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

MONDAY MENTIONABLES - The High Cost of Beauty...

Last night, while I was getting ready for bed, I realized that I've added some things to my "beauty" routine since I was diagnosed with cancer - things I don't think I EVER would have added if I didn't have to...

1. I'm using Latisse eyelash growing/thickening solution on my eyelashes at night.
2. I'm using LiBrow eyebrow growing/thickening solution on my eyebrows every day right before my makeup goes on.

These two items are a must in my routine now, because my eyelashes and eyebrows have not grown back like I wished. It's depressing. But, I will say that these two items really do work! I'll continue to use them.

3. I now have to use a concealer under my eye, because of the dark circles chemo gave me (thanks chemo).

Besides the dark circles under my eyes, I also have very uneven skin tone. I don't like to wear liquid foundation, but I do use a powder concealer that works pretty well. My favorite face makeup is Mary Kay Simply Flawless - I've been using it for years.

4. My skin looks much older now, so I am using two new (to me) products on my face - one in the morning and one at night...

Day: Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum. My skin just sucks this in - I love it.

Night: Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment. This smells so yummy. It's a little bit heavier than the Regenerating Serum, though.

5. I now have several scars, and I'm using Palmer's Cocoa Butter Oil on those. It's amazing.

6. To thicken my hair, I'm trying to remember to take vitamins and drink a whey protein shake. It does help.

Phew! ALL of that is added to what I normally do each day (makeup, hair care, etc.) I'm pretty high maintenance! And, the older I get, the higher the cost to keep me happy! Haha!

What kinds of products do you use now, since your cancer diagnosis? What is your #1 favorite product?

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

MONDAY MEMOIRS - Your Previous Self...

I'm not sure about you, but my recovery from cancer hasn't been going well. Admittedly, before I was diagnosed with cancer, I wasn't super healthy. I was overweight, and rarely found time to do much exercise. I did try to walk, but that's about it. I just simply wasn't taking care of myself like I should have. So, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I thought "Jeez - this is just GREAT! I'm already not healthy - what is this going to do to me??!!"

Unlike some of you, I didn't try to exercise during my treatments. I was just too tired and sick. When I found out about chemo, I thought "Well, at least I'll lose a bunch of weight - there's one good thing that will come from chemo". That didn't happen. Of course, I did lose TONS of muscle (since chemo loves to destroy your muscle), but my weight didn't go down at all. In fact, it stayed pretty much exactly the same! The first week after a chemo treatment, I'd lose about 12-15 pounds - I just couldn't eat. But, for the next two weeks, the weight would slowly come back. By the time I had my next chemo treatment, I'd be back at my "normal" weight. I didn't really understand why this was happening, until right before my last treatment, when I found out that one of the medicines I was taking each time was a steroid. Yep, it was the steroid that put the weight back on. I was mad. In fact, the last time I was supposed to take it - during my final chemo treatment - I just didn't. Looking back, that probably wasn't the best decision I ever made. The steroid was helping with the side affects that came from chemo. I'm not sure if NOT taking the steroid that last time cause the 2 months of nose bleeds I had, or caused my nails to finally fall off. But, it probably would have helped if I would have followed my doctor's orders, and taken it.

It's been two year since my chemo treatments - in fact, on February 11th, it will be my 2 year anniversary of my LAST chemo treatment. For some reason, I thought I'd feel better after two years. I don't feel much better at all. I guess it makes sense that my muscles and joints would be sore, since chemo wasn't too nice to them. And it makes sense that I would have a hard time losing the fat I gained during chemo. But, I'm really frustrated that I'm still feeling so sore that it's hard to even walk (a recent surgery to remove heel spurs didn't help - just made walking more painful). And there's not much incentive to exercise when it will just make me even more miserable. *sigh*

There are a few things I've been doing to really help myself, though. I've been trying to drink a protein shake every day, to help with hair regrowth. I've been taking vitamins every day as well - which I think is helping my nails become stronger, and hopefully giving me a little bit of energy. I've also been losing weight - slowly but surely. I've lost 18 pounds. Not too bad, right?

Earlier this week, I was talking to my husband, and told him that I'm tired of feeling crappy all the time. Why is my body feeling this way?! It wasn't like this before cancer. I seriously feel like I'm 20 years older than I really am. I don't like the idea that I'll be like this forever. So, I've decided that this is MY YEAR! I'm going to get feeling better - I will get back to my "normal" self! I'm going to start exercising, even if it gets worse before it gets better. Hopefully, with exercise, my muscles and joints won't be so bad. (And maybe the exercises will help with the Lymphodema I've got). I've got an exercise video called Second Chance: Fitness after Breast Cancer, by Dorelle Laffal (a 3 time breast cancer survivor, and a world class weight lifter). I watched it this morning, and the exercises aren't too strenuous - they are just perfect for getting my body feeling better. I'll continue to watch what I eat - trying to eat more veggies and fruits. I'll continue to lose weight - a little bit at a time. And I'm going to try to make each day better than the one before. This is my year to return to the previous Kara - but, even better. I'm turning 45 this year - I should feel like I'm in the prime of my life! Hopefully, by the end of 2011, I will. :-)

How about you? What changes have you seen in your body, and the way you feel, since being diagnosed with cancer? What things have you done to stay healthy, or get back to your previous self? Take out your cancer journal and record some thoughts. Make a few goals that will help you improve your health, and the way you feel.

-Kara

TUESDAY TIDINGS - Hats off to Winter!

The snow is here! You better bundle up...

I had to have chemo during the winter, and it was a good time to wear hats. American Cancer Society's Tender Loving Care is a great place to shop for hats, scarves, wigs, and other head coverings.

My favorite "toppings" were the Cotton/Spandex turbans. They were comfortable, and I could jazz them up with beautiful scarves or braided twists...



I also had a favorite hat - the Cotton Knit Cloche.


And my favorite scarf was the Emma.



Each one of these coverings provided warmth during the cold winter months. If you'd like to shop online, go to www.tlcdirect.org. You can also call for a catalog, and to order: 1-800-850-9445.

Here's to a stylish winter!

TUESDAY TIPS - Ovation Hair Therapy...

My husband heard this advertised on the radio and told me about it - they said it's great for people who have had chemo and lost hair. Susan G. Komen endorses it.

It's called Ovation Cell Treatment. Here's the website: http://ovationhair.com/

If you try it, come back and comment and tell us what you think. I'm excited to try it myself!!!

TUESDAY TIDINGS - Hair Recovery

Today, I'm annoyed with my thin hair, so I thought I'd do a little research on products that might help restore my hair and thicken it up. Almost every reference to thinning hair that I can find talks about a product called Nioxin.

While I was having chemo treatments, a friend gave me some of this kind of shampoo and conditioner. It's a medicated shampoo that helps with thinning hair. I faithfully used this product for months on my bald scalp. My friend claimed that it helped her hair come in faster after chemo. I continued to use it for a few months after chemo, while my hair was starting to come in. Then, something weird happened... the smell of the product started making me sick to my stomach. So, I stopped using it. I think it just reminded me too much of when I was going through chemo. A few months later, I decided to start using it again, because the hair on the top of my head wasn't growing in as much as the hair on the rest of my head. After a few days, I had to stop again! The sense of smell is a powerful thing!!

Well, I was complaining the other day about A LOT of things - among those, my lack of thick hair, my lack of eyebrows, my thin eyelashes. My husband said "Why aren't you using Nioxin?" "I can't stand the smell - it reminds me of chemo." Rolling his eyes, he said, basically, "Get over it." Haha! He's right though... if I can't take the steps needed to overcome this problem, I'll just have to live with it. That's not acceptable to me, so it's back to the Nioxin for me. (I'll just hold my breath). :-)

There are eight different hair care systems from Nioxin. But, I think there are two that will work the best for this kind of hair regrowth. Here are the links to each of those systems...

1. Nioxin System 1

2. Nioxin System 2


One thing I learned about these systems (and I can't remember who told me this), is that you must use the whole system for it to work properly. I used System one, but only the shampoo and conditioner. So, I'm going to try System two, and use the entire thing. This product comes highly recommended - and it doesn't really smell bad, just a little bit medicated. Leave a comment and let me know if you've tried this, if it worked, or if there is something else you've tried.

Here's to hair growth!