Breast Cancer Chemo Tips and Tricks

Everyone has a different experience. These are things I learned or wish I would have known, but feel free to toss ‘em. 

To be honest, the best thing I had during treatment was a group of girls I met on Instagram the first month of diagnosis. We were all diagnosed around the same time, which allows us the opportunity to exchange questions and make fun our ourselves together. Honestly, there’s nothing like a bunch of early thirties new mamas exchanging bald selfies and debating on if we look like a 🍆 or a 🥔.  

The following tips and tricks were saved in my phone throughout treatment. I hope these help you like they helped me. Some were from personal experience, while others were shared to me from women who also went through treatment.

General

1. Some cancer friends started using Revitalash before treatment. Some kept their lashes and brows longer ... and some never lost them at all. 

2. I’m a light weight when it came to meds so there wouldn’t have been a way for me to drive myself home from treatment. Especially during Taxol when I got Benny in an IV.  

3. You’re going to make a favorite nurse and you can request to have him/her every time. 

4. Take snacks to treatment. Sometimes you’re there for a long time. 

5. You’re going to get a lot of stuff you might not need (or want!). A lot of pink. A lot of blankets. A lot of coloring books. My cancer center has a place I can drop off extras for those who may not have as large of a support system. 

6. Hoodies with front zippers make port access easier. 

7. I hated the steroids and didn’t like the way they made me feel ... or how they made me puffy. I asked if they could lower the dosage and my oncologist worked with me. 

Test Week

1. If you have a PET scan or a MUGA heart scan on the docket for test week, know these include radiation and you’ll be unable to be around your kiddos for up to 24 hours. I quarantined in the guest bedroom.

Help

1. People are going to want to help. It’s nature. Having a “chore” list hanging where they can see it it super helpful.

2. Use painters tape and label drawers so you can find the things people put away. Seriously, I’m still finding laundry in weird drawers. 

3. A private Facebook group is great for family. Make yourself the admin and set the rules. For mine: nothing I post in the group is allowed to be publicly shared unless I say it’s ok. Also, I can invite who I wanted to be there. 

Adriamycin (known on the street as the Red devil)

1. Ask for the Rx mouthwash before you need it. 

2. Use the baking soda mouth rinse 2-3 x per day. (One quart (4 cups) of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.)

3. Plastic utensils keep the metal taste out of your mouth. 

4. I came out of the gate strong for the first two rounds. No problem! It got western on round 3. 

5. Take Cottonelle wet wipes with you to treatment. The red devil turns your pee red quickly and can make yo’ lady parts sensitive. 

6. Things became too heavy for my hands. It was honestly the most frustrating part. My loopy case and earbuds made my phone possible. And a light weight tumblr made drinking easier. (My Yeti was too heavy for my fingers by the 4th round)

7. Stay on top of the nausea medication after each round. Ask your medical team if you’re able to alternate medications - I was and it was tremendously helpful. If using the timer on your phone isn’t good enough, I used an app called Medisafe.

Taxol:

• The IV Benadryl knocked me out every time. Huge nap.

• I used cold gloves and socks to combat neuropathy. We kept them in the freezer and transferred to a cooler day of treatment. After labs and meeting with my oncologist, my husband would go to the car to get the cooler while I checked into treatment.

Items to have on hand:

• Thermometer - you’re going to use it daily.

• Stool softener - Milk of Magnesia, Miralax, Dulcolax.

• Aquaphor

• Triple B cream