I have my first appointment with Oncologist next week and I'm writing down any questions that pop into my hear and seeking useful tips from others who can offer suggestions for what helped during day of treatment and what to have at home to help get through the not so good days please.

Hi @4Coco,Chemo tips from me include:# drink lots of water a couple days before and after# some exercise even on treatment day# juice of beetroot, celery, carrot, apple and ginger which is helpful for the liver (chemo drugs are hard on the liver). Have this a couple days either side of treatment # try meditation or mindfulness # ask for help at home # accept help if it is offered# take any anti nausea tablets if needed# eat healthy but if things taste funny eat what works for you# if not using a cold cap shave your head before day 17 after the first chemo as it is distressing to watch it all fall out# look after your skin as chemo is drying. I used moogoo which is no chemicals # really take care of your oral hygiene to avoid mouth ulcers. I used floss after every meal and my breast care nurse recommended mouth gargle with salty water after every meal. I religiously did this and never got a mouth ulcers# try thinking that chemo is a golden light that only treats the cancer cells and doesn't impact anything else.# speak up to your oncologist or breast care nurse about any adverse reactions # bring a mobile or book or something to occupy you during chemo sessions # seek counselling if needed# be kind to yourself, rest as you need and don't even try to be superwoman For radium # drink lots water and eat good healthy food # exercise and meditation or mindfulness # have soft fabric even a boob tube or a camisole if you can't wear a bra#use recommended moisturiser tge breast care nurse suggests # ask for mepilex. It is like a second skin on the radiated area and seriously helps reduce redness # speak up to your medical team if issues#rest#let others help you at home if they offer These things really helped me. We are all different so there may be others who have advice too. Best wishes to you x

HI @4Coco, while I cannot top the practical advice of your fellow members lived experience above. I thought I would share the My Journey article 'Questions to ask when diagnosed with early breast cancer' ; these are suggested questions that others have told us are helpful to ask https://myjourney.org.au/article/2090

Hi @4Coco there is lots of great advice here - I know some things that were said to me 2 years ago were so incredibly helpful. Just a couple of things to add - * fruit tingles are great for freshening up your mouth - it must be the bicarbonate soda in them. I munched my way through many packets.* do whatever feels ok - strolls, having a smoothie at 2am, lying on the couch - just be kind to yourself.* don’t wait to see if nausea passes - take the meds. I never was physically ill and I put that down to taking the meds and not letting any feelings of swirling in my stomach escalate.* I gave over to the process. Like @Afraser I did a bit of counselling at the start - incredibly helpful and really got my head in the game. * as @Cath62 said, I imagined the chemo as the liquid gold I needed to knock out anything rogue - it really changed my perception of what was happening. I then got on with the business of treatment. Thankfully there is chemotherapy and it is now individually targeted for the best results. Even in the 18 months since I finished treatment, things have changed.* I bought a little bottle of Biotene spray (mouth moisturiser) and put it in my hand bag if my mouth was dry.* Tell your treating team if you experience any side effects as they will definitely be able to help, but ‘they don’t know if they don’t know.’Take care 🌸

Hi @Mazbeth Thank you for your suggestions - fruit tingles and biotene seem to be the little stars in keeping mouth fresh. Yes agree - treating team don't know if they don't know. And yes I've started seeing @Cath62 "liquid gold treatment" the thing to focus on.

@4Coco Good for you to try and limit the chance of lymphoedema but I’m wondering where your advice comes from? I have had lymphoedema for over nine years, have an excellent specialist therapist but have never been advised to reduce my fish intake. Quite the reverse, as @arpie has indicated, a good mixed diet is recommended. Reducing caffeine, alcohol, added salt and sugars also considered a good idea, just for general health. I can’t advise on neutropenia but if the advice for each condition conflicts, it presents a minor dilemma! Raw vegetables may not reduce neutropenia but if they don’t actually make it worse or more likely, I’d be eating them for all the other benefits. Best wishes, it can all be very confusing!

Sentinel lymph nodes removed - Chemo & Radiation treatment

72 Replies

4Coco
Member
4 years ago
@Ausmum2 Agree I have to take each day as it comes, I like the sound of your surgeon. Will have to see what happens when I see my Oncologist tomorrow.
Ausmum2
Member
4 years ago
@Afraser must be a surgeons quote since mine too told me “a good scrub out and a strip back. Might hurt a bit but think we’ve got the bugger this time”. Made me laugh so much.
He’s such a lovely gentle man - was way more annoyed with the seroma than me (and kept apologising for it developing and not being an easy fix) and he spoke to the oncologist regularly to keep him up to date. So I’ve always felt like I was in the best of hands with them both.
(Can totally acknowledge that they wouldn’t be everyone’s choice though. Like everything medical treating practitioners have style that means you have to get a personality match).
Afraser
Member
4 years ago
@Ausmum2

My surgeon did a similar procedure to deal with my persistent seroma (what he termed ‘a good scrub out!’) and that finally fixed it. Irritating things although just the body going into overdrive to heal. While my oncologist was initially not too happy with chemo and so much fluid, we did six months (A/C and Taxol) with the seroma waxing and waning and quite a few aspirations.
Ausmum2
Member
4 years ago
@4Coco my breast surgeon was doing weekly aspirations for a few months before I headed back into theatres - so all the way through the AC. We timed the first drain attempts between the end of AC and the start of Paclitaxel… and when the seroma reformed anyway he spoke to the oncologist and I had a two week break in Paclitaxel treatment to do the drain (they operated on me whilst I was “hot” - ie a few days after a Paclitaxel when I was radioactive ha ha ha). The second time the surgeon stripped out the capsule (this basically re-doing the whole wound) and that “got it”).
The antibiotic coverage and WBC shots protected me in this (got close to needing a transfusion but red meat became my “second best friend” to get the red counts back up).
So I did have a bit of a rocky journey through the Paclitaxel but we got all 12 doses in just over a bit longer period.
A big thing for me was not focussing on the “end of treatment” rather just taking it all one step at a time and letting it unfold.
You can’t control this….”control is an illusion”. So I went with “know the overall plan but know you’ll be done when you are done and in the meantime actually LIVE each day. See and value the little things that bring you happiness everyday and enjoy and so the little things you can.”
Go gently
4Coco
Member
4 years ago
Hi @Ausmum2 Thanks for responding with what you've experienced with your treatment and diet advice. Your last line made me inwardly smile. I possibly have a seroma on the breast that had the surgery - I had a US a few days ago and "nothing" showed up. It raises a couple of questions for me - can you receive chemo if you have a seroma? Can the Oncologist drain the seroma?
Keeping_positiv
Member
4 years ago
I guess the cost will pay for itself soon enough if I cut down on the money I spend on meat. Not sure it is going to work that way for me, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. :) Thank you for the info @Locksley
Locksley
Member
4 years ago
I got portion control plate online (it was a few years ago cant remember exactly where). Ive just had a peek on Ebay and they are listed there as well. I know it was quite expensive a few years ago but I see some advertised from $20.00.
arpie
Member
4 years ago
LOL and the pic shows that they really only used the 'inside bit' of the plate .... not the WHOLE plate! :(

@Locksley ... Hubby demanded ALL his meals be on a 'side plate' a couple of years ago - instead of a 'dinner plate' (even before he was diagnosed as Stage 4 last year) ..... So, I now try to cram as much as I can ON it ... (height wise) .... as the idea for HIM is to ADD weight .... but he still has to eat it! Sometimes, he digs his toes in & just won't!
Keeping_positiv
Member
4 years ago
@Locksley may I ask where I can get one of those plates? I agree it doesn't seem big enough for me either, but I am curious if I can adapt to smaller portions.
Locksley
Member
4 years ago
@4Coco the ladies have made some good suggestions. I should make more of an effort.

@arpie I do have one of those plates. Just not big enough for me. :#

Forum Discussion

Sentinel lymph nodes removed - Chemo & Radiation treatment

72 Replies

Recent Discussions

Triple positive invasive lobular carcinoma

Covid jab

Triple Positive HER2+

Today was D Day

Alone in Melbourne newly diagnosed

Disclaimer:

Foundation partner	Major partners