What to Expect When You are Expecting...Port Surgery and Chemo?

LoveBabyJesus said:

You will do well
For me AC was harder than taxol. But it's all doable. You just need to follow the instructions from your Dr. and any advice from your pink sisters, to help minimize side effects.

AC - The things that helped were the following:

-Bring books to read. It takes a while waiting and going through the infusion.

- Eat small portions of foods, more frequent. I had about 6 meals a day, but ate very little (lost 30 pounds that way).

- Drink, drink , drink! I had about 8 bottles of water everyday. you must drink a lot to wash out those chemicals and keep your digestive system working well.

- I supposed you will get those anti nausea pills. Chemo sometimes make you constipated. And those anti nausea pills too! I didn't go for like 9 days and almost ended up at the hospital. It is very important you don't eat carbs during the chemo treatments - unless you get metal taste, and they fall under those limited meals you can eat, then go ahead - but ask your Dr. for stool softeners. Take them as prescribed, even if you go. It was recommended I started taking mine two days prior to chemo. And this improved. I had bleeding for weeks due to constipation, and this was NOT FUN. So please keep hydrated and eat well, in small portions. This too helps with your stomach.

- When you are given the red devil, chew on ice. Chew non-stop as this prevent mouth sores. I didn't get one due to this exercise.

- I also experienced bad headaches at the end of AC that lasted 30 mins. I suggest you take Tylenol strength 2 hrs prior. but consult your Dr. first.

- If you lose taste, use these ingredients in food that will help: lemon, sea salt, honey, olive oil and maple syrup. I bought this book that was written for chemo patints going through bc: http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Nourishing-Big-Flavor-Treatment/dp/1587613441/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327169870&sr=1-2-spell
(highly recommended)

-- you need your red blood count! So keep eating those foods rich in iron such as beans, beats, green (spinach, red pepper, etc.). Here is a great book that tells you what juices to make and what they are good for in terms of your energy, blood and immune system: http://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Juices-Natural-Vitality/dp/1844839737/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327169766&sr=1-1

-- Sleep! When your body is restless, SLEEP! Take naps. Its very important for your body to rest during recovery.

-- Do not eat anything raw! Wash your fruits well, with soap. Avoid being around sick people. Wear shoes at all time, or socks. Nails are sensitive sometimes. Plus you can get bacteria through nails.

This is all for now. As you experience side effects, please let us know. And we will be happy to help you.

In reference to the port, I don't know. I took all the chemo on one arm. Didn't want surgery. I have no regrets. It went well. Thank God. But many people feel getting a port is better. There will be others advising you on what to do for that.

GOOD LUCK sister!

Hugs

Phoenix chick said:

Lucky you!
I am so glad that you are going to have a port.
I did not get one put in until a few months later and my veins got blocked! it took months of daily Clexane injections to clear most of teh blockages and it was so painful at the time.
My neck was very sore for a few days after insertion, but it passed.
I had my infusion on a recliner lounge. Open plan style.
I like the company of other women. I did not like having my husband with me as he was easily bored. people are more likely to chat to someone on their own.

I was told to avoiding my favourite foods as you can get an aversion to the food you eat when you are having chemo. I went 'off' bread, cheddar cheese, crackers.. as this is was what served to us in hospital as a snack.
I avoided having a coffee or a hot chocolate ( as I did not want chemo to ruin may favourite drinks).

You will get VERY constipated from all the anti nausea drugs. I took 2 Coloxl every day for nearly the entire time of my chemo. I also ate lots of bran on my breakfast cereal. It worked well.
Food tastes quite weird. I can understand why people lose weight.
I liked to eat soft foods that did not scratch my mouth or cause ulcers. I nice thick soup was easy to get past my mouth.
I did not like spicy foods either. Sometimes I did not like sugary foods.. it is like being pregnant when you love or hate some foods.
You will have 'good days' after about Day 6 or 7. Life will be good ... you will have energy. You may even feel well enough for work ( as I did).

Book into "Look good Feel better Classes". You will have great time learning to play with scarves, makeup etc.

Cut you hair very short before chemo. After the second round of A/C my scalp started to 'tingle' and I began to lose all my body hair, nose hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. My sister in law eventually shaved my scalp. It looked much better then.. and hair stopped clogging the bathroom drain hole.

Learn fun ways to tie scarves on YouTube. I bought some great scarves that made me feel very stylish. On 'bad days' it was very important for me to at least feel well groomed. I never bothered about a wig. I had a nice soft scull cap hat to sleep in because my head got really cold at night in winter.

Drink lots of fluids. Have a jug next to your favourite chair. Fill it full so you can keep a track of how much you are actually drinking. At least 2 litres per day. I really got sick of drinking plain water. Instead I drank weak ginger cordial, weak lime juice cordial, peppermint tea, green tea, chamomile tea. I went off all alcoholic drinks... my body decided it detested alcohol!

Avoid crowded places when you have low immunity. Stay away from shopping centres and people who are sick. Kids with runny noses should be avoided. You can catch infections easily. Tell your friends to stay away if they are sick. Go to hospital if you a high temp!!!


I thinks thats all from me.. i could rave for ages... but you will get through it if you follow the helpful hints provided by your BC sisters. You can do it. The time will pass quickly enough.

madsters1 said:

what to expect
Hey Jobi,
I just finished my last chemo out of four and will have my port removed next Monday! YAY! I had no major problems with it. It is just positioned a little "off" so it is often tender. I am always aware that it's there.
For the placement, they will most likely put you under what's called concious sedation. That meaning you can move your arm etc if they ask you to during the surgery, but you don't feel anything and don't remember anything. I personally hated that because I felt so out of control. I'd rather be completely under general anesthesia, but that's just me.It's an out patient thing and really not a big deal.
Chemo was actually not too bad for me either. Sounds like you're having a stronger drug than I had. Mine was Cytoxan and Taxotere. The Neulasta shot they give the day after to produce white blood cells was the worst for me. It made me have terrible bone pain. But the good news is that I figured out that if you take Claritain, which the docs advise,BEFORE you get the shot, it really helps.
The worst part of all of this is definately the hair loss. I'm of course still in a scarf and ball cap. My expensive wig never fit my head right because the back of my head is flat. Felt like it was coming off all the time...nightmare in church!! Actually it does slide up my head. So I live in a selection of scarves and ball caps. They can look semi cute. I guess as cute as you can be without hair. I am literally counting down the days til I start growing hair again. By June I'll have three inches of hair or maybe a little more. I told my friends and family I'm having a "big hair" party! Just like the big hair bands of the 80"s!! GOTTA make the best of it or else it can really get ya down. Some days it manages to do that anyway, but my God is good to me and helps me to lift up my head (hair or not) and take the next step. I hope you look to Him to help you to do the same Jobi.