What has helped you through your journey?

I can add that with the waitiing between all your tests, surgery, pathology results etc. to keep yourself as busy as possible and keep you mind off things as best as you can.  It helps the time go faster as well.  I was so busy I didn't have time to dwell on things which I think is good.

I love to listen to Celtic Music (Celtic Spirit as not all the music is the same) especially when I am irritated cause it will calm me and then I can listen to some meditation after that which will often send me off to sleep.  I listen to Letting Go but my favourite is Sacred Flame but there is also Louise Hay, Dawn in the Daintree music, Armchair Journeys and so on.  I have quite a few and depends on what my mood is like as to which one I can get in to on that day.  I also use them to send me to sleep, especially Sacred Flame.

I also love to have my bath, sit in my massage chair as ways of relaxing myself.

I have also found that Bowen Therapy is a complementary therapy which helps align your body (gently) and also helps with healing.  Reflexology and hand massage are also wonderful if you can get a good therapist.

Mich xo

I listen to music ALL the time when I am playing on my computer. There are wonderful online jukeboxes so you don't have to have to massive files of your own, or CD collections.

Grooveshark is one, and UWall TV is another of my favourites.  Grooveshark you just search for the artists you like and then pick the tunes, UWall has artists faces all over the screen and you pick the ones you want and the music plays - it's amazing !

I'm an internet junkie too - if you have Google and haven't tried Stumble then DO !! It's wonderful.

:)
Keitha

During Chemo - Donut Kings Iced coffee with oce cream not cream - soothing & tasted bearable,

Fruit Tingles - someting about the fizz in them helps with the horrible taste we get in our mouths during chemo

I love fruit tingles ♥ hadn't thought about trying them.

Jelly beans are good for the icky tastes from chemo.

I suck/chew on Mento's.. the mint ones and the fruit one's.... yum....

I had 6 weeks between diagnosis and surgery.....I grieved the loss of my breast and had a 'Bye Bye Booby Party".  It sounds strange but it was the best thing I could have done.

I had everyone bring a plate of 'tittilating' food, lol and they had to come up with different ways of using my new fake boob.

About 12 women came and we just laughed the whole afternoon at some of the ideas.  The winning idea was when the kids in the back of the car were tired they could use the prosthesis as a pillow.  Another was to use the empty bra cup as a purse and getting rid of the need of a handbag....it works really well until your boob starts ringing in a shop and you have to reach into your top to retrieve the phone....few puzzled looks.

But I had the mastectomy and haven't had any phantom sensations and I am now a one-boobed unique woman.

Also reflexology, facials, whatever you can afford for 'me' time. Health funds give a rebate if you have 'Extras'. If you go to the Chinese places there is very little gap.

Saying no! I learnt this from my cancer experience. Don't feel guilty either!

Saying yes! When people offer to help in any way.

Support groups, lectures, meetings, anything to meet like minded people and potential new friends or contacts. Also to learn more!

PS I found the mastectomy bras so uncomfortable. I got Genie bras in 3 colours on eBay for a fraction of the cost on TV. I got 2 sets. So comfortable. Couldn't have survived a year wearing two breast prostheses without them. I even sewed one into my swimmers so I could wear the prostheses and not have to spend a fortune on mastectomy swimwear.

My daughter, my beautiful precious daughter who is now expecting her own child.  She is my rock and has blessed me with something well and truly worth living for, thank you  precious girl.

I am so lucky in so many ways.

Mich xoxo

Thanks Shaz

Bubby is due 1/1/2013.  I am going with her on 10/8 for what i call the "S scan" Sex of the baby scan.  I am so excited and can't wait.

I have been giving her lil gifts every week and addressing it to different old fashioned names such as Beatrice, Myrtle, STanley, Hattie, Gwendolyn and so on and she will have a nice list of old fashioned names by time bubby is born,  It was my girlfriends idea as a bit of a joke and to have a laugh.  I keep telling my daughter I quite like Beatrice and she thinks i joking but i am serious hee hee

I will get to spend more time with this little one I hope more so than our first grand child.  We live 365klms away so can get a bit hard but I know my daughter will make the effort to come to us and we will be more than welcome at their house anytime so all very exciting. 

My baby is having a baby, so special.

Thank you for your kind words.  How are you travelling.  I not seen much from you lately.  I hope you are well.

Mich xoxox 

For anyone out there having a lumectomy, you can't go past the Ahh Bra, 3 for $20 online. Good to wear a few at a time for support, even in the shower. Easy to wash and quick to dry.

Cheers Louie

Totally agree with Louise! I bought the genie bras because they have pockets for inserts. You can carefully cut the pocket seams at the side of the bra with scissors, to make the opening longer. Then you can slip your prosthesis in through that opening easily and you will have the most comfortable mastectomy bra ever!

Hey there , just bought a pack of 3 genie type bras from target today $25 with 20% off. Very comfortable. Big sale on. Donna xx

Glad to hear some of you have finished chemo or chemo & radio or like me Chemo, radio & 1 year of Herceptin. The chemo symptoms disappear gradually. My oncologist said double or was it treble your treatment time as a guide to when you'll be over the symptoms like chemo brain. 

Just not having to have 3 weekly or daily treatments and scans etc is such a relief. 6 years on I still dread the annual checkups. Booked my bone Density test today( Arimidex side effect) and found have to wait till October to see the Oncologist not next week as previously.

All the best for the future grandmas - I have to wait a while as my married son has a wife who is studying then she'll work while he goes back to study.

Carol

Congrats on the Chemo faze being over. It is such a relief isnt it. Wait until you start actually feeling better and your energy levels come back. It is awesome. My onc gave me 6 weeks break between treatments so that I could have my life back for a while. Once I started Tamoxifen, I felt soooo tired all over again. Not as bad as chemo thankfully!! In a few more weeks you will start appreciating all that food you have wanted to enjoy..YUMMY!!!!  Keep smiling

Tania xx

Thanx everyone...

Herceptin is because my tumour was HER2 positive, this is a "gene" that makes the cancer more aggressive, the Herceptin turns it off. It is given IV every 21 days for a year, so I have another 9 months of going to the chemo clinic every 3 weeks still but only for the Herceptin, so doesn't take so long (This is why I got a port-a-cath put in).

I start Tamoxifen this week.

Not having radiotherapy as for me with my family and personal medical history the risks outweigh the benefits and I am in a grey zone anyway (they do radiotherapy if you have a 20% calculated risk of it coming back, my risk is 15% - this is what the radiation oncologist told me), I see the radiation oncologist again on 16th August just to make sure this is the way we are going.

What is getting me through:

Chewing gum for that horrible taste
Genie bra's
Elastic waisted pants
Beautiful hats and scalves
Hydrosol cream- to stop my scalp itching
Positive friends that encourage me, listen and make me laugh.
Getting rid of the one's that weren't really my friend- life is to short to waste my time on people that don't matter
Needless to say - family, kids, husband And my trust doggy Henry. I swear he knows something is going on.
Comfort food
The kindness of strangers who tell me I look well or they like my hat or make me laugh..

Hi Tania

Isn't it lovely when some one just surprises you with a lovely gift. And champagne at that..... nice.

Great to have hit a milestone finally, and to have a little reward to celebrate.

Only have 4 more chemos to go... that light at the end of the tunnel is approaching. Then radiation.

It must have been scary to have had an anphilatcic reation. What did the nurses do? Atleast you are alright now.

Anyway enjoy that beautiful bottle of "bubbly" with some chocolate me thinks.... :)

Love Julie XX

Its all good Vicki. Bald and fat is fine! It only took me about 2 months to kick the chemo weight. I finished chemo at the end of April. Hair is growing back. I am finally waking in the morning with "bed hair". It made me so happy to wake that first morning noticing that I had to do something with my hair before I walked out the door! 

Julie, the nurses were straight onto it when I had my allergic reaction. I started feeling weird and turned...said nurse...something is wrong and then it was on! So scary. I couldnt breathe, my entire body went bright red, I had this loud ringing in my ears and thought I was going to vomit and poo my pants...All at the same time. Absolutely aweful. They pulled me straight off chemo, gave me a relaxation pill to slow my adrenaline then gave me antihisthamede (sp?). They kept me off for about an hour and then hooked me back up again. From then on, everytime I had chemo I had to have a Zurtec tablet and IV antihisthamede first and then my chemo. It only happens to 5% of us. Day 10 of my first chemo landed me in hospital with no red or white cells and that only happens to about 8% of us. Lucky me huh!! Its all over now so its ok. I am fine. The reaction was over as soon as they took me off chemo. Amazing Nurses...I tell ya.

Hope your both travelling well

Hugs to ya XXXXX

Hi
Girls, I'm having 3rd round of FEC out of 4 tomorrow, looking forward to the end of the FEC chapter, then onto radio therepy, hope I don't burn too bad. At the moment feeling fine except this damn sore tongue and gum right up the back near my one and only wisdom tooth. It's so sore and annoying.....love Vicki

I got the sore sore tongue.

mix 1 tsp bicarb with 1/4-1/2 tsp salt in warm water, mix to dissolve and gargle as often as you can, this really helped...

The salt can sting sometimes and when too bad I would leave the salt out and just use the bicarb, but it really helped, the other things that helped were biotene toothpaste , not as strong flavoured as most others, and biotene mouthwash, also not strong and no alcohol, which can dry the tissues out.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck, and congrats on being nearly finished, only 1 more to goo - woo hoo!!

Sharon

what a fantastic thread to have been started....today I took the call that confirms my chemo starts next friday (four rounds, three months), and instead of having very little idea of what to do to prepare myself for this, I have read every post above and can draw up a shopping list of aids to help me get through some of the symptoms. I am of course going to be in denial about about those who have noted it takes twice or even three times as long to get over the treatment as the length of the treatment, but that's allowed for now isn't it ;-).

and i'm keeping all crossed I am one of those who are able to work through treatment....running my own business....oh how I wish I had a boss I could ring up and say I'm taking three/six months leave paid/unpaid whatever!

so booked in for friday sessions, so I can be ill and under a doona saturday, sunday and monday, and then crawl back into the office for at least a few hours a day tue-fri until the next round.

a huge thanks to everyone above for sharing your thoughts, ideas, insiders tips and spirits.

hope i can help someone along the way, in the way, you pink crew above have helped me.

speaking of which. hate pink. least favourite colour in the world. better get used to it, huh ;-)!

xx

Pleased to see you found this blog... just remember to take it easy.. even when you are at work... and stay away from sick people!!

If I had to do it over again (god I hope not)..... I would

• Exercise more often - An easy 10 min walk is better than nothing (I did a lot of nothing)
• Drink more water, then drink some more - flush the shxxx out. Lemonade worked until my taste buds changed....
• Fibre, Fibre and more fibre - consipation comes hand in hand with Chemo, it creaps up and really sucks.... try a couple of Brazil nuts.. other friends juiced...

Sorry not here to preach.... you've read the blog and you have a fantastic attitude.... good luck.

Trina

You're not preaching! Thanks for your support and advice. Including thinking I have a great attitude. Currently sitting here with my stomach in knots feeling sick with nerves but it will pass because it has to! Have spent too much time reading about cancer this past week (as one needs to) and it's impossible to not stumble across things that scare me ... so taking a little time out from too much research now decision is made to see if I can rebuild calm and confidence in my head and heart for what lies ahead next. xo

Great if all the posts help those starting the chemo train. Try not to get concerned when they give you the sheet of possible side effects. Al of us get some of them a few of us get ones not on the list but none of us get all of them. Stress is the biggest issue so do whatever it takes to reduce stress --- listen to your favourite music, try to relax and drink plenty of clear fluids before the chemo to make it easier for them to find a vein to get the stuff into you. Plenty more after to flush it out! the toilet is your friend as it means you are getting rid of the toxins and any residual cancer.

Just remember chemo attacks all fast growing cells hence hair loss, issues with sore mouth and gums and anywhere mucos is. It makes us more vulnerable to infections we otherwise might not catch so people with colds and infections should be avoided - you don't want to get pneumonia!

Think of it this way - some people do not require chemo at all but then others had 8 followed by another year of Herceptin infusions like me. Most then are symptom free for years even decades while some have recurrences or new primaries. There always is someone better off than you and plenty who are worse off.

Keep in touch with your humourous friends & family and make excuses to avoid those who always are sick, negative and complaining for your own sanity - your battle is hard enough without the naysayers and people who know of someone far worse than you who .........

I liked to think of myself as being pushed along by the medical train steamrollering me and my body into submission to remove that dratted cancer and any cells which had travelled. It was better than trying vainly to be in control of everything when clearly I was not.

Hope this helps,

remember you are on the way up now you have had diagnosis, srugery and are starting chemo. 2013 had got to be better healthwise for most of us

Carol

the fluffy grandma who is enjoying her Japanese spitz dogs and their 6 puppies born the week before Christmas

Great post everyone.

I found an "ahh bra" style at best and less the other day for $12 which has a built in pocket and removable pads. Found it great for my soft form as it holds everything in place perfectly unlike the normal ahh bras.  Also can step into it when you have limited movement in your arms.  Cheers, vee

I love this thread. In fact, I think it's the longest and most informed ( lol at times too) I've come across. Thank you for creating. Yes, water, water and more water. Walk each day to relieve those sore joints and as most have said stay clear of people with colds. I was having chemo over Xmas last year. Avoid if you can everyone wanting to kiss you during the festive season which I hadn't thought about until my nurses explained the possible risks. Just explain, friends won't be offended. Calcium for your bones and vitamin D to help absorb the calcium tablets eg. Caltrate. I hadn't realised that the steroid we take demexathone ( can't spell it at the moment) takes months to fully get out of your body. The added weight I put on and fluid retention is now starting to leave my system finally. It's taken well over 6mths. This may not be a side effect of everyone but it was for me. I'm thankful as its lifted my spirits. Oh and I love what someone said in the chemo ward to me, she said just think we are getting a face lift inside our body's with all our cells being replaced with new ones! Our complexions haven't looked better! All the best you gorgeous and wonderful people and happy new year ! Xoxo Donna

This sure is a great thread.

One of the things that helped me during my chemo was to keep a diary/journal.  All the emotions were poured onto the pages.  Each day of how I was feeling, physically and mentally.  It was good to look back a few times to see how I was feeling at the same time in the previous month.  It helped me when I thought I should be feeling better than I did, only to find that I had felt the same way at the same time last month.  My memory got a bit muddled at times.  We called it Chemo Brain.

It can be a bit overwhelming to see all of the possible side effects, but as someone else said, we don't get all of them, just some of them.

I had a choice of whether or not to have chemo.  As far as the Drs thought, they had got everything.   The chemo was just an insurance policy.  It took me 2 weeks to decide to go ahead with it.  At least this way I know that I have done everything to kill off any hidden suckers that hadn't shown their faces yet. 

The most exciting thing for me (apart from being able to really taste food again) was noticing two months after the final treatment a shadow appear on my head, on closer inspection, lo and behold, it was hair. 

Keep us informed of your progress and if we can help you on your journey we will be here for you.

I also haven't been a great fan of pink, however I too wear it now and get complemented on good I look in pink.  Hmmmm oh well maybe it isn't so bad after all.

Happy 2013 to all.
Elayne

How many others of us out there.. that hated or disliked Pink before getting BC.... now it's 'my colour'.... I use to hate it... considered mself a 'blue' person... now I'm all Pink..

pink sigh....

Trina