TUESDAY TIPS - Side Effects of Chemo... Some Tips

The other day, I was in the oncology office for my 6 month check up, and I picked up a magazine called Caring4Cancer.  It is FULL of very useful information.  Thought I'd share a bit of what I learned about managing side effects during cancer.  "Chemotherapy is a treatment that kills cancer cells located anywhere in the body.  It works by killing rapidly dividing cancer cells.  It also kills other rapidly growing cells, such as those in hair follicles, and the lining of the mouth, stomach, and intestine."  I know that I had many of the side effects that are listed in this article - hot flashes, mouth sores, depression, diarrhea, etc.  Here is some information on just a few side effects you may be experiencing...

Hair Loss: (mine fell out on exactly the day the nurses said it would - day 17.  I was a little surprised.  That seemed so random.)
1.  Cut your hair short before you start treatment.  It may help you manage the loss a bit better.  I didn't do this, and the shock of going from having a full head of longer hair, to pulling out clumps, and then finally shaving the whole thing - all in one day - was a little traumatic for me.
2.  Shop for a wig before your hair is gone.  I did this, and I also purchased several hats, turbans, and scarves.  I'm so glad that I did.  I had something to put on my head immediately.  It helped that I didn't have to go out in public with only a bare head.

Fatigue:  this is a very common complaint.  I was tired all of the time.  That made it difficult to deal with things like housework, driving, and taking care of my family.
1.  Exercise daily.  This might be surprising to you - exercising when you are tired.  But, it actually helps you feel less tired.  "...exercise increases your ability to expend energy and actually helps you be more active while feeling less tired."
2.  If you can't fall asleep at night, try relaxation techniques before bedtime.  "Take a hot bath, listen to music, meditate, pray, use guided imagery."

Nausea & Vomiting:  I was sick for about a week after each treatment, and I found myself on the bathroom floor numerous times, but I only threw up once during my 5 months of chemo.  I was lucky.  But, I know from experience how hard it is to feel sick to your stomach all the time.
1.  Eat small meals - frequently and slowly.
2.  Let other people cook for you.
3.  Drink lots of water (8 8-oz glasses per day)
4.  One of the things I was told, was to eat a small, light meal before your chemo treatment.  Nothing heavy - like fried foods, or spicy foods.

Diarrhea:  I hated this side effect.  The chemo made the diarrhea feel like "fire water" - a name my mother gave it.  It hurt like crazy.  Something that really helped me with this - my friends brought me a small squeeze bottle (the kind you get at the hospital, after you've had an episiotomy - after having a baby).  I used that to spray warm water in that area when I went to the bathroom. (Sorry... that's a bit graphic, but lots of things about having cancer are graphic.)
1.  Drink lots of fluids
2.  Eat low-fiber food like white bread, rice, eggs, potatoes, chicken, etc.  High fiber foods can make the diarrhea worse.
3.  Eat food that is high in potassium, like bananas and potatoes, and drink Gatorade or Pedialyte.

I've only addressed a few side effects.  If you are experiencing any others not listed here, and would like some information, please contact me at nafari01@gmail.com.  I'd be happy to help you. And please remember to talk to your doctor and medical team about any side effects.  They need to know how the medicine is affecting you, so they can adjust things to help.

-Kara

TUESDAY TIDINGS - Article: The New Front in Breast Cancer - After Treatment Ends

My husband shared the following article with me today. It's from the Wall Street Journal. I thought it was very informative...

The New Front in Breast Cancer: After Treatment Ends

The article talks about the the long-term affects of chemo, radiation, mastectomy, and hormone treatments that breast cancer survivors face.

A breast cancer survivor, Carie Capossela, says: "The second-hardest phase—after the initial diagnosis—is the minute your treatment ends." I agree with Carie. I know that as I sat in that final appointment with my oncologist, I was dismayed to hear him say that the only thing he would be doing to follow up on my cancer was checkups, where blood tests are run, and a physical is performed. These check ups would be every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for the second year, and then yearly for the rest of my life. No other tests would run, unless I showed symptoms or signs that worried my oncologist. This just didn't seem good enough!

The article also mentions that there is little data about the long term problems that survivors have - heart problems, nerve damage, osteoporosis and secondary cancers. There was a survey done that showed that... "Nearly 90% of respondents said they had at least one physical, psychological or social problem that was moderate to severe. Mentioned most frequently were fatigue, sexual dysfunction and sleep issues. What's more, 24% of those surveyed reported being depressed—about twice the national rate."

The article went on to talk about a fascinating idea - a "survivorship care plan". This plan would "summarize what past tests and treatments [survivors] had, what side effects to expect, what lifestyle changes to make and where to obtain follow-up care. When asked, 96% of survivors said they would want one."

There is much more to this article. I hope you'll take the time to click on the link above and read it. It really resonated with me.

At the end of the article, it says, "Many breast-cancer survivors say they find some peace of mind in reaching out to help other breast-cancer patients." I love this quote by survivor Janelle Hail: ""When I was first diagnosed, I felt like I'd been shot. I had a big black hole in me. When I started thinking about how I could help other women with breast cancer, that's when that hole started healing up."

Amen! We here at Lifting Hearts have always maintained that service - helping other survivors - is one of the keys to being able to heal. Speaking of helping, please join us at our survivor support meeting this Thursday night (7:00 pm, 3301 N. University Avenue, Provo) and help us make rice warmers. We are getting these ready as part of our "Heart to Heart" program. We'll be providing the doctors' offices in our local area with these bags to give to their breast cancer patients. We'd love to have your help. Come spend the evening with us!

MONDAY MEMOIRS - Humpty Dumpty

Every once in a while, I visit a website called "Writing Through Cancer". This website is the brainchild of Sharon Bray, a writer, teacher, and author. It was inspired by her own journey through cancer. Each week she shares a writing prompt that anyone can use to help guide them in writing about their cancer experience. She has several months of prompts available on the website. I was searching through Sharon's prompts, and found one from the week of August 28th. This prompt started with the familiar words of this nursery rhyme:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!



As I read through these lines, and then through Sharon's own essay, I realized what a fitting rhyme this is for those of us who have had their lives interrupted by illness, tragedy, or anything else. There are so many stumbling blocks on this road we call life, and each one of those stumbling blocks changes our course. Our lives fall apart, and it's often hard to put those lives back together again.

I know in my own cancer experience my diagnosis, and subsequent journey through treatment caused many changes - not just physical changes (weight gain, nausea, lost of hair and nails, amputations, scars, loss of energy, etc.), but lifestyle changes as well (job loss, slowing down, needing help, etc.). I'm two and a half years out from my last chemo treatment, but still struggle with many things. It has been tough to "put Humpty together again".

Today, in your cancer journal, respond to this writing prompt. Talk about the "great fall" that has happened in your life (diagnosis), the "king's men and horses" (doctors and care-givers), and the puzzle of putting "Humpty together again".

"I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then." -Lewis Carroll

-Kara

SATURDAY STRENGTH: Exercise Does Help With Side Effects...

I don't know about you, but even though my last chemo treatment was over 2 years ago, I still have aches and pains, and fatigue. It's very frustrating. I've searched the internet to see if others are experiencing this same thing, and sure enough... there are tons of survivors who feel like this. I've been trying to figure out a way to get rid of these side effects from chemo, and I keep thinking that exercise will help. But, it's so darn hard to exercise when you feel so awful. Finally... I just found a testimonial from a cancer survivor, that assured me that exercise DID help her. I thought I'd share what I found...

I had chemo and radiation 22 months ago and I as well have aches and joint pains. I can't say it was/is excruciating but I felt my body was turning into this old crippled woman. I had to do something. About 3 months ago I started exercising. NOT for weight loss/control but for a healthy well being. I was walking some, however I didn't feel the benefit until I increased my workout. I do a combo of may different things since I tend to get bored with the same exercise, and quit! I jump rope, jog some, do some stairs, some Taebo, sit- ups, weights and a little toning. It takes about a hour. I cannot express how much this has helped me. I now occasionally have pains. Usually in my hips. Some have totally disappeared. The numbness and tingleness in my feet and toes seems to have improved. I feel like I have my life back, after almost 2 years! I now have the energy to do things I couldn't. Starting out was VERY hard. My knees hurt terribly, and ankles. It was very frustrating. I was trying to help other things but created other pains. However I kept doing it, (5 days a week) and it passed within a couple of weeks. I dont know if you have a exercise routine, but I hope this will encourage you and others to do so. Especially those that have joint pains. I feel this has been my saving grace.

Keep in mind - if you are experiencing pain, or anything unusual - don't forget to mention it to your doctor at your next checkup. That's really important. There could be something wrong. However, if he thinks you are physically fine, then maybe try to start exercising. If you are already doing this, then try doing a little more. And be patient - remember, she said that it took a little while before she could see results, as far as relief from pain.

I hope this helps.

-Kara

TUESDAY TIPS: LiBrow - Eyebrow Restoration Product

For those of you who had chemo, and lost hair, did your hair grow back? My hair is getting a little bit thicker. I've noticed a difference in growth when I've had a protein drink each morning, and when I take multi-vitamins. However, my eyelashes and eyebrows are not growing back much. It's been 2 years since my last chemo treatment, and I'm getting desperate. My face looks weird without eyebrows. And the application of eyebrow pencil is NOT very natural looking.

I've been looking around for a product that will help with regrowth. I used Latisse on my eyelashes for a little while - it did work. I just didn't use it for long enough to make a huge difference. If I remember right, it's around $100 for a very tiny bottle of Latisse. Yikes!

I've been reading reviews for different products, and those the "work" all have something in common - they are very expensive. I decided to try a product called LiBrow (they also make LiLash). This comes highly recommended. I'm really hoping this will work. The price tag was high - $139. But this is supposed to last 4-5 months. So, that's only around $35/month. And lets face it, it's way less expensive than hair implants (which I recently considered, until I found out they would cost over $5000!!!) And really, if this works, it is totally worth it. My order should be here within a week, and after I've used it for about a month, I'll review it here and let you know if it works.

**The thing that convinced me to purchase this product - a 90-day 100% guarantee (but only if you buy it from the LiBrow website - see below).

Here's the link if you are interested: http://www.lilash.com/pages/LiBrow