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• havetodance

  

  • 1 posts
  May 10, 2011 11:51:30 PM WATime

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  Hi Everyone,

  Would like to start a thread on some practical tips during treatment that could help other women about to embark on treatment or who are in the early stages. For example, someone told me about a tip to help prevent constipation during chemo and that was to purchase coloxyl WITHOUT senna.I wish I had known this before my first chemo session. It would have spared me tears and pain. Please add your hints or suggestions.

• Ness

  

  • 81 posts
  May 11, 2011 10:19:34 AM WATime

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  Thanks for starting this thread! I know the main thing my mother-in-law said was to have plenty of icy poles and mints during treatment to help stop the funny taste she sometimes had in her mouth.

  The Click Project Coordinator
  

  Daughter-in-law and niece of breast cancer "thrivers"!

• goggie

  

  • 8 posts
  June 5, 2011 2:45:43 PM WATime

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  I was fortunate to have aloxi as the anti emetic rather than Kytril... Aloxi didn't cause contipation :)
  
  During my six months of chemo I took a game of travel scrabble with us each time. It helps distract you and make the time pass more quickly.

  60 YO mother DX Aug 10, Multi focal DCIS. Nodes clear, lumpectomy, re-excision, right mastectomy and node clearance. Chemo AC and paclitaxel

• goggie

  

  • 8 posts
  June 5, 2011 2:48:54 PM WATime

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  In the first 3 months of chemo I suffered quite a lot of stomach discomfort. I didn't think to talk to the oncolgist about it. When we moved to the new treatment (paclitaxol) I mentioned the discomfort so he prescribe Nexium. It made a huge difference to me. If only I had known to ask for it during the AC treatment it would have made my life much easier.

  This post was edited by goggie at June 5, 2011 2:48:54 PM WATime"

  60 YO mother DX Aug 10, Multi focal DCIS. Nodes clear, lumpectomy, re-excision, right mastectomy and node clearance. Chemo AC and paclitaxel

• goggie

  

  • 8 posts
  June 5, 2011 3:09:01 PM WATime

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  One more tip from me... if you are having chemo, definitely do the "Look good feel better workshop" which is offered. (www.lgfb.org.au) I registered online and attended the course at SJOG Subiaco. It was just amazing, the participants were in various stages of cancer treatment so you were among friends immediately and the presenters were kind and supportive.

  It was good to see the various head covering options. After attending the workshop I decided that I would have a wig while I had no hair. Seeing the difference it made to participants who had no hair at the time and tried on wigs convinced me.

  The workshop generously provided a complete set of makeup for all attendees, donated by the various make up companies and the presenters gave some excellent instruction on how to apply it for best effect.

  Worth every minute of the 2 hours for the workshop.

  60 YO mother DX Aug 10, Multi focal DCIS. Nodes clear, lumpectomy, re-excision, right mastectomy and node clearance. Chemo AC and paclitaxel

• Cynthia

  

  • 124 posts
  June 24, 2011 6:29:31 PM WATime

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  Thanks for the info Goggie. Would you like to post the info in our resources area so everyone out there can know? Thx mate.

  the Click Researcher