chemo side effects advice

[mike312]

Hi everyone. One of my friends is undergoing chemo and I've done some research into the side effects. But I was wondering whether anyone had a 'checklist' or some advice on the best way to prepare for the side effects? Appreciate your help!

[Lyndy]

Hi Mike

Macmillan have lots of advice on their website...in fact my hospital just printed out pages on my particular chemo regime and handed them to me!

Lyndall

[mike312 in reply to Lyndy]

Hi Lydnall,

Thanks for the advice. Replied below but I don't think everyone gets notified. Macmillian is great. I also found a few guides which I found helpful. Hopefully they might be useful to you! Mike

livebetterwith.com/guides/

[Millie-c]

Hi mike,

I would recommend loose fitting clothes for chemo day, get some magazines books games box sets etc.. Ready for the time they will spend resting. A sick bowl at hand just incase. Epsom salts for neuropathy. Iv not used this but other women on here have. I got a week tablet dispenser as I was taking quite a few different tablets.

Everyone is different with side effects so don't overthink it. Just deal with them as and if they happen.

Mandy, xx

[mike312 in reply to Millie-c]

Thanks Mandy for the reply really appreciate it! Yes, I agree sometimes you just have to go with it and see what happens. Hope you are well. Mike

[Katmal-UK]

Hi Mike

What I would add is that effects tend to be cumulative so by the end of the cycle the side effects are stronger. If your friend has nausea they don't have to suffer, make sure they tell their oncology team so that they can prescribe stronger anti-sickness. Also tell your friend to 'be kind to themselves'. Be selfish, take as much time as they need to rest etc, don't feel they have to put on a brave face for others. It's can be a tough time but won't last. I wish your friend (whose lucky to have you as a friend) all the best for their treatment. Kathy x

[mike312 in reply to Katmal-UK]

Thanks for the advice Kathy and your kind words. I appreciate it! Mike X

[Hidden]

The only thing I would add is drink lots of water before during and after chemo, it does help. Wishing your friend all the best for chemo, you fo get through it. X

[Yoshbosh]

Hi Mike,

If your friend currently has long hair, might I gently suggest she gets it cut short? I had shoulder length hair before chemo, but had it chopped into a pixie crop so that when it started to fall out, it wasn't so traumatic. I then chose to shave it all off once it started to fall out in chunks.

Also, the leaflets for the different chemo drugs cover ALL common (and less common) side effects. Your friend probably won't experience every single one on the list, so the days after the first session will be a bit 'suck it and see' to work out how she feels.

She's lucky to have such a supportive friend.

[Hidden]

hi mike, I asume its for Ovarian Cancer. I would advise getting in plain biscuits or crackers. There may be some days your friend wont feel like a meal so they are handy to have. Maybe prunes in juice to help with constipation. There may be a few down days four or five days post chemo so be prepared for that. Rest is the only thing then. Once she perks up suggest a few hours out of the house to relieve the boredom or break up the day.

[giovannabett]

I used to chew gum to help with the constipation.

[lesleysage]

Morning Mike,

Agree with all the above and in addition I found that the range of food I could enjoy eating shifted over the 21day cycle and then, on recurrence, the 7-day cycle of treatment. There became very few foods which I could eat without regurgitation etc. in the four days post-chemo (and I was having all the tablet help as well) but this range increased as I got more 'normal days' under my belt. Then, as the cycles stacked up, by cycle 4, 5 & 6 the range, even on good days, tummy 'acceptance' was more limited. I am teasingly called 'an amateur foodie' (someone who genuinely enjoys fresh ingredients and cooking simple dishes), so I gradually sorted out a few recipes which I could cook on my good days and freeze into small portions for the not so good days...it all became very repetitive! I still lost two stone through the op & chemo (carbo/taxol). When in treatment for the second recurrence (carbo/taxol + Avastin), I also paid for two sessions (total cost £100) with a dietician to help me 'pack a powerful nutritional punch into a small quantity' of the food I enjoyed. In addition to the advice to me, she wrote to my GP recommending two products which were tasteless which added nutritional value to the small amounts I could eat. All worked well for me and I only lost half a stone overall this second time.

Hope the day is as good as it can be,

Lesley

[Sunfleury-UK]

Hi Mike, I think there's been a few really useful posts here over the last couple of years... Try putting 'chemo tips' into the search box and hopefully you'll find more ideas!

I think for anyone going through chemo, having friends and family who have tried to find out what might help or understand the challenges would be a wonderful thing. It is for many, quite an assault, not just (hopefully) on the disease but also on health, wellbeing and sometimes identity. Having people around you, who support, encourage and love you can't be underestimated....

Best wishes, Sx

[luluw]

Hi Mike

Some brilliant advice here. The only thing I would add is to buy an electric toothbrush and fit it with a soft/sensitive head. If you're feeling queasy, putting a toothbrush in your mouth can make it worse. A good electric brush, used gently, is maximum benefit for minimum effort! My dentist was amazed at how good my teeth were when I went back after finishing chemo recently.

Good luck

Lou xxx

[mike312]

Thanks everyone for all the amazing posts and advice! I feel very prepared now! I will definitely be using some of these tips and techniques. I really appreciate it. I've also been searching around online and found lots of other advice. I found a couple of websites / guides that I thought were helpful. I'll share them below. Incase someone else searches for this.

macmillan.org.uk/informatio...

livebetterwith.com/guides/

chemocare.com/default.aspx

Hope it helps!