Metallic taste - any tips

Thanks Sam, I've added peppermint tea, crown mints and minties to the shopping list.

Julie

Thanks Sam, I've added peppermint tea, crown mints and minties to the shopping list.

Julie

No portacath for me. I had one inserted but got a blood clot less than 2 weeks after surgery and had to have it removed. This was then followed by claxine (blood thinners) injected twice a day for about 4 weeks, by MYSELF... As if, surgery and chemo wasn't enough. I got to a point where I was having trouble find a non bruised spot on my stomach to jab myself. A PICC line was discussed, but my oncologist is leaving that as a last resort. Had a blood test today. Horrible again. Three attempts, lots of pocking around and lots of tears. 

I'm with you chemo brain, a great excuse

Ok...ahh the memories! :-(

RevitaNail for the nails is the one your onc nurse would be thinking of. (I got a "comfort pack" from my hospital when I started chemo and it was included! Win/Win!)

Also, peppermint, peppermint, peppermint because it also has anti nausea qualities to it. Peppermint tea for hydration and calming, Crown Mints at my chemo appts, Tic Tacs in my handbag and a BIIIIIG bowl of minties next to the lounge/bed/sofa/basin/toilet/laundry etc etc lol!

Good luck and you can soooooo do this!

Sam x

Yes finding veins became a nightmare and in the end - before i started the herceptin - my oncologist finally recommended I have a porta - cath put in.  That made the 3 weekly sessions much more easy to take - once they gave me the lanacaine to put over the site before they put in the needle.  A couple of times it didn't deaden well and, of course, those were the times the part time nurse at our little clinic had problems getting the needle in!  Mostly though I would recommend having one put in - saves all that digging around they do trying to chase a vein that is trying to colapse.  Aparently, once you have one in it can stay there indefinately as long as it is flushed with saline 6 weekly, but my oncologist recommended it be taken out as a part of 'finality' of treatment.  And I still have no veins in my left arm even now - so blood tests become a bit of a trial.  I have given up saying that they cannot use my right arm (no lymph nodes), and just present that one as the veins in it are really good.  No problem with lymphodeama yet, so seems to be ok.  I have also found that chemo brain doesn't go away - or at least that's my excuse - I won't own up to a seniors moment yet!

Hi Cassboyle - the smell you get from water is probably 'chlorine' - all you have to do is let the water 'sit' for about half an hour, the chlorine will evaporate naturally and the smell will disappear.  I boil all water from the tap now and keep it in the fridge - a couple of years ago we had to 'dig up' and replace a couple of water pipes in some flats we were managing - these were 'drinking water pipes' - after I saw the inside of the pipes - I concluded that I would boil my tap water from that moment on!  At the moment you sense of smell is hightened  - I noticed this when I went to my art group - I use acrylics (water base paints) but some of the ladies still use oils and I had to stop going until my chemo finished because the fumes gave me a thumping headache.  Good luck with the water! x Josie

Hi Cassboyle - the smell you get from water is probably 'chlorine' - all you have to do is let the water 'sit' for about half an hour, the chlorine will evaporate naturally and the smell will disappear.  I boil all water from the tap now and keep it in the fridge - a couple of years ago we had to 'dig up' and replace a couple of water pipes in some flats we were managing - these were 'drinking water pipes' - after I saw the inside of the pipes - I concluded that I would boil my tap water from that moment on!  At the moment you sense of smell is hightened  - I noticed this when I went to my art group - I use acrylics (water base paints) but some of the ladies still use oils and I had to stop going until my chemo finished because the fumes gave me a thumping headache.  Good luck with the water! x Josie

Hi,

You sound like you have been to hell and back. Hearing your story, I will pull my head in and put up with the nausea. No head down the toilet for me, thank goodness. Although my oncologist is adding valium to my mix hoping that will dull the brain and trick it so it won't think of the nausea. This will be very interesting as my brain has been very dull since the breast cancer diagnosis. 

I hear what you are saying about painful veins. My oncologist offered to put me in hospital for fluids and all I could think of was 'NEEDLE' and how finding a vein is going to be painful, so I declined the offer. I will put my hand up, I'm a baby and I'm allowed to be.... What a journey, but it's amazing how we all look for positives.

I actually found that nothing helped and spent 6 months with my head down the loo - even thinking about food had this effect.  I tried a spoonful of crushed ice at a time, but still the same effect.  I ended up at the local clinic a couple of times after the flying doctor cent me there for a drip - it was mid summer in the outback.  The other times I didn't bother to go - finding the veins was painful.  However, looking on the bright side I lost so much weight that by the time I was ready for radio and my herceptin (doesn't make you sick at all), I was two sizes smaller!  In hindsight this was a great positive of the whole thing!

I actually found that nothing helped and spent 6 months with my head down the loo - even thinking about food had this effect.  I tried a spoonful of crushed ice at a time, but still the same effect.  I ended up at the local clinic a couple of times after the flying doctor cent me there for a drip - it was mid summer in the outback.  The other times I didn't bother to go - finding the veins was painful.  However, looking on the bright side I lost so much weight that by the time I was ready for radio and my herceptin (doesn't make you sick at all), I was two sizes smaller!  In hindsight this was a great positive of the whole thing!