How to get through chemotherapy more easily
Looking for a ray of sunshine? It is just around the corner if there are cancer survivors in your area. Anyone, the patients and their family members can benefit from a support group that addresses all forms of cancer. The spirit and vitality that is given in a wave of synergy through the members of a support group is amazing and can be the life saver on a day that seems so full of doom and gloom. We offer some practical advice that was passed along by people who have been through chemo themselves.
Carol, a lady that has a full life is a breast cancer survivor. She gave us a few pointers she learned along the way. She recommends getting a port, the line that goes into a vein in your chest. The entrance of the line will sit just under the skin below your collarbone. There is a small surgery to insert the port, but if you are having a mastectomy for breast cancer, the port can be placed in at the same time. Chemo is notoriously hard on the veins, so the port can save you a lot of pain in the long run. Topical anesthetics make it possible to use the port without discomfort.
Jennifer from Massachusetts went through her own experience with chemo and gave this advice:
“Many breast cancer chemotherapy drugs will be the cause of your hair falling out. This is because chemo kills the rapidly dividing cells in your body. The mucous areas of your body and hair follicles are impinged on and that is what causes the nausea or developing mouth or throat sores and hair falling out. Though this all sounds very frightening, it is all controllable. If you are going to lose your hair and feel that this is a trauma you can do without, get a wig or several hats that will cover your baldness. Make a day of it and find out if blondes really do have more fun.
Making sure to have the nausea medication prescription filled before you go for chemo is a good idea so you don’t have to go to the pharmacy and wait in line while all you really want to do is go to bed for a little while.”
Jessie, a mother of three in her thirties contributes her advice to young mothers who are going through chemo:
“You will be tired from this treatment. Most of us get more tired as the treatments progress because they make our white blood cell counts drop really low. Because of this, it's a good idea to keep some antibacterial hand sanitizer with you all the time for use when you've used for example, public doors. The risk of infection is much higher during this time.
If you lose your hair, it will usually happen in ten to fourteen days after the first chemo treatment. For those with long hair, you might want to cut it short in preparation for the time when your hair comes out in clumps. I know I felt so out of control of everything, during that time. When your hair comes out in large clumps it is often a more traumatic event than even losing a breast. I cut it really short, ahead of time. When it started to let go, we got the clippers and shaved my head. That was my way of shaking my fist at this cancer ... it might take my breasts, and it might take my hair, but I beat it to the punch! It was my way of saying, "You cannot take my spirit!" Your spirit is your own and breast cancer can't touch it!”