2nd Week after 1st chemo !

Good Morning Everyone !

I first want to apologize for not being here with all you beautiful strong people for almost a week now. ((((hugs))), I am into my 2nd week after my 1st chemo and its has NOT been a picnic. I mean it hasn't been real bad but its like I never know from one minute to the next what I am going to feel like. I've gone from feeling great to, lower back pain (gas) that went around to my belly and my stomach was like I had jumping beans in it, I could literally see my stomach juming up and down and all around ! Then I would get sick to my stomach, a headache, muscle aches etc...ya know the NORM ! The past couple days I have experienced the neuropathy, now thats a weird side effect to be honest. Geesh ! Seems like right after I got that Neulasta shot all this mumbo jumbo started. I'm dealing with it just fine, the best I can. I've spent a overnight or two with my children just so I wasn't sitting here home alone for those 10-12 hours till my love came home from work, so that has occupied me a bit. Ohhhh, here is a funny one, about 4 days ago I woke up with this raised rash kinda thing, its these lines, and they form a box. I'm serious, one on my right side above my hip and one on my left side above that hip and one on my back. Started itching a bit so I called the doc, took benedryl, they are still there but no more have appeared and they dont irritate me now. Taste buds? Forget it, they are out of whack for sure. I'm not liking that part because I love to cook and bake daily and it's just not tasting like it should but I surely cant play tricks on my brain to tell me it still tastes the same because it DON"T ! (

Well, I've vented enough and I thank you for reading . I feel better now and today I feel pretty good, I can actually type without my fingers hurting or feeling funny which avoided me on my laptop for days to be able to type as much as I have this morning. I do have a couple questions that maybe some of you could give me your input on !

1) Keeping hydrated, what sort of drinks do you find tolerating that doesn't taste horrible besides water ?

2) Dry patches, what kind of lotion, moisturizer works for you ? 

Lisa