot of space. I only recall two items I needed, bioteen mouth wash and Zolfram.
    I am so happy for those fighting the fight now because they have so much help and knowledge that helps huge.

    John
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #3
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    I got rid of my stuff
    I got rid of my stuff quick..hated looking at it.
    donated what I could to clinics or friends etc, whoever would take it away.

    I think I have a partial tube of biafine, that is heading out the door to a friend very soon..
    Stacey
  • miccmill
    miccmill Member Posts: 248
    #4
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    staceya said:

    I got rid of my stuff
    I got rid of my stuff quick..hated looking at it.
    donated what I could to clinics or friends etc, whoever would take it away.

    I think I have a partial tube of biafine, that is heading out the door to a friend very soon..
    Stacey

    Interesting question
    When Glenn began treatment, I turned the dining room into the "med" room. I put out a case of Glucerna, a case of Gatorade, Silvadene and dressings, syringes, pill grinder, tube feeding supplies.........the list goes on. It was really for me. I needed the extreme structure to help me deal with the extreme craziness of the trip we were on. It helped.

    We had a Thanksgiving dinner in the dining room which was 4 months after treatment ended and by 7 months, I cleaned up every last vestage of treatment because the switch seemed to flip on for eating and we just didn't need that stuff anymore.

    The IV pole is out on the front porch with a couple jackets hanging on it.

    Lisa
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #5
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    miccmill said:

    Interesting question
    When Glenn began treatment, I turned the dining room into the "med" room. I put out a case of Glucerna, a case of Gatorade, Silvadene and dressings, syringes, pill grinder, tube feeding supplies.........the list goes on. It was really for me. I needed the extreme structure to help me deal with the extreme craziness of the trip we were on. It helped.

    We had a Thanksgiving dinner in the dining room which was 4 months after treatment ended and by 7 months, I cleaned up every last vestage of treatment because the switch seemed to flip on for eating and we just didn't need that stuff anymore.

    The IV pole is out on the front porch with a couple jackets hanging on it.

    Lisa

    I love the idea of the coat
    I love the idea of the coat IV pole!
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #6
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    I resemble these remarks.
    I kept the flats of Jevity and the feeding supplies in cases tucked under the desk in the kitchen. All the medicines and medical supplies - PEG flushing syringes, fluoride trays and tooth supplies, prescription meds, mouthwashes, lidocaine rinses, aquaphor and biafine in a giant bin in the master bathroom. ALL the anti-cancer books were permanently on my coffee table. The day the PEG came out, I carried all my feeding supplies and the anti-cancer books (which I had memorized) over to my cancer center to share with someone needy. I've still got the fluoride trays and tooth supplies, and still use the aquaphore and bafine. I threw out the medicines. The idea that I might need some of this stuff again in future did briefly cross my mind, but I dismissed it. It made me feel healthier to have it gone.

    Deb
  • waywest
    waywest Member Posts: 44
    #7
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    Destroy the evidence!
    Hah, We also turned our dining room into Cancer Central but 2 months postX, my husband had the PEG yarded out. We then donated all the remaining Boost, Ensure & Resource 2.o to the clinic (lived to regret that one)along with a large assortment of unused syringes, bags etc. We then poured out 1/2 litre of liquid morphine down the toilet- (made for some very mellow sewer rats I think). Now he has no alternative but to get clean PET scans from here on in or we will take a huge financial hit, but, you know,neither of us wanted any lasting reminders of those months of hell (just purgatory now). If the other shoe ever falls well, we just don't think of it today. As Scarlett O'Hara was fond of saying"I'll think about it tomorrow".
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #8
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    Staples and Walmart
    I bought a few of the sterlite organization items - a six drawer, a four, a big one, and a few smaller ones. I filled them ALL. Some months after treatment, I donated some stuff, gave some away, and had some more stuff I wanted to donate "when I get my act together and take it into the center". Well . . . a couple months ago, I had put some stuff out in the back yard - going through stuff and deciding what went where - mostly to VietNam Vets or the Lupus Foundation (I forget who was picking up that week - I love it - they come to you to collect) anyhoo - I had a big sack of stuff to go to the cancer center that I had left in the yard; I had to mow the lawn, because we were expecting rain. I saw the bag, went past it on the riding mower and continued blissfully on. The second pass, I was intrigued by something I thought I saw in the yard, and, you guessed it, passed too close to the bag on the mower. I heard a smallish exploding sound and some thumps. It was magnificent - my mower projectile vomited plastic bag, syringes, LOTS of gauze, tape, a couple bandanas, elastic wrap and some other stuff. I was at once both horrified and filled with a strange type of joy. Don't get me wrong - I wish I'd gotten the med supplies in that bag to someone who could use them. But seeing all that stuff shredded was cool.
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #9
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    Pam M said:

    Staples and Walmart
    I bought a few of the sterlite organization items - a six drawer, a four, a big one, and a few smaller ones. I filled them ALL. Some months after treatment, I donated some stuff, gave some away, and had some more stuff I wanted to donate "when I get my act together and take it into the center". Well . . . a couple months ago, I had put some stuff out in the back yard - going through stuff and deciding what went where - mostly to VietNam Vets or the Lupus Foundation (I forget who was picking up that week - I love it - they come to you to collect) anyhoo - I had a big sack of stuff to go to the cancer center that I had left in the yard; I had to mow the lawn, because we were expecting rain. I saw the bag, went past it on the riding mower and continued blissfully on. The second pass, I was intrigued by something I thought I saw in the yard, and, you guessed it, passed too close to the bag on the mower. I heard a smallish exploding sound and some thumps. It was magnificent - my mower projectile vomited plastic bag, syringes, LOTS of gauze, tape, a couple bandanas, elastic wrap and some other stuff. I was at once both horrified and filled with a strange type of joy. Don't get me wrong - I wish I'd gotten the med supplies in that bag to someone who could use them. But seeing all that stuff shredded was cool.

    Love this description...
    Wish I'd seen this one!

    Deb
  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    #10
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    8 drawer chest
    Buzz finished treatment January 10, 2011. I donated all the tube feeding formula and the resource fruit drink. I sold the 9 boxes of Scandishake on e-bay. We still have some of the meds. Glad I saved the Lovenox shots. Buzz had to go back on them for a few days. I still have lots of oral care supplies if anyone is interested. I have mouth sponges, g-tube holders (Buzz did not like them), mouth spray, and lots of tubes of lip balm by toothette. Will be glad to send them to anyone who is interested. Karen
  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    #11
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    Truly inspitational
    BUT, I am a pack rat. I didn't have a tube or chemo so maybe I didn't have as much 'stuff.' I kept the meds (and glad that I did). Reduce, Reuse, Recycle--I was going to decorate the mask, glad I didn't--need to use it again. As soon as I got home from the neck dissection my friend thrush showed up, I had the med to use immediately. Maybe after this go around I should get rid of leftovers (not the Aquaphor).
  • wifeforlife
    wifeforlife Member Posts: 189
    #12
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    KTeacher said:

    Truly inspitational
    BUT, I am a pack rat. I didn't have a tube or chemo so maybe I didn't have as much 'stuff.' I kept the meds (and glad that I did). Reduce, Reuse, Recycle--I was going to decorate the mask, glad I didn't--need to use it again. As soon as I got home from the neck dissection my friend thrush showed up, I had the med to use immediately. Maybe after this go around I should get rid of leftovers (not the Aquaphor).

    I'd like to say I gave it all away.
    I gave all but two cases of the feeding tube food to the hospital. I gave all the syringes and such to them as well... but I kept two cases and store them at my office (I don't like to admit why) I tucked some pain meds and anti nausia meds in a basket under the bed. We are still using the tape on his neck for lymphdema.. and he is still using dental stuff including trays, also sleeping pills... I bought a pretty box for his bedside. Maybe that should be my personal goal .. at the 2 yr mark I get rid of it all!
    Wife
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #13
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    wifeforlife said:

    I'd like to say I gave it all away.
    I gave all but two cases of the feeding tube food to the hospital. I gave all the syringes and such to them as well... but I kept two cases and store them at my office (I don't like to admit why) I tucked some pain meds and anti nausia meds in a basket under the bed. We are still using the tape on his neck for lymphdema.. and he is still using dental stuff including trays, also sleeping pills... I bought a pretty box for his bedside. Maybe that should be my personal goal .. at the 2 yr mark I get rid of it all!
    Wife

    Hi Ratface
    If you can’t give it away, get a shovel dig a hole and get rid of it, out of sight out of mind.

    All the best comming your way
    Hondo
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #14
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    fisrpotpe said:

    Not Enough
    Wow you were organized. amazing the difference now vs 15 years ago. they did not have enough help products to organize. feeding tube was not option, so syringes, plastic bags, bandages, tube cleaning supplies, sterile wipes were not needed. teeth requirements were not a focus, they just did not talk about the damage. No lotions were offered. No pain meds were offered. Don't know what hurricane spray is. Only med was Zolfram in a small bottle at 30 dollars a piece so did not take up alot of space. I only recall two items I needed, bioteen mouth wash and Zolfram.
    I am so happy for those fighting the fight now because they have so much help and knowledge that helps huge.

    John

    agree 15 years
    I am amazed at how far they have progressed. I too had a small tube of burn cream, some anti-puke pills and I think that was all. We sound like those folks in my youth "well in my day we had to walk bare foot to school, up hill both ways." I must say that now that I have encountered the after affects I am thankful for the advances.
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #15
    Options
    "I believe I just got the Goodbye look"
    I am not nearly as organized as you are RF. I had a couple of those white bags from the hospital normally used to bring your clothes home in, and piled whatever supplies I had, mostly, into those, the gauze, the extra peg tube equipment, the ointments, the bandages, the usual suspects, and kept the bags in the computer room. The meds I kept in the kitchen, most of them in a large wicker basket next to the sink but with the bottled meds on top of the fridge to avoid breakage.

    The Jevity was also stacked up in the computer room and by the time I quit using it, I had more than 10 cases, 24 cans to a case of this precious liquid unused and taking up space.

    Among my missions in life following the surgery and treatment for head/neck cancer was to get rid of doctors, to get rid of meds, and to get rid of 'equipment' as I thought of it.

    The subsequent lung cancer diagnosis slowed that progress down, even adding doctors and meds and equipment for awhile.

    Eventually I began to lose doctors and meds, the fentanyl patches, the lesser pain meds, then the nausea meds, the ointments, the wound care stuff, until I was able, finally, to lose the wicker backet AND the white bags of 'equipment'. (I suppose apparatus is a better word?) Along the way I was also losing doctors until, now, I am down to my GP, who I am resigned to retaining, and OncoMan, having finally got the Goodbye look from ENT Man a couple of months ago.

    Along the way, I tried to get rid of the Jevity but could find no one to take it. Some in here had some great suggestions, such as the SPCA, but they were not takers. I called a homeless shelter. No go. Of course, I called the local ACS office first: not interested. Finally, I called PETA, whose HQ is in this area. They were happy to take it,

    There is a sense of freedom, like removing a backpack after a long hike, at least a sense of unburdening.

    Take care,

    Joe

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