Any experience of chemotherapy.

[Posey]

My sister has breast cancer, and has had a double mastectomy.She is due to start chemo in the next couple of weeks.
Is there anything I can send her that will help?

oh posey, how awful. my bil has had chemo. do you think she might like a good audio book?

Have you or she read "CAncer Vixen" - it's a comic strip book about breast cancer

It's really good at explaining the whole process - any funny too

I hope your sister gets better soon

will find link of book

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto

I think your support with everything in general will help i have no experience of chemo personally but have worked at a hospital and for her to know you are looking after her and her family

When my friend was having chemo I bought her a selection of Molton Brown smellies. She told me she loved using them and feeling pampered.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 years ago - didn't have a mastectomy, just lumpectomy, then chemo; no idea if hers will be the same as mine was, I think they use different cocktails for each person. Anyway I had it two weeks out of 4 (not as bad as it sounds, it was like Friday 1 & Friday 2 and then a break for 3 weeks); felt crap for 2-3 days each time and then OK. This lasted 6 months; then I had radiotherapy almost daily for 4 weeks. (Now, 5+ years on, am considered clear.)

It was not nice, but tolerable. I was nearly 50 and luckily had older teenage kids who helped a lot around the house.

HTH.

Good luck to her and to you

A friend of mine went through this and she said she got very hot at night, partially due to the chemo, with headaches etc so I got her one of these chillow pillows
-they are fab and travel easily.

Thanks for all those thoughts and good wishes too.
I feel a bit useless tbh but wanted to send her something thoughtful and useful.

Depending on her chemo regime, she may need to spend a whole day in hospital at some stage during her cycle for intravenous chemo. Both my DH and my dad have to do this so something to keep her occupied during that time. My dad does crosswords, DH takes books and magazines. Either of those would be good, or maybe knitting or stitching or puzzles if she's interested in any of those. Anything to fill the time. Depending on the quality of the hospital food and how nauseous she feels, she may appreciate some snacks for those long days too.

How lovely of you. I have no personal experience of chemo but did see my 28 year old friend go through it after a double mastectomy. It was awful but she always said she felt it was worse for the people around her than it was for her.

Make sure you take good care of yourself., won't you. How about some Molton Brown Smellies for the two of you?

I'll be thinking of you both & I wish your sis well, x

Good point, mummydoit - I was lucky and managed to always do it in a single in-and-out session, but something absorbing would be great if your sister has to stay there for hours, Posey. (My current Thing is Sudoku puzzles, they come in all levels of difficulty, if she can't do them yet show her how and then give her a book )

On a more practical note - does she have an Ipod or CD player? Maybe some itunes vouchers? Or an audio book? I imagine she'll like to have something to listen to (I know there can be an awful lot of waiting). My friend & my dad both said they liked to have thongs to listen to as reading was hard to concentrate on. Or things like magazines...

Hi Posey

My mum beat cancer last year - with chemo.

I echo excellent suggestions but would like to add that you have to go with the flow as some days good, some bad. Also, I recommend taking the anti nausea tablets even when someone is not feeling sick. It may keep it at bay... My mum also found reflexology good and relaxed her before chemo days.

Your emotional support will mean alot to your sister.

Finally tonnes of love to you all - as you will probably feel the emotion of it all too.

Munchkinmum x

Thanks again.
I feel a bit of a go-between between my sister and my mum. They both off-load on me because sis doesn't want to upset mum, and mum is understandably in a bit of a tis (if anyone feels like looking at my other Q in the Other Subjects bit)

Am hoping to get over to see her in the hols if poss. Fortunately my bil works term time only so will be around all summer without having to worry about or juggle work.

Oh you poor thing - you're in a very tricky situation. Please make sure you have someone who you can offload to when things get a bit much. Or keep posting on here. I think we'd all like to know how things are going to...

Off to look for your other thread now.

Posey, I forgot to mention the side-effects. Chemo can have a whole range of different side-effects, some you really wouldn't expect. I'm sure her oncology team will talk her through everything but the important thing is that she mentions anything she feels. There is almost always something they can give her to alleviate the symptoms. DH and Dad both had mouth ulcers and Dad had very sore feet but, in both cases, they were given something that sorted it out. She shouldn't suffer in silence and assume she has to put up with discomfort.

Also, don't forget to look after your BIL too. Undoubtedly the patient suffers, but the person caring for them has their life turned upside down too and needs a bit of looking after. As the carer, you spend so much time looking after the patient and answering everyone's questions about how they are that you can start to feel like you don't exist any more. Remember to ask how he is and how he's coping. Oh, and the same goes for you - don't forget to look after yourself. Watching someone you love go through this is not easy so make sure you've got someone you can confide in (us here at MN, if no-one in RL) and remember it's okay to get angry or upset and you don't have to be strong all the time.

Sorry, I'm rambling now. I just feel so sorry for your sister and your family and want to help in some way.