Treatment

Hi Waggie,

I’ve just completed 5 of my 6 chemo cycles (Carboplatin / Paclitaxel) and would say the most important learning points about keeping well through chemo for me have been:

- listening to what my body needs (sometimes it’s hard to sleep through the night due to the meds, so need to be prepared to crash and rest during the daytime). But other days I have plenty of energy to get things done and I try to get out for a walk in the fresh air whenever I can.

- eating healthy and nutritious food. Cutting out spicy foods and salty snacks has helped me avoid mouth soreness. Cutting out processed meats, raw fish and unpasteurised dairy foods, and washing fruit and salads is essential to avoiding tummy bugs.

- being cautious around other people (chemo knocks the immune system badly, making infection much more likely - not just Covid, but generally).

- remembering to treat myself (to a favourite snack, long soak in the bath, a good book/film, etc) when I’m having a bad day and struggling to stay positive.

Overall, I’ve found chemo tough but do-able and, if it’s what your oncologist recommends for you then the benefits of treatment should far outweigh the downsides.  I’d recommend asking your oncologist about any side effects you should look out for, and what you can do to prevent or manage them - and make sure you know who you should contact in your medical team if you have any concerns.

Meanwhile, Macmillan has a good booklet called “understanding Chemotherapy” that’s worth reading if you can get hold of a copy.

All the best,

Bx

Thank you for your help.did you suffer with diarrhoea and constipation as this seems to be main complaint as well as nausea. It’s just waiting now to see him so anxious can’t get my head straight. 
Take care 

xx

Hi Waggie,

I haven’t really suffered too much with nausea luckily as I’ve found the anti-sickness meds they give these days have been very effective.
Unfortunately though, constipation is a side effect of both the chemo and the anti- sickness meds - so eating plenty of fibre and keeping active when you can is essential. Occasional use of Senna or LactoEase can help - and Prune juice has become my new best friend .

Bxx

Thank you you sound so positive and reassuring .I have stocked up on ginger biscuits and ginger ale as they are good for nausea apparently.what meals did you eat as I find all food repulsive at the moment due to stress.I am exercising most days when I can cope  and eating sloppy food home made soup and readybrek that I can get down easily.taking multivitamin and bought some buildup drinks .I want to be in best of health I can before treatment but so hard .

I would love to keep in touch as you seem to be coping well and I find that so supportive.

xxxx

Hi Waggie,

Very happy to keep in touch, and help you on your chemo journey if I can .

In terms of other things I’d recommend you having handy during your treatment, peppermint tea is very good for settling the digestion, and lip salve, fluoride toothpaste and a soft toothbrush will help to protect you from a dry/sore mouth.

In terms of food, I’ve found eating little and often works better for me than one big meal - and I’ve tried to keep it plain and not too spicy (plenty of chicken and fish cooked from raw, mashed potato or rice and vegs). If you’re eating very little, try to pack in the calories and protein, and if you feel you’re not getting enough fruit, maybe you could experiment with some home made smoothies?

Here’s a booklet that my Macmillan nurse gave me that might help you:

https://www.wcrf-uk.org/sites/default/files/Eat-well-during-cancer-2019-WEB.pdf

Let me know how your appointment with the oncologist goes.

love Bxx

Morning

Any tips on how to motivate myself I just want to stay in bed or lay on settee. Can't talk to my best friends who know about my cancer just too hard to stay upbeat and do small talk. Husband very supportive but i can't cope with everyone who's life is carrying on as normal and mines been devastated. So selfish I know but don't know how to cope any more.

Hi Waggie,

Looking back, I guess I had a bit of an advantage in that most of my treatment has happened during lockdown, when nobody else has been able to get out and live their “normal lives” either, and it felt like we were all missing out together !

Don’t be hard on yourself - if lying on the settee is what you feel like doing, then maybe combine that with a film, nail makeover, craft, or something else that makes it feel like “you time”. Or even get some of those little jobs done (bit of sewing, clearing out a handbag, etc) that give you a sense of achieving something.

And you shouldn’t feel you have to fake being upbeat just to fit in with your group of friends - thinking of them separately, is there perhaps one particular friend or family member you could be open about your feelings with? - or maybe a chat with one of the Macmillan nurses might help?

It’s not always been easy, but I do really believe that focusing on the positive things has helped me cope with my diagnosis and treatment - and here’s an article that I hope help you get to that:

https://www.laurathroughthelens.com/post/choose-positivity

Take care,

Bxx

I am in the similar position as you. I have been graded stage 11 but they could not get all the cancer cells  out with surgery. I am awaiting my oncologist appointment following a full hysterectomy from which the recovery is going well. I have been told I will have chemo every 3 weeks for 6 time with the same drugs as b positive . I am really worried about side effects, infection and what to eat. i wonder how they decide what drugs to give. I totally understand all your worries as I have them too and trying to keep my mind positive. X

Hi Chicago,

As I’ve now reached the end of my Carboplatin / Paclitaxel treatment, just thought I’d share with you some hints and tips re. Side effects / eating - in case it’s helpful

Generally, I found the anti-sickness meds after each treatment kept any nausea away (and ginger biscuits / ginger tea are good to keep handy just in case).

Constipation was a challenge (especially on the first few days after treatment) so it helps to eat lots of fibre, fruit, etc. Prune juice is also good (doesn’t taste great though, so worth combining with other fruit to make a more tasty smoothie).

To reduce the risk of tummy infection during  this period, when immunity was compromised, I cut out processed meat, unpasteurised cheese/dairy and raw fish, cooked as much as I could from raw, and made sure all fruit, salad,etc was thoroughly washed. 

This leaflet might also be of interest:

https://www.wcrf-uk.org/sites/default/files/Eat-well-during-cancer-2019-WEB.pdf

All the best for your chemo, and it’d be great to hear how you’re getting on,

love Bx

Hi Chicago, Waggie and Bpositive,

Like Chicago I am about to hear what chemo I will be given after removal of a 2b high grade tumor.  I have the 'benefit' (ha ha) of having gone through 6 cycles a few years back for breast cancer and know how important it is to be able to talk to others in the same situation.  It was so useful to compare notes on coping with side effects and chat about worries that you did not want to burden your family and friends with. 
Good luck and keep posting!
Nellie