Chemo Transit: What's fair about chemo?

Monday, March 21, 2011

What's fair about chemo?

What would be fair is not having a cold at the same time as being on chemo. It's not a pretty combo.

I already look like a freak, but now I look like a freak who honks, wheezes, coughs and sputters.

1 comment:

J.B.March 24, 2011 at 9:29 AM
Sorry to laugh at your misfortune, but you do make me laugh! I imagine some remote humanoid culture discovering you and trying to make sense of the hairless honking sloth.

Feel free to come over and smack me if you want.
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A list of things I've learned

A sense of humor is imperative because cancer treatment is unnatural.
Cannibas works for all yucky symptoms, not just nausea.
Consider taking Glutamine powder for Taxol side effects.
Diagnosis is the hardest part. It can take weeks of appointments for the medical team to figure out how much cancer you have and where it is, how to remove it and what type of treatment to follow it up with.
During chemo/radiation treatment, ask for a "Nurse Navigator" to be your point person for everything.
Each time I had a dose of Taxol, I had menstrual cramps. I don't know why, and I stopped menstruating when I started chemo.
If a woman has the male pattern baldness gene, her hair on top of her head will grow slower than the sides.
If they give you steroids, sleep may be affected. Consider Melatonin, and if it doesn't work, sleeping pills.
If you're not normally a diplomatic, you may want to work on being one b/c people will say things you wish they hadn't.
Lymph nodes removed under an arm warrant physical therapy. Ask for a Physical Therapist who specializes in post-breast surgery treatment.
Mammogram-guided needle-core were invented by mysoginists.
Masks only work for 20 minutes, then they lose their ability to protect you.
Medical profession err on the side of worst case scenario, requiring the patient to be their own best advocate.
Read permission forms carefully (especially from third parties) to avoid added expenses. I wasn't paying attention a couple of times and got unexpected bills.
Turmeric, the spice/herb, may ease neuropathy.
When you wear a mask, strangers will think you're the one who's sick.