[Jean]

Bonnie,
I am sorry you also wanted to know about TCH and effects.
Well you will loose your hair...no biggie. It grows back.
You will gain a few pounds due to the meds. No biggie you will loose after treatment.
You will feel tired like a flue two days after treatment then will rebound
in the next two to three days.
The anit nausea meds will help prevent those side effects....Just take them even if you feel fine and you may think you don't need them.
Take them anyway and stay on them...once the nausea starts it takes
hold and then you have to catch up.
Drink water and keep your body hydrated all the time.
You must flush your body from the chemicals after treatment.
Eat protein rich foods.
You will have a metal taste esp. on certain foods, I found this happened
on my salad dressings, certain foods that I enjoyed - the taste was
destroyed during chemo. I found that sherbert was refreshing.
Have your teeth cleaned and checked prior to treatment.
I stopped all manicures and pedicures during treatment to avoid
any infections. Do not expose yourself to people who have colds.
Your immune system will be lowered during treatment. I had my
treatments during the Spring and Summer - so I did not go through
a flu season. If you are working make sure you clean your phone
and computer each day with anit bacteria wipes.
I also eat yogurt each day...I never had a mouth sore.
You will feel aches and joint pain, I would take Alieve.
It is Important to exercise and take walks in the fresh air.
I did not have a port - all infusions were via my veins.
I used to have my treatments on Thur. this way I had the weekend
to rest and usually by Monday I was feeling better. But if I needed
to take another day I would just take it and rest. Friday I would
feel fine by Sat. morning it would start to hit and I would feel
tired and drained. This would last for about two days.
You may need a mild sleeping pill for the pre-meds which will keep you
wired and you may have trouble sleeping. The steriods that you will take
the day before treatment, the day of treatment and one day after
are the meds that can keep you awake. The mild sleeping will allow you to rest and you will not be exhausted from being awake and then
crashing when the meds are done.
I hope this information helps. As I said it is doable. it may sound like
a lot to deal with...but you can do it...just concentrate on stomping
on this disease and this is the way to do it.

Hope this helps....
Kind Regards,
Jean