Fighting Cancer Essentials

Here's my list

Stay hydrated.
Write down questions and concerns before each appointment to ensure nothing is forgotten. Bring a support person to appointments if possible to help remember what was said—they can even take notes. You can be as prepared as possible and still miss things. I found myself dwelling on one statement while the doctor had already moved on to the next subject.
Take notes and ask if you can record the conversation. Our physician assistant was kind enough to print out records of discussions, and they were a godsend since neither my wife nor I could remember much after appointments.
I did find it amusing that the doctor’s notes said, "I explained in clear, easy-to-understand English." Yeah right... turns out etymology classes actually paid off!
Stay hydrated.
Get both anti-diarrhea medication and laxatives. There’s nothing worse than needing to wait for someone to get them for you. Diarrhea is more common, but constipation happens often too—and sometimes both occur at the same time.
Ask your care team about probiotics or gut-friendly foods to help manage gastrointestinal issues caused by treatment.
Stay hydrated.
Use a gentle toothpaste like Closys. Chemotherapy can cause mouth sores, making it painful to brush. Consider Oral-B Mouth Sore Rinse or something similar, along with a soft toothbrush.
Stock up like it’s COVID all over again. Have bleach surface wipes, hand sanitizer, and face masks on hand. The leading cause of death in cancer patients isn’t cancer—it’s upper respiratory infections. Even a simple cold can become pneumonia and turn deadly. Use paper towels instead of dish towels to reduce infection risk.
Avoid crowds and mask up when going out. Talk to your doctors about vaccinations early in the process.
Try to stay mobile. Get up and walk, even if you're in the ICU. I walked the ward every hour when I was hospitalized.
That said, learn to pace yourself and listen to your body. On good days, avoid overexertion so you can maintain your energy for longer.
Get your rest. If you have trouble sleeping, ask your care team for help. I eventually asked for Xanax, which helped.
You'll notice the first question asked at every appointment is, "Any falls?" Cancer treatment can cause dizziness or muscle weakness. Ensure your living space is clear of trip hazards and consider installing grab bars if necessary.
Stay hydrated.
A rash can develop during treatment. Cortizone-10 or hydrocortisone cream may help. Oatmeal soap can soothe itching—I use Yardley.
For dry skin, I switch to Cetaphil bar soap and use cortisone cream, vitamin D cream, and Aquaphor ointment (though it’s messy). ChapStick can also be a lifesaver.
O'Keeffe's Working Hands is sometimes included by specialty pharmacies for patients on TKIs. It works wonders for the eczema on my hands.
Treatment can also cause dry eyes. Artificial tears or preservative-free eye drops can provide relief.
Stay hydrated.
If you’re on Alimta (pemetrexed), remember that it’s a folate inhibitor. Start folic acid five days before treatment and continue daily during treatment and for 21 days after treatment ends.
You should also get a B12 shot the week before treatment and then at least every nine weeks. It should be injected into fat, not muscle. Since you can’t overdose on B12, every three weeks is fine if needed.
Carboplatin and cisplatin can affect your sense of taste. Plastic utensils can help with the metallic taste. I used chopsticks and plastic soup spoons.
Stay hydrated.
Eating can be difficult during treatment. Try eating very small meals throughout the day. Don’t feel pressured to eat the same meals as others. Protein drinks can help. I kept small bags of trail mix and crackers around to nibble on throughout the day.
My favorite soup during chemo was Wolfgang Puck’s vegetable soup. They don’t make it anymore, but it was perfect for me.
Getting calories in is crucial. Your body needs fuel to fight cancer. Eating healthy is great, but eating something—anything—is better than eating nothing. At one point, my oncologist told me, "If you want to live, you need to put on some weight."
Avoid your favorite foods during chemo. You might develop a negative association with them if they taste bad. Chemo is temporary, but that association can linger.
Avoid uncooked foods and unwashed fruits and vegetables. It may seem extreme, but around 400 immunocompromised people die from foodborne illnesses each year. You don’t want to risk something like salmonella from a cantaloupe. Remember, chemotherapy is temporary.
Stay hydrated.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is common. In some cases, like mine, it can become permanent. Cold therapy has shown some benefit. Many cancer centers offer it. You can also buy cold gloves and socks online and bring multiple pairs to treatment in a cooler.
Cold caps to prevent hair loss are available, but I personally wouldn’t use them with lung cancer. Lung cancer often spreads to the brain. Cold therapy works by constricting blood vessels, reducing chemo exposure in certain areas. I want as much chemo in my brain as possible. Hair loss, like chemo, is almost always temporary.
Stay hydrated.
Besides fatigue, nausea is one of the most common side effects. Take prescribed anti-nausea medications as directed before you feel nauseous. Once it sets in, it can be much harder to control—like seasickness.
Ginger tea is a great natural remedy for nausea. It’s easy to make: slice about half an inch of peeled ginger super thin and steep it in hot water until it turns amber. Ginger can get spicier the longer it steeps, but it won’t turn bitter like other teas. Add honey, sugar, lemon, or peppermint to taste. It works wonders for me... plus, ginger may help with cancer treatments.
Ginger hard candies can also help by stimulating saliva production, which is useful after radiation treatment.
I also added mint to my green tea to help with nausea.
Stay hydrated.
If you haven’t noticed, I believe staying hydrated is key to fighting cancer and maintaining health in general. Cancer treatments can lead to dehydration through vomiting, diarrhea, and even increased respiration. Dehydration is a feedback loop—it makes everything worse.
Your body needs water to flush out toxins and waste, mostly through your kidneys and liver. Don’t be fooled by products claiming to "detox" your body. That’s just modern snake oil. Water is cheap and effective.
However, excessive water intake can lead to electrolyte imbalances, so you may need replacements. I use packets that dissolve in water bottles. Sports drinks work too; I personally like BodyArmor for variety.
Don’t fall for miracle cures or diet adjustments claiming to cure cancer. Eliminating sugar won’t starve cancer. Your body is a glucose-making machine. As long as your brain has glucose, so will your cancer cells. Your organs will fail long before you can starve cancer of sugar. Eliminate sugar for general health, but not in hopes of curing cancer.
I ate a small Halloween bag of gummy bears every day for the calories.
Stay hydrated.
Keep a daily journal to track symptoms, medications, and side effects. This can help your care team make better treatment decisions and help you spot patterns. Treatment cycles often come with recurring side effects. Report all side effects to your care team, no matter how minor they seem.