Before going through it myself, I pictured a chemo patient as bald, weak, and huddled over a toilet. When I found out I would need chemotherapy, I knew I’d try anything to not be that person. I didn’t want to worry my family and friends and I wanted to continue to be able to take care of my kiddos.
Everyone’s treatment is different. Every patient is different. I decided I would try lots of different things, so that together it would be a whole wellness approach! I needed 12 weeks of taxol and herceptin, given every three weeks. Then I continued the herceptin for another 12 weeks. Read on to see what worked for me
Commit to an Acupuncture Regimen– Acupuncture is a part of traditional Chinese medicine, using needles to stimulate points in our bodies to balance the flow of energy. I credit my acupuncture as the numero uno reason I was able to complete chemo with very few side effects. According to breast cancer. org, studies show that acupuncture may help relieve fatigue, control hot flashes, help decrease nausea, and lessen pain. I found all of these to be true.
My acupuncturist spent time asking me all about my lifestyle and medical history. I filled out a very detailed questionnaire that asked me everything from my temperament to bathroom habits. During acupuncture, you lay on a massage type table. I like mine heated with the ceiling fan on. I also get a heat lamp placed over my feet. Relaxing music is playing. Once you are comfortable, the practitioner inserts needles into the skin using points appropriate for our treatment goals. The needles are stainless steel and extremely thin and they only go into the top layer of skin. Almost all of the time, I can barely feel them going in and when I do, there is no pain once it’s in place. Most of my points for my treatment were located in my lower legs, feet, hands and forehead. Throughout chemo, our goal was to increase organ function to decrease nausea, peripheral neuropathy and fatigue. After the first 2 weeks (where you go often to ensure your body responds to acupuncture), I went to acupuncture once a week on non chemo weeks and twice a week when I had a chemo treatment. One of those treatments was either the day of or after chemo to ensure my body would expel the chemo drugs from my system quickly and non-violently.
During my chemo class, I was given 2 prescriptions for nausea. One was for the first sign of nausea, and the other was to be taken 30 minutes later if it persisted. My oncologist and nurse continued to remind me take it at the first onset of becoming queasy because it was very hard to manage. The prescriptions had several refills. The first day after my first chemotherapy, I was so worked up about this nausea they told me I needed to stay on top of that I took one of the pills on my way to my acupuncture appointment. It was the only one I ever took.
I can’t say enough positive things about my acupuncture experience. If you are interested, find an acupuncturist who is a licensed as an acupuncturist and has had advanced training. Many physicians are certified in acupuncture, but the few weekend training classes they take to get certified won’t benefit you much! Stick with the experts!
Drink Water like a Champion– During each chemotherapy treatment, I drank 20 ounces of water every half hour. Chemo is amazing for its cancer killing qualities, however it reeks havoc on the rest of your system as well. Let it come on in and do its thing and then get it out of there! I drank so much water, I was using the bathroom about every 20 minutes at the infusion center. You will feel like sleeping during treatment, especially after those pre-drugs start flowing, but trust me, you will feel so much better after if you stay super hydrated. Continue to drink as much water as you can for the next three to four days after treatment.
Supplement your Diet– I knew I should be eating healthy organic whole foods to help my body heal. I also knew I wouldn’t always be in the mood to eat healthy. I supplemented with Greens First Pro, which contains 54 different super foods and has 15 servings of fruits and vegetables in every scoop. Some folks can add a scoop to water and drink it down. I have a hard time with the aftertaste. So I added it to a berry banana smoothie each day. It was delish, and I ensured my body was getting what it needed to repair my cells.
Exercise– I was lucky that I felt well throughout my chemotherapy. However, I did have pretty bad bone pain on the 3rd-5th days after chemo. I tried to continue to walk each day and if it was too hot, I did jumping jacks, butt kickers and high knees in the pool. I felt that if I woke up feeling fatiqued, the exercise actually gave me a much needed energy boost.
Claritin– I took over the counter Claritin to help with my bone pain. The bone pain was by far the worst side effect I experienced. The Claritin was recommended to help it subside.
On each 3rd day post-chemo the bones in my legs started like clock-work. It crept upward into the bones in my pelvis and torso by the next day. It was a dull and constant pain all day but very bearable. Nighttime was a different story. It was still dull but I had to constantly reposition my feet and legs. No matter how tired I was, I couldn’t sleep because of the pain and the constant need to change positions. By day 5 post-chemo, it was feeling better and by day 6 it was gone completely.
I mentioned the bone pain to my oncologist and he said that taxol was known for contributing to bone pain. He prescribed hydrocodone. It didn’t work any magic, but it cut the pain enough to sleep. This mama was too busy to be awake all night!
Mouthcare– I don’t like canker sores. I had researched and planned on oil pulling daily throughout treatment to prevent mouth sores, but my dentist strongly discouraged it. She said if the oil filled with all the bacteria it pulled from your mouth was accidentally swallowed, I could develop a lung infection. It would be even worse with the chemo as your immune system is compromised. No thank you!
Instead, I rinsed with salt water a few times a day. The recipe I used was 1 quart water, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. It really helped to prevent cold sores. I only got two during the entire 12 weeks. It also seemed to help the sore throat I developed on the next day after every chemo treatment.
Skincare– Chemo is pretty hard on your body and it doesn’t spare your skin. Each night before bed, it’s recommended to use a natural lotion on your skin. I used Arbonne SeaSource Detox Spa line because it’s natural and has detoxing qualities. I also used Epson salt in my bath a few times a week for the same reason. You don’t want to take a shower or bath with water that is too hot because it will dry out your already moisture depleted skin.
My hands became so dry, I kept lotions all around the house so that I could use it often. I also used Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream each night to prevent hang nails.
Symptom Journal– Keep a notebook of how you feel each day as it relates to your treatment. After my first treatment, my symptoms came and went like clockwork. Every third day post-chemo the bone pain started. And every second day post-chemo was always major fatigue. Keeping a journal let me track how I was feeling and let me plan my life, knowing how I would feel in advance.
Positive Attitude– Having a positive outlook is so important. I tried to skip the pity party and instead focus on taking care of myself and keeping normality around the house for my kiddos.
There is no wrong way to share your journey with others. It is YOUR journey. Many women do best when they can share their ups and downs with their community. They appreciate all the prayers and support they can get. Facebook and Caring Bridge are fantastic avenues to share stories with friends and family. It’s also very therapeutic to put your thoughts into words.
I was much more private during my treatment. Only a handful of friends and family members knew about my diagnosis. I didn’t share until the day of last chemotherapy treatment. It was easier for me to hide it because I wore cold caps during chemo to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy induced alopecia. I also felt well enough that my treatment didn’t impact my daily schedule. But now that it’s over, it’s time to make my journey more meaningful by sharing my story in hope to help others in the same situation.