New diagnosis

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Hello I have TNBC and I am starting treatment this week. I will be having 8 rounds of chemo (PC and then EC) alongside immunotherapy.
I’ve tried not to Google anything to this point, I’m being really positive as I have 2 young kids and I just think it’s the only way to go through this by keeping positive and focussing on our family.
M however as things are getting started.. I’m finding I’ve got really weird concerns, questions, overwhelm I suppose. Such as… finding natural shampoo and conditioner as I will be trying the cold cap.. many of them promote hair growth, is this a good thing or bad? And my instinct to turn to antioxidant foods and anti inflammatory diet.. again my medical team were vague about whether this is good or not.. and I don’t want to do anything that might interfere with the drugs they’re giving me..! But I want to support my body and immune system as best I can particularly with young children and the bugs they tend to have over winter!! Mostly these seem unimportant things to worry about, but they are the little things that I CAN control so I think it would be helpful to feel confident in … something..

Is anyone else taking a holistic approach alongside their treatment? Does anyone know of any absolute no no’s when treating this type of BC? For example my nurse said no saunas- not that I was planning a spa day.,,,! I’m just feeling like I’ve got silly little questions and I find Google can tell you almost anything. I suppose it’s pre treatment anxiety perhaps.

Rose222 over 1 year ago in reply to Uzma

Hi Uzma,

Sorry for my delay in replying! The tea I drank was a blend of desmodium, lemongrass and nettle. I brewed a litre of it every day (except for the day before, day of and day after chemo) and drank it gradually throughout the day. Supposedly it should help to support the liver and flush toxins from the body.

During radiotherapy, the herbalist changed the blend and I drank 1L of milk thistle, lemongrass and horsetail tea daily. Again, it was to help support the liver function and detoxification.

As mentioned above, make sure you always check any teas or supplements with your doctor beforehand to make sure they don't interact with any medications as all regimes are different.

It's normal to be scared before starting chemo, it's so hard to know what to expect. I remember going to my first session and being completely clueless but I soon got the hang of how things worked. I found it very useful to prepare homemade meals before chemo so it was easy to eat well afterwards and there weren't too many strong smells that could induce nausea. I hope that you will feel reasonably ok throughout your chemo. When will you start and what chemo will you have?

Sending you a big hug x

LJroux over 1 year ago in reply to Uzma

Hiya just wanted to jump on and wish you well. I was really worried about side effects too I had visions of being in bed with fatigue and honestly it hasn’t been that way at all yet. I’m over 1/4 way through the treatments and coping well. What chemo are you having? Worst part for me has been constipation so just keeping up with fruit and veg and using medication to help when needed.
psychologically I look forward to my treatment days now- another one ticked off, and it’s a bit of time to just sit and do whatever I want without anyone questioning it. Nutrition has been a big part for me as it’s the only thing I can control so it feels good to think I’m doing what I can to support my body, but I also have a treat if I want to support my mind!!

lots of luck xx

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