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I have created a forum for discussion of Breast Cancer. Anyone having any questions about treatment or who just want to talk about what they are going through can join this forum.

Together, we can beat Breast Cancer!

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Before you start chemo treatment for breast cancer I would recommend purchasing the following items:

1. Water - Be sure to drink a lot of water the day before, of and after your treatment. For my first 2 treatments I made a point to drink a gallon a day and my side effects were minimal. I slacked on the third treatment and it seems to me like my body noticed the difference. I will be sure to do it again for my last treatment.

2. Lotion - My hands were very dry after I started doing chemo. They got so bad that I actually went out and purchased vaseline and used it on my hands. The dryness only lasted a few days and then my skin started itching.

3. Dr. Katz Therabreath Oral Rinse - Chemo kills the fast growing cells in your body, which includes the cells in your mouth. This can cause infection or sores in your mouth. If you rinse your mouth out a couple of times a day with this rinse it will help prevent you from any mouth sores. I started using it after getting a sore on my tongue that was very painful. After using it for a couple of days the sore went away and I have not had any trouble since. If you can not find this exact mouth rinse I am sure you can use any rinse that is alcohol free.

4. Anti-Nausea Medication - My doctor gave me a prescription for 100 pills and I after 45 days of treatment I have only needed to use one. I never actually got sick to my stomach. I am only recommending anti-nausea medication because I have heard that some people do get sick and I know I felt better just knowing I had something to help should I need it. I still carry it in my purse and will continue to do so until I am done with treatment.

5. Constipation Medication – You will probably get constipated during the first week of treatment. Be sure to have something around just in case you do.

6.Prilosec - Or any other heartburn medication. After my second treatment I had such terrible acid-reflux that I couldn’t sleep laying down. I would wake up with a sore throat because of all the acid in my stomach. I started taking Prilosec the day before my treatment and have not had a problem since.

7. Hair Catcher for the Shower - These can be found for just over a dollar at Walmart. Having one of these over your bathtub drain will save you from having to call a plumber.

8. Wig - If you are planning to wear a wig after your hair falls out then you will need to get one within the first two weeks of treatment. Don’t believe your friends who will tell you that you might get lucky and your hair might not fall out….or that they have a friend of a friend who’s hair only got thin. I repeat, don’t believe them! Your hair will fall out! It will get so thin that you will have a large bald spot on your head. You can see how my head looked before and after I shaved it. If I were to do this over I would shave my head on the 14th day even though that is when it just started falling out. It is unbelievable how much hair I found in my clothes and sheets and on the carpet.

9. Head Beanie - I was amazed at what a bald head feels like. It feels like what your head feels like when you just get out of the shower, cold and wet. Not very comfortable when you are trying to sleep at night. I had a beanie and it helped me tremendously.

10. Hats or Head Covers – I personally did not want to wear a wig all the time and I fell in love with wearing hats and head covers.

11. Lemonade - Some drinks start tasting funny after chemo but I have noticed that lemonade tastes good.

 12. Neosporin - This will come in handy when your nose gets so dry it hurts. The inside of my nose got so dry that it cracked and the neosporin helped heal it quickly.

13. Tissues - Taxotere messes with your sinuses so be sure to keep some tissues in your purse or pocket at all times. My nose would start running without any warning.

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I have finished my 2nd cycle of chemotherapy for breast cancer. The chemo drugs I was given were Taxotere and Cytoxan. You can see my side effects from the first cycle here. This time I started a day early because my blood tests came back so well (and my doctor had they do off when I was originally suppose to give blood).

The doctor lowered my dose by 10% for my second round, which could be why I really didn’t have very many side effects this time. But just for your reference I have listed them for you.

Day 22:    Full of Energy, have cough from last weeks cold, but feel very good. Shaved my head because
                 I had big bald spots.

                                                                   Before

                                                             After

                                   

Day 23:                Feel Good

Day 24:                Feel Good

Day 25:                Woke up with a sore throat from acid reflux. Sleepy during the day. Soda tastes different.

Day 26:                Tired. Acid reflux – started taking  prilosec. Food doesn’t have much flavor.

Day 27:                Tired, itchy skin & scalp.

Day 28:                Feel good, itchy scalp.

Day 29:                Insomnia, itchy scalp
�
Day 30:               Feel Good, big appetite

Day 31:               Feel Good, Big appetite.
�
Day 32:               Feel Good, dry nose, dry mouth

Day 33:               Feel Good, dry nose, dry mouth

Day 34:               Feel good, runny nose off/on throughout the day.
 �
Day 35:               Feel Good. �

Day 36:               Feel Good, acid reflux 

Day 37:               Feel Good, I’ve noticed I’ve lost some of my eyelashes but still have all my eye brows.
   �
Day 38:               Feel Good

Day 39:               Feel Good

Day 40:               Feel Good
.
Day 41:               Feel Good

Day 42:               Feel Good, had blood test & it came back great! Had 3rd chemo treatment
 

The side effects I’ve had have been so minimal that I am so glad that I decided to have the chemo. The worst thing that happened was my hair falling out. But I’ve got a couple of cute wigs and getting ready in the morning is so much easier now. My advice to anyone starting these two chemo drugs would be that you should shave your head as soon as your hair starts coming out. And be sure to have it done professionally otherwise you might risk getting razor bump or ingrown hair on your scalp like I did. It is very painful! If you do happen to get razor bumps you can buy stuff to get rid of them at target. The price range is $4.00 – $8.00 and is very worth it!

I will document my results from the 3rd round of chemo as soon as it is done. Today was my first day and so far I feel good. The doctor gave me the same dosage as last time so I am not expecting anything different.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know if you have any questions or if my posts have help you with your own decision on whether to have chemo.

 If you would like to talk to others or share your story, I have created a forum for discussion.