Tag Archives: chemotherapy

What I Realized When I had No Hair

Who would have thought losing your hair could be so traumatic? I never really did but the reality is I really did miss having my hair. Before I got cancer I had mid-back length hair and then within a week of my first chemo I was sitting in the hair salon going GI Jane and getting it cut off. I made that choice after days of crying every time a chunk of hair fell out. Now if you anything like me you want to know when it will come back. Your hair will start to regrow in 30 – 60 … Continue reading →

Choosing to Laugh

Chemotherapy is done and I survived. I am still bald, feel like poo but it’s done. Now I start visiting with the radiation oncologist and see what the next step of treatment entails. Before I start telling you all about the radiation let me tell you a few good things that I found about going through the chemotherapy. *When you have no hair you save money on shampoo, conditioner, and haircuts. *When it is time to get ready you do not have to do your hair all you have to do is slip a wig or turban on. *If there … Continue reading →

Why do Chemo and Still Smoke

So for the next 16 weeks I kept up the same routine; Thursday chemo, Friday Neulasta Shot, Saturday and Sunday in bed, the next week included Doctor’s appointments, blood test and trying to be somewhat normal for my three kids and husband. The treatment cycle was hard with most chemo treatment plans you do three week cycles so you have the third week to feel almost normal. With my does dense cycle I did mine every two weeks so I did not get the third feel normal week. Do you know what drove me crazy when I was getting my … Continue reading →

1st round of Chemo Down Now What

I have had my first round of chemo and I really do not feel so bad. I have to go back tomorrow to get a Neulasta shot. They say that because I am doing the dose dense chemo (every 2 weeks) that I need to have this shot the day after each dose of chemo so that my white blood count stays up. The shot itself was not too bad; the next day though is a different story. I woke up and felt like my husband beat me with a baseball bat. This is quite possibly the most painful thing … Continue reading →

Your First Chemo

Going to your first chemotherapy is a very scary day. When you walk in you see other patients who are further along in their treatments than you, and you cannot help but feel scared of the reality you see in their eyes. Before you got the cancer diagnosis did you see a cancer patient and automatically feel bad for them? Now the realization that you are now the one that people will feel bad for makes a sick feeling in your stomach. The patients in the chemo room look at you and smile, or do the head nod but you … Continue reading →

ED Drugs Tested for Chemotherapy

Recent tests from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California may have come up with a new use for impotence drugs: treating brain tumors. A research team from Cedars-Sinai looked specifically at Levitra and Viagra (you may have heard of them). Although the two drugs get a lot of press for their powers in the bedroom, it looks like they may have another power — with the ability to help a lot of people. In laboratory tests on rats with brain tumors, vardenafil (Levitra) and sildenafil (Viagra) were able to carry chemotherapy drugs safely past the blood-brain barrier. Did you … Continue reading →

Facts about Canine Cancer

The brochure I picked up for Chase Away K9 Cancer was chock full of interesting information. There were a lot of facts about canine cancer that I wanted to share. Veterinary experts estimate that as many as one out of every three dogs will get some form of cancer. That’s a very high (and scary) percentage. Look at it this way: I’ve had three dogs (Miko, Lally, and Moose). Odds are, one of them will experience cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in dogs. More facts about canine cancer: Approximately HALF of all dogs over the age … Continue reading →

Not All Breast Cancer Patients Need Chemotherapy

Two recent studies took a look at whether or not chemotherapy is the best treatment for breast cancer — with interesting results. The studies were reported at the 31st Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, an annual gathering of scientists from around the world. One study found that women were less likely to have a relapse or die if treated with a less harsh drug than the standard chemotherapy drug, Adriamycin. One study (from Loyola University in Chicago, IL) used a gene test to help predict whether or not a woman actually needs chemotherapy to treat breast cancer — or … Continue reading →

Treating Cervical Cancer

If you have been diagnosed with cervical cancer, you have three basic types of treatment available. Which treatment is used depends on several factors, including the type and size of the growth, the patient’s age, the patient’s desire to have children, and the stage of the cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays and other types of radiation to kill off cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy: external radiation therapy and internal radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed into a seed or … Continue reading →

Working Out with Cancer

Today’s cancer patient is discovering that rest isn’t always the best prescription. In fact, a growing body of thought has indicated that walking, yoga and other forms of exercise can help a cancer patient endure their treatments including chemotherapy both psychologically and physically. More and more, oncologists are recommending that exercise is on par with nutrition when it comes to cancer patients. More than 3 decades ago, my grandmother developed uterine cancer. She had a hysterectomy and months of radiation treatments and chemotherapy. Even on days when she just wanted to throw up and curl up into a ball, she … Continue reading →