So, I've been thinking back over the last 8 months of 2019 and needed to jot some of my thoughts down before I forget what happened!
Here are some more top tips that have really helped me through chemotherapy over the last 4 and a half months.
1. MOUTH - I stopped using conventional toothpastes very early on, several weeks before I started chemotherapy. The first 3 courses of FEC and I developed a few ulcers on my tongue for a week or so after chemo.
I did try a little ordinary toothpaste I had left over after my first chemotherapy session just to see if it was OK, but found it was really harsh and stingy on my gums, tongue and mouth generally. I've never used any of the conventional mouthwashes either - they are full of chemical rubbish you really don't need anyway, imho.
The best natural toothpaste I've found was discovered at my local branch of TKmaxx. It's made by a company called Grants who are Australian. I've hunted around, but unfortunately you can't seem to buy it anywhere else in the UK other than TXmaxx. Anyway, it's plant based and free from fluoride, SLS and parabens. Costs between £2.99 and £3.99 a tube and comes in several flavours/types. Very mild on the mouth and tastes really nice compared to conventional toothpastes. Afraid I cleared the shelves at my local TKmaxx(!) so I am well stocked up for the next year, but check them out as they do get new batches of it in from time to time. There are other natural toothpastes out there to try if you can't get hold of Grants, GRIN being one brand, also found at TKmaxx but might be available elsewhere.
I also bought a couple of bottles of Grant's alcohol free natural mouthwash which I use occasionally. Same as toothpaste, tastes great and is kind to your mouth.
The natural mouthwash is a very useful extra for keeping your mouth clean and infection-free as you are not supposed to floss your teeth when undergoing taxane chemotherapy!
See link below for pictures of the products:-
Natural Toothpastes and Mouthwashes
NOTE: I will eventually figure out how to insert photos, promise! lol 
2. MANUKA HONEY AND RAW HONEY
I am currently looking into the best way of dealing with radiotherapy skin treatments as I'm starting my 15 days of treatment sometime in November 2019.
Me being me, I will fight tooth and nail (if I have any left by then! rofl 
) against using any chemically-derived prescription creams. I have picked up the fact that a lot of the 'traditional' prescribed creams etc. don't necessarily work particularly well for everyone and that in some cases they even aggravate the condition.
Aloe Vera gel is definitely one I will try. It's my old tried, proven and trusted friend, but honey is another that is top of the list. I used raw honey after my lymph node operation. Raw honey is natural comb honey that hasn't been processed. It was difficult to get hold of district nurses to change my dressings after my mastectomy and lymph node operations. The only alternative was a round trip back to the hospital every day/other day. This would have been both time-consuming and costly in terms of fuel, as well as adding stress to an already stressful situation. So I decided to change the dressings myself with the help of my other half.
Changing dressings was particularly critical after the lymph node operation as one of the sutures had come away due to lymph fluid leakage and I was in danger of developing a stoma. My solution to the problem? A jar of natural comb honey.
NOTE: raw comb honey is usually a lot cheaper that manuka honey, although the real manuka honey is considered to be the best of all for anti-bacterial and healing properties. Use Manuka instead if you want, but make sure it is the real thing before buying.
Yes, honey is a bit messy, but my partner helped. I had been given a supply of fresh dressings by the hospital, so every time I needed a new dressing, usually after a shower, I would apply an amount of honey to the area where the stoma would have been. A soft gauze dressing on top of the honey, then a padded (big!) sticky bandage on top of that.
Again, I would stress that you check with your consultant/nurse before using any of the above.
BUT, to be honest with you? I have noticed quite a few posters who will not use anything that is not strictly prescribed or recommended to them unless by medical specialists. That's fair enough, but I would just ask that you open your eyes and minds to some of these natural alternatives. I made unilateral decisions to use all of the things I've posted about. I only then informed my surgeon/consultant AFTER the event. Often this was because I was in a position where I had very little alternative, particularly where dressings after operations were concerned. They have never once criticised my use of alternatives to help with the process of recovery from operations and chemotherapy.
One oncologist I saw who was standing in for mine when he was on holiday actually praised me and expressed her delight that some of my treatments had worked so well. That is an unusual scenario as, usually, your medical advisers are gagged in how much they can say about 'alternative' or non-NICE remedies/treatments.
Please note: there is absolutely no holistic approach to mainstream medicine in the UK. Even dieticians are considered to be way down the list when it comes to dealing with numerous heath problems. Diet, imho, is one of THE most important factors in keeping or returning you to good health, never mind the lotions, potions and pills. But diet is not even part of standard medical training. All the vast majority of GPs and consultants will do is consult the big book of authorised drugs and follow NICE guidelines, because that's what they are trained to do. Outside of that they maintain a deafening silence on some of the simple and natural solutions that are readily available, effective and kind to your body - and usually much, much cheaper than conventional drugs. But we as patients aren't constrained by Nice which means I can personally shout out loud from personal experience: Yes! This definitely worked for me and it wasn't harmful.
3. FACE MASKS - I started wearing a face mask whenever I went into hospital for my chemotherapy sessions, or even the odd time I've managed to get out and about in public. Wearing face masks in public is not common practise here in Britain. They're big in the far east etc. particularly in heavily polluted cities, and we're also used to seeing medical staff wearing them when they're operating or dealing with very sick people. But how many of us have considered wearing one to give us extra protection against any potential infections?
I had to make two visits to my local A&E during chemotherapy. One was 4 days after my 1st cycle of Docetaxel (high temperature, suspected infection), the other 6 days after the 2nd cycle (sudden inablity to pass water, a mild urinary tract infection, UTI).
At the time of the first A&E visit I hadn't thought about wearing a mask. The ignorance amongst the younger & less experienced nurses in A&E during this first visit about the dangers of infection to cancer patients whilst undergoing chemotherapy was staggering. One example: young nurse coming into one of side rooms where you are kept until you can be seen (if you're lucky), flinging the doors open wide and saying "it's hot in here you'll be needing some air" - I was anything but hot and at the same time she flung the door open at least 3 people walked past in the corridor immediately outside the open door coughing and sneezing 
Fortunately my sister was with me at the time and put her right. The door was quickly closed!
The second visit for the UTI I had decided to wear a face mask. The difference in the way I was treated was incredible. As soon as I had reported to the main A&E desk and given details I was told to go straight to a waiting area where there were no other people around. This hadn't happened on my first visit without a mask when I had a high temperature, even though the receptionist at that time knew exactly why I was there and that I was only 4 days after chemotherapy treatment.
Also started wearing a face mask when going to my GPs to get bloods taken the day before chemo was due. It had the same effect. I was immediately directed by the receptionist to an empty waiting area until the nurse came to get me to take the bloods. It is obvious to me that both reception staff and medical staff take note of the fact that you are wearing a mask and pay more attention as to why you might be doing so. It makes a massive difference - after all, most of the administrative people you are reporting to or the medical staff walking past have no idea initially that you are immediately post chemo and that your immune system is severely compromised. Maybe they thought I was the one who was infectious and not the other way round? Who cares. It had the desired effect! The mask acts like a warning flag. You may feel like a chump, but so what? It's your life that's at stake, not theirs.
I think masks should be handed out to anyone who is undergoing chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Never mind advising about cold caps to try to stop hair loss or how to apply makeup. Hair loss and make up will be the least of your problems if you end up dead from sepsis after becoming infected whilst going through chemotherapy.
Somewhere along the line I think priorities about the REALLY important things you need to know beforehand to give you the best chance of surviving the chemotherapy process haven't been properly thought through by the medical establishment. Or even some of the main cancer charities? 
Hope the above helps.
Keep up the good fight! You are all worth fighting for, as are each and every one of our lives. 
