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

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Having and Experiencing Are Two Very Different Things

Guest Post...

"I remember finding a plaque in a store once that read, "The most important things in life aren't things." I purchased it and hung it on my wall right between a photo of my three sons and a photo of my Grandma Belle, who died in 1988. I have a difficult time relating to many of the people I see in TV who have nothing better to talk about than their new "things." These may be cars, boats, clothes, or their latest plastic surgery. I saw one particular story about a girl who had almost everything on her body redone. To me her life seemed to be more than shallow.

I read an account of a woman who found a new life after having Cancer. She said that before she became sick she had always felt empty. She said,"That is why I needed to have more and more things. I kept accumulating more and more goods, more and more books, magazines and newspapers, more and more people, which only made everything worse because the more I accumulated the less I experienced.'Have everything, experience nothing.' You could have put that right on my front door. And all the time I thought I was empty because I didn't have enough." When she finished chemotherapy, this woman held a huge garage sale and sold more than half of what she owned. Her friends thought she had gone "chemo-crazy," but doing this enhanced her life. She said, "I had no idea what was in my drawers or on my bookshelves. I did not really know half the people whose home phone numbers were in my phone book either. Many of them never even sent me a card. I have fewer things now, and I know fewer people, but I am not empty. Having and experiencing are very different. Having was never having enough... perhaps we only have as much as we can love."

As I look at our lives now with the economy being so weak, I see that people many times have much less in a material way. Although this has been difficult for some, I think perhaps it may be a healthy scenario in many ways. Perhaps more of us are driven to take a closer look at the blessings we have and to truly experience and love each and every one of them.

Kathy Christensen
Survivor and member of Lifting Hearts
Guest Blogger

MONDAY MEMOIRS - Chemo Courage

Lately, I've been hearing about several people who are just starting chemo, and it has reminded me of my chemo days. I remember my first chemo treatment - I was so scared. I had just had a bi-lateral mastectomy two weeks earlier, so I still didn't feel well. I didn't have numbing creme that first day, so it HURT when the nurse poked into my port. Here's a few pictures...

In this one, I'm looking pretty worried because the nurse is trying to find my port!

And here is where she found it!


The rest of my chemo "sticks" weren't so bad - I came to LOVE that numbing cream.. I am very glad that I had a port put into my chest - it made things much easier.

I won't tell you the whole story of my first chemo here, but I will say that I was frightened beyond belief. I watched the first drip and started crying - I wasn't sure what to expect. Would it hurt? What would the chemo do to me? But, it didn't hurt, and I made it through 6 treatments. Little by little I lost things... my hair, my strength... but, I'm happy to say I finished, and I'm better now.

Today, take your journal out and write down everything you can remember about that first day of chemo or radiation. Write the details, your feelings - everything. And then write down one or two things that you learned from this part of your cancer journey... "I am stronger than I thought I was", "I survived losing my hair, and nails", "I learned about charity, love, and service". These are all things that I can say about that part of my cancer journey. It's good to recognize these kinds of things - it's especially good to recognize the strength in yourself.

“Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.” - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

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!

MONDAY MEMOIRS - Sick Days...

I've dragged myself to this computer for a second, because I've got to figure out what to post today, and I've got the flu! I don't really feel like posting anything, if you want to know the truth. In fact, the way I'm feeling has me thinking about all the days I was sick during chemo. And maybe that's a good thing to write about - what do you think?

Open up your journal and record how it feels to go through chemo - try to describe your worst day. Hopefully it will help to write it down - get it out of your mind - and share it with someone else. As I'm going through this flu, there are things about it that are very much like the affects of chemo. But, there is a lot that is different too. Record one of your sick days, and then be grateful that you aren't there anymore. And if you are still there - it won't last forever, I promise. You'll get through it. :-)
-Kara

TUESDAY TIDINGS - Monthly Sister Survivors' Meeting on Thursday night...

All Sister Survivors: We will be holding our monthly meeting this Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the law offices. (look at the left sidebar for the address). We will be getting ready for our Kick-Off, which will be held on the 28th. We could really use some help from all of you. Also, those who aren't working on stuff for the Kick-Off will have a chance to help make some "chemo blankets" for the Sister Survivors who are currently having chemo (like this one that my mom made for me!)...

If you are donating anything for the silent auction, please bring it with you that night.

Come spend some time with us - can't wait to see you!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Did That Really Happen?

I looked back on my cancer blog (Foobbabe's Cancer Journey) and found something I wrote a little while ago - I thought I'd share it...

"Every once in a while I wake up in the morning and think about everything that has happened to me, and I just can't wrap my head around it. I just can't believe that words and experiences like chemo, mastectomy, reconstruction, etc. are part of me.

Then, there are those days when I spend time becoming acquainted with the person that is the new me - with the woman who prevailed through trial, who learned to be a better person than before cancer was an experience she had to go through. Someone who learned many deep and meaningful lessons - like the power of love, the importance of kindness and acceptance (especially for yourself and your new body), and the example of charity.

Does that ever happen to you? I hope if it does, you'll take time to reflect not only about the trial of breast cancer, but also about the new person you've become - physically, mentally, and spiritually."

-Kara
22 month Breast Cancer Survivor