Chemo doable?

13

Comments

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243
    MAbound said:

    Being prepared

    Being prepared will help you get through chemo. Keep reading threads here for tips on getting through chemo.

    I iced my hands and feet using slippers and mittens I got on Amazon. You need to ask how long your infusion of the chemo drugs will be because you need enough pairs to get you through that plus the 20 minutes before and after the infusion starts and ends. They stay cold about 40-45 minutes each pair. I needed 4 pairs each of the mittens and slippers.

    I have a chest freezer that I kept them cold in to use between infusions for pain relief (I didn't have them until my 2nd infusion and got terrible neuropathy from the 1st infusion). I loaded them into a cooler with dry ice to keep them cold on infusion days. The dry ice made them almost unbearably cold, so I switched to recular ice which worked just fine. 

    It's a hassle to lug this stuff in with you, make changes, and manuever to a bathroom (having an IV in will make you need to pee!), so definitely try to have a helper there with you. It's worth the hassle of doing this to avoid having to live with neuropathy.

    Besides the icing equipment, take some food and drink with you. They want you to eat during infusions. I took yogurt and a PB & J sandwich. The chemo room will probably have coffee, tea, and water to drink and people often bring in cookies, muffins, or doughnuts to share. Infusion day itself is usually a rather pleasant day.

    Talk to your doctor about how he wants you to handle constipation during chemo. Chemo drugs are neurotoxic which is why neuropathy is a big concern, but they also really impact the digestive nerves so you need to have a regimen in place to minimize constipation. It's often not just drinking at least 2 qts of water/day, but taking something like Miralax preventively and eating a low fiber diet. 

    If your doctor hasn't said anything to you about supplements you are or aren't taking, talk to him/her about them. Most want you to take B12 or a B complex and to avoid antioxidents that would reduce the effectiveness of the chemo you are getting. That especially includes fish oil. Chemo drugs and radiation are designed to go after cancer cells when they are at their most active and you want to save taking anti-cancer supplements for when chemo and radiation is over.

    Your entire digestive tract is going to be sensitive to having chemo, so there is a posibility of getting mouth sores during chemo. You can prevent that by swishing with a solution of 1 tsp. baking soda in a cup of water after eating and avoiding spicey (no pepper!) or highly acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus. 

    Your taste buds will probably be off, too, and that is why many lose their appetite during chemo. One thing that many of us find tastes really good and helps with any burning sensation in our throat is watermelon. It's good to keep that on hand during chemo, but don't forget that you also really need protein to support your immune system and blood cell recovery during all of this. It's hard to eat meat, but yogurt, cheese, and protein drinks seem to be the easiest sources. 

    Nausea can sometimes be a problem, but one that most doctors have a good handle on these days with what they give us before, during, and after infusions. One thing to be aware of is that sometimes what you think may be nausea may actually be heart burn from the chemo. It's a burning pain in your upper esophagus, but it doesn't come up from your stomach like heartburn usually does. It isn't associated with food in your stomach, either. If that happens, call your chemo nurse to ask about which antacid they recommend. Pepcid AC really helped me with that.

    The steroids they have you take just before, during, and after an infusion will give both your appetite and energy a good boost, so enjoy that. The effects of chemo usually hit around the 2nd or 3rd day after so be prepared for that. It helps if you can time your infusions so that the worst of the effects occur on the weekend when there are hopefully fewer demands on you and help is around. The fatigue you get hit with will get progressively more dramatic with each infusion, so plan for that, too. Don't fight it, lots of rest and fluids is the key to getting through this just like it is for the flu. You just have to go through it six times is all!

    I think I've covered most of what you can do to be prepared, so I hope this helps. The experience is always a bit different for each of us, but you adjust as needed. 

    Mabound, u mentioned citrus

    Mabound, u mentioned citrus and tomatoes. 

    Will I be able to est pizza and spaghetti sauce?

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243
    What kind if cheese can I eat

    What kind of  cheese can I eat? My doctor says only pasteurized cheese. The only kind I'm seeing pasteurized is the prewrapped slices which I find wet and pasty.  Love swiss and sharp cheese and mozzarella.  Are they a no no ?

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member

    What kind if cheese can I eat

    What kind of  cheese can I eat? My doctor says only pasteurized cheese. The only kind I'm seeing pasteurized is the prewrapped slices which I find wet and pasty.  Love swiss and sharp cheese and mozzarella.  Are they a no no ?

    Cheese

    They want to you to eat pasturized cheese (eggs, milk, cider too) because your white cell count is impacted during chemo and radiation and you will be more susceptable to infections for a while. Ask at the deli counter if you are unsure of what is or isn't pasturized. I think you mostly have to be careful of the specialty stuff.

    Your labs get checked regularly during treatment to see how you are doing. I can't remember which regimen you'll be on, but if it's infusions every three weeks expect dips in your blood counts when you reach what's called "nadir" (low point) and then a bounce back just before the next infusion. It's normal and low red blood cells is probably why we all get so tired between infusions.

    If you don't get the bounce back, they can offer transfusions or delay the infusion. During radiation your blood counts tend to drop less dramatically but steadily and it can take up to six months aftwards for things to return to normal. It's not up and down like it is during chemo.

    Be sure to get a flu shot this fall and think twice about going to places where a lot of germs get shared and it's hard to protect yourself. I stayed away from church and my husband did the grocery shopping while I was in treatment. Also ask if you can or need to have a pneumonia or shingles shot. You can't have live vaccines and I can't remember if they are or not. 

    Handwashing is critical, including by those who live with you. It doesn't hurt to be a bit of a germaphobe while you are vulnerable. Your family really needs to be too because they don't want to bring anything home to you. Don't forget to thoroughly wash any produce you eat, too.

    You should be ok and shouldn't freak out about these caveats...it's just to get you thinking about what otherwise might not be on your radar with everything else going on. 

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243
    edited July 2019 #45
    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the

    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the deli about the cheese.  I'd  prefer deli and not the prewrapped individual slices.

    I'll get some cider as well. That's something they didn't suggest.

    They did warn me of the nadir period.  

    I will be sure every washed and then washes some more upon arrival at home. 

    I never get a flu shot but will definitely get 1 this fall.

    Hating that I'll have to stay out of the public. Being housebound is going to hard. I  work in an Elementary school and was hoping to work on my good days when possible but this sounds like it definitely wont be able to happen which is hard for me.

    My regimen will be 2 rounds of carboplatin and taxol 3 weeks apart. 5 days for 5 weeks radiation combined with 1 day chemotherapy cisplatin. Followed by 2 more rounds of carboplatin and taxol.  This seems so much for 1 body to endure.  Wondering how I will get through  it . Treatment will begin tomorrow. So nervous!

    Thanks for all of your info u have passed to me !

    Warmly,  Michelle 

  • Ribbons
    Ribbons Member Posts: 150 Member
    edited July 2019 #46

    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the

    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the deli about the cheese.  I'd  prefer deli and not the prewrapped individual slices.

    I'll get some cider as well. That's something they didn't suggest.

    They did warn me of the nadir period.  

    I will be sure every washed and then washes some more upon arrival at home. 

    I never get a flu shot but will definitely get 1 this fall.

    Hating that I'll have to stay out of the public. Being housebound is going to hard. I  work in an Elementary school and was hoping to work on my good days when possible but this sounds like it definitely wont be able to happen which is hard for me.

    My regimen will be 2 rounds of carboplatin and taxol 3 weeks apart. 5 days for 5 weeks radiation combined with 1 day chemotherapy cisplatin. Followed by 2 more rounds of carboplatin and taxol.  This seems so much for 1 body to endure.  Wondering how I will get through  it . Treatment will begin tomorrow. So nervous!

    Thanks for all of your info u have passed to me !

    Warmly,  Michelle 

    Blood counts

    Another thing, if your white blood count goes too low you might be given Neulasta, and if that happens there are a couple of side effects from that, wasn’t too bad for me. Also you can look up Healthwell Foundation. They sometimes cover the cost of Neulasta for “chemo induced neutropenia”, That’s what it is called.

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member

    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the

    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the deli about the cheese.  I'd  prefer deli and not the prewrapped individual slices.

    I'll get some cider as well. That's something they didn't suggest.

    They did warn me of the nadir period.  

    I will be sure every washed and then washes some more upon arrival at home. 

    I never get a flu shot but will definitely get 1 this fall.

    Hating that I'll have to stay out of the public. Being housebound is going to hard. I  work in an Elementary school and was hoping to work on my good days when possible but this sounds like it definitely wont be able to happen which is hard for me.

    My regimen will be 2 rounds of carboplatin and taxol 3 weeks apart. 5 days for 5 weeks radiation combined with 1 day chemotherapy cisplatin. Followed by 2 more rounds of carboplatin and taxol.  This seems so much for 1 body to endure.  Wondering how I will get through  it . Treatment will begin tomorrow. So nervous!

    Thanks for all of your info u have passed to me !

    Warmly,  Michelle 

    Worded Wrong

    Maybe I worded that 1st paragraph wrong. It's not that they necessarily want you to eat cheese, eggs, milk, and cider during chemo per se, it's that if you are one of those people into the whole drinking milk raw thing touted as healthier by some, you need to refrain from doing that during treatment and stick with using pasteurized products rather than unpasteurized. They give the same advice to pregnant women. It's the avoiding unpasteurized foods that's more important than eating those particular foods.

    If your taste buds or appetite isn't up to having cider, then don't think its something you're supposed to be having. You can really eat whatever works for you during chemo, but there are some things recommended because it makes chemo easier and/or safer for you. You were cautioned about unpasteurized cheese because of your potentially inability to fight off a food born infection when your blood counts are down. I saw it as an opportunity to make sure that you had on your radar to guard against other sources of infection by getting a flu shot, frequent handwashing, and limiting exposure to places where people still go even when they are sick.

    Many people continue to work through treatment. There is often no choice about whether or not to do so because of financial or insurance considerations. Given that you'd be working with children who are not the best at keeping their germs to themselves, I'd talk to your oncologist about it to see if there is an ideal way to do what you want to do. Short of putting yourself in a bubble, there really is no way to completely protect yourself. You just want to be aware to protect yourself to the extent that you can to lessen your odds of getting sick for a while. 

     

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243
    Ok, no worries on wording.  I

    Ok, no worries on wording.  I understand what you were saying.  You have been a huge help as I TRY to prepare for tomorrow. 

    In so grateful for u all on here. 

    Wishing u well Mabound as well as everyone on here. 

    Warmly,  Michelle

  • BluebirdOne
    BluebirdOne Member Posts: 654 Member

    Thanks Bluebird, I will

    Thanks Bluebird, I will definitely be politely persistent about icing during treatment. Do I need to ice when I get home too?

    No. Icing is only done during infusion.

    I posted an article with links that might help explain the icing and how it has worked. 

  • barnyardgal
    barnyardgal Member Posts: 272 Member

    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the

    MAbound, ok I'll ask at the deli about the cheese.  I'd  prefer deli and not the prewrapped individual slices.

    I'll get some cider as well. That's something they didn't suggest.

    They did warn me of the nadir period.  

    I will be sure every washed and then washes some more upon arrival at home. 

    I never get a flu shot but will definitely get 1 this fall.

    Hating that I'll have to stay out of the public. Being housebound is going to hard. I  work in an Elementary school and was hoping to work on my good days when possible but this sounds like it definitely wont be able to happen which is hard for me.

    My regimen will be 2 rounds of carboplatin and taxol 3 weeks apart. 5 days for 5 weeks radiation combined with 1 day chemotherapy cisplatin. Followed by 2 more rounds of carboplatin and taxol.  This seems so much for 1 body to endure.  Wondering how I will get through  it . Treatment will begin tomorrow. So nervous!

    Thanks for all of your info u have passed to me !

    Warmly,  Michelle 

    Michelle

    Michelle

    I worked part time at a public library when I was diagnosed. I kept working but brought a mask and I could put it on when someone walked in with a bad cold, etc. One day someone came in with pneumonia because she wanted movies to watch! I went to the employee workroom for that one.

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243

    Michelle

    Michelle

    I worked part time at a public library when I was diagnosed. I kept working but brought a mask and I could put it on when someone walked in with a bad cold, etc. One day someone came in with pneumonia because she wanted movies to watch! I went to the employee workroom for that one.

    Barnyardgal, that's good to

    Barnyardgal, that's good to know that u were able to work part time and were prepared with a mask. Yikes ...pneumonia and going out for movies! Good thinking heading the the breakroom. 

    A friend suggested a mask at school but I dont want to scare the kids. I guess time and how my body feels will tell. But hoping I can at least do a few days as being home all the time while my husband and son are at work is hard. I also need my racing mind to be busy. 

    Michelle

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243
    Ribbons said:

    Blood counts

    Another thing, if your white blood count goes too low you might be given Neulasta, and if that happens there are a couple of side effects from that, wasn’t too bad for me. Also you can look up Healthwell Foundation. They sometimes cover the cost of Neulasta for “chemo induced neutropenia”, That’s what it is called.

    Ok thanks Ribbons! 
    Michelle

    Ok thanks Ribbons! 

    Michelle

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member

    Mabound, u mentioned citrus

    Mabound, u mentioned citrus and tomatoes. 

    Will I be able to est pizza and spaghetti sauce?

    Acid foods

    It's really up to you if you want to try eating those foods. I was told to avoid spicey and acidic foods before I started chemo, especially pepper, cumin, tomatoes, and citrus. That seemed to wipe out so much of what I would normally eat because I like lots of pepper on things and I was worried, but it didn't matter because I really wasn't eating much besides yogurt, chicken or turkey, green beans, and watermelon anyway. My appetite went bye-bye and anything with flour in it just didn't taste right to me. Other's have a different experience and you won't really know what does or doesn't work for you until you are in the midst of it. The thing with tomatoes is that because they are a high acid food they are the most likely to cause you problems you want to avoid (like sores and painful heartburn). Swishing will help protect your mouth, but I don't think it would help with the rest of your digestive tract. 

  • TeddyandBears_Mom
    TeddyandBears_Mom Member Posts: 1,811 Member

    Ok, no worries on wording.  I

    Ok, no worries on wording.  I understand what you were saying.  You have been a huge help as I TRY to prepare for tomorrow. 

    In so grateful for u all on here. 

    Wishing u well Mabound as well as everyone on here. 

    Warmly,  Michelle

    You have this Michelle! You

    You have this Michelle! You will do great tomorrow. And, once this one is done you will feel a lot better. The unknown is way harder emotionally than once you know what to expect.

    Your best day this week will be the day after tomorrow. Just remember to listen to your body and rest as much as needed. Walk some when you can. Drink loads of water and remember to take Miralax. 

    As many others know and several remind us.... You are stronger than you think!

    Love and Hugs,

    Cindi

  • Armywife
    Armywife Member Posts: 451 Member
    Michelle!

    How are you?  I remember you started chemo a couple days ago.  Please let us know how you are feeling!  No alarm if you're starting to feel a little worse than infusion day - that's normal.  A few puny days and then you'll start to perk up again!

  • zsazsa1
    zsazsa1 Member Posts: 565 Member
    Michelle, thinking of you. 

    Michelle, thinking of you.  For me, if day 1 was infusion day, worst days were days 3-6.  And for some reason, the first round was by far the worst!  So if this round is hard, remember - a lot of people report that it gets easier after first round.  Keep drinking water to wash the chemo through your kidneys and bladder.  Take antiemetic if you need it - and don't hesitate to ask for ondansetron if you're having severe nausea.  It was a lifesaver for me.

    If I were you, I would not set foot in the school until you've recovered from chemo and radiation.  Stay home.  Wear a mask when you go out.  Avoid touching things with your bare hands outside house.  If I went out, I wore gloves and a mask.  I didn't get any cold viruses during treatment, over an entire winter.

  • LisaPizza
    LisaPizza Member Posts: 358 Member
    MAbound said:

    Cheese

    They want to you to eat pasturized cheese (eggs, milk, cider too) because your white cell count is impacted during chemo and radiation and you will be more susceptable to infections for a while. Ask at the deli counter if you are unsure of what is or isn't pasturized. I think you mostly have to be careful of the specialty stuff.

    Your labs get checked regularly during treatment to see how you are doing. I can't remember which regimen you'll be on, but if it's infusions every three weeks expect dips in your blood counts when you reach what's called "nadir" (low point) and then a bounce back just before the next infusion. It's normal and low red blood cells is probably why we all get so tired between infusions.

    If you don't get the bounce back, they can offer transfusions or delay the infusion. During radiation your blood counts tend to drop less dramatically but steadily and it can take up to six months aftwards for things to return to normal. It's not up and down like it is during chemo.

    Be sure to get a flu shot this fall and think twice about going to places where a lot of germs get shared and it's hard to protect yourself. I stayed away from church and my husband did the grocery shopping while I was in treatment. Also ask if you can or need to have a pneumonia or shingles shot. You can't have live vaccines and I can't remember if they are or not. 

    Handwashing is critical, including by those who live with you. It doesn't hurt to be a bit of a germaphobe while you are vulnerable. Your family really needs to be too because they don't want to bring anything home to you. Don't forget to thoroughly wash any produce you eat, too.

    You should be ok and shouldn't freak out about these caveats...it's just to get you thinking about what otherwise might not be on your radar with everything else going on. 

    The pneumonia vaccine is ok,

    The pneumonia vaccine is ok, I had that during treatment.  It's not entirely ideal,  however,  because your immune system doesn't respond as well to vaccines when it's suppressed.  But it doesn't hurt you, just doesn't help as much as it could.

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243
    janaes said:

    I remember it was a day at a

    I remember it was a day at a time ting with my wig too. I put it on one day and showed my kids. Eventually i was wiiing to walk to the mail box. Then drive in the car. Ya see no one would say anything durig those times. I was sure the neighbors werent going to come out. Eventually i was able to go in public.i Remember you have time with this. It took a little less than 3 weeks for mine to start falling out. Be good to yourself. Take your time. It will work for you.

    Hair started falling slowly

    Hair started falling slowly out earlier this week . Week 2 after 1st treatment. Now today falling out in handfuls  :-(

    I know I  need to just cut it but I can't.  

    I think I probably should do as u did and wear my wig around the house this weekend to get use to while my son is gone for most of the weekend. I almost wore it to training at my job so they all thought my hair grew since I was there last in June and so when I finally can go back to work after treatment I'd look like I did today had I worn it.

    So hard! 

     

  • Armywife
    Armywife Member Posts: 451 Member

    Hair started falling slowly

    Hair started falling slowly out earlier this week . Week 2 after 1st treatment. Now today falling out in handfuls  :-(

    I know I  need to just cut it but I can't.  

    I think I probably should do as u did and wear my wig around the house this weekend to get use to while my son is gone for most of the weekend. I almost wore it to training at my job so they all thought my hair grew since I was there last in June and so when I finally can go back to work after treatment I'd look like I did today had I worn it.

    So hard! 

     

    I remember

    Hang in there.  I remember that day vividly.  I went in the bathroom with the scissors, and put on some praise music, and I just. couldn't. do it.  I had vowed that I wouldn't let my husband see me without hair (totally unrealistic goal), and when he came home from work for lunch I was still in there.  He came in, took the scissors and clippers, and gave me a buzz cut.  Then he kissed the top of my head and said I looked cute.  I believe it was the sweetest moment of our marriage, and I'll remember it forever.  Then my dear friend Jenn came over with a bottle of wine and said, "This will not be known forever as the day Wendy lost her hair - this will be known as the day we drank in the middle of the afternoon."  (Neither of us drinks more than about a glass of wine a year.)  So we day-drank a toast to the chemo working its magic, and things got a lot easier after that.  I wore the wig through the Texas summer and nearly into the next Texas summer.  So thankful that God has allowed me time for it all to grow back in!

  • Feelingalone74
    Feelingalone74 Member Posts: 243
    Armywife said:

    I remember

    Hang in there.  I remember that day vividly.  I went in the bathroom with the scissors, and put on some praise music, and I just. couldn't. do it.  I had vowed that I wouldn't let my husband see me without hair (totally unrealistic goal), and when he came home from work for lunch I was still in there.  He came in, took the scissors and clippers, and gave me a buzz cut.  Then he kissed the top of my head and said I looked cute.  I believe it was the sweetest moment of our marriage, and I'll remember it forever.  Then my dear friend Jenn came over with a bottle of wine and said, "This will not be known forever as the day Wendy lost her hair - this will be known as the day we drank in the middle of the afternoon."  (Neither of us drinks more than about a glass of wine a year.)  So we day-drank a toast to the chemo working its magic, and things got a lot easier after that.  I wore the wig through the Texas summer and nearly into the next Texas summer.  So thankful that God has allowed me time for it all to grow back in!

    What a great friend u have

    What a great friend u have Armywife and a  very sweet husband! 

    My hair has been shedding all week. At least it has  been slow process. However,  my long hair is in a matted tat nest today. I just want to go into the bathroom a d start cutting it off as I know there's nothing I can do with but say it's  time.an acquaintance has a hair salon at her house. She's going to cut it this afternoon. I'm extremely sad about this ! 

    It's hot here where I live in will be even hotter next week but my wig will be on my head no matter what. I'm so hoping my son thinks I look like his mom still.

    I pray I can be strong ! 

  • Fridays Child
    Fridays Child Member Posts: 277 Member

    What a great friend u have

    What a great friend u have Armywife and a  very sweet husband! 

    My hair has been shedding all week. At least it has  been slow process. However,  my long hair is in a matted tat nest today. I just want to go into the bathroom a d start cutting it off as I know there's nothing I can do with but say it's  time.an acquaintance has a hair salon at her house. She's going to cut it this afternoon. I'm extremely sad about this ! 

    It's hot here where I live in will be even hotter next week but my wig will be on my head no matter what. I'm so hoping my son thinks I look like his mom still.

    I pray I can be strong ! 

    You will be strong!

    My hair had been thinning while I was on low dose chemo so I knew when I went to the full dose it would be time.  It was springtime and I was outside running my fingers through my hair and just letting it fly, figuring the birds could use it in their nests.  I took the scissors to it and cut a bunch of it off, and then my husband cut the rest real short with the clippers.  At some point during the summer (and no, I didn't always wear something on my head in the house) he looked at me and said, "You sure do have a pretty head!" I really appreciated that!  My son usually keeps his real short in the summer and I think every time he came over he had just buzzed it about as short as it would go.

    We all choose our way to handle the hair loss and you will find what works for you.  My eyelashes and eyebrows were the last to go - maybe after the fifth full dose treatment - and I thought it was weirder to have no eyelashes than no hair, but they started coming back fairly soon.  I tried drawing on my eyebrows but the weather was hot and they would just melt away so I gave up.  Good luck!