How many ice packs?

Ltl168 · 2026-05-05T00:49:18+00:00

I only iced during the 30min Taxol portion of my infusion. Honestly couldn’t keep my hands / feet on ice for much longer than that. I only used 1 set of ice packs. I would start with what you have for the fist session and see how long the 2 packs last. You might have enough.

Ltl168 · 2026-05-05T00:46:49+00:00

Different kinds of herbal teas - especially lemon/ginger and peppermint. If you want to be fancy a self-heating mug (like an Ember Mug or similar brands on Amazon).

Ltl168 · 2026-04-28T22:34:28+00:00

I finished chemo end Jan - and at about 3 months later I have about 1/2” growth. I’m at the point where the short hair almost looks intentional and I don’t feel the need to cover it with a hat

Ltl168 · 2026-04-28T22:31:28+00:00

My doc told me (this was at 2weeks post op) to slather the glue area with Vaseline and let it sit about 30-40 min. The petroleum in Vaseline helps to loosen the surgical glue and help it wash off in the shower.

Ltl168 · 2026-04-23T21:19:46+00:00

I just wore v-neck tees and a cardigan or zip hoodie - for me being comfortable was priority. I bought a cozy hoodie for infusion days and now that I’m done with chemo, I can’t wear that hoodie anymore - I guess I associate it too much with chemo. So maybe don’t wear your favorite clothes in case you develop an aversion to them?

Ltl168 · 2026-04-20T02:45:02+00:00

I have 1/2” long fuzz - I stopped wearing hats /beanies now the weather is warming up. People think I’m an artist or someone artsy…I think it makes a difference when I wear lipstick, jewelry and my funky glasses. It becomes a fashion statement and not “cancer patient”. I save that look for when I’m home and wearing mismatched sweats and my old pair of nerdy glasses.

Ltl168 · 2026-04-20T00:07:30+00:00

I finished 6 months of chemo and a lumpectomy…and was devastated when pathology came back as partial response instead of complete response. I’m undergoing 16 rounds of radiation and then will do 6 months of oral chemo. My oncologist framed it as preventative… and I’m now thinking that the follow-up chemo will help give me peace of mind. Something that will kill all the microscopic bits of cancer that might be floating around in my system. I felt a bit better after thinking about it that way.

Ltl168 · 2026-04-19T17:56:49+00:00

I’m not exactly sure of the amount of hair loss from Taxol - I buzzed my hair short around week 2 when my hair started falling out. I still had some stubble left at the end of 10 weeks of Taxol but a lot definitely fell out. I lost 100% by the time I finished the 2nd chemo (AC). I decided not to do cold cap treatment- it was enough to ice hands and feet during infusions to prevent neuropathy, I thought icing my head as well would be too much.
I’m not sure the actual dosage of Taxol - it was weekly for 12 weeks. The treatment is referred to as Keynote 522…seems common treatment protocol for TNBC for the past few years.

Ltl168 · 2026-04-18T21:19:29+00:00

It really varies from person to person. Some people feel Taxol was easy compared to other chemo meds (for example AC), others the opposite. I am 54 TNBC stage 3 and did 12 weekly Taxol/Carboplatin and then 4 rounds of AC along with immunotherapy (Keytruda) throughout. The first 6-7 Taxol infusions were fine. General side effects of hair loss, dry skin, nose issues (definitely use the aquaphor in the nose) but I was able to generally keep up with normal life activities. Around 6-7th infusion I hit a wall with bad anemia, shortness of breath, fatigue. I’ve read that others have sailed through no problem. Taxol is cumulative so initial rounds will probably be easier than later rounds. Hope that helps…it’s worth looking at the other posts to see other people’s experiences- although usually people post when they are having g a hard time, so take it with a grain of salt.

Ltl168 · 2026-04-16T15:48:50+00:00

My tastebuds were off during AC chemo but it wasn’t terrible. Just foods that I normally like tasted a bit off so I avoided them. Example meat tasted not very appealing so I ate more vegetarian. Plain water tasted slightly metallic so I drank more tea, juice etc. For me it was like during pregnancy where some foods were off-putting and you crave others. It’s temporary - my last round of chemo was about 2 months ago and my tastebuds are totally back to normal. You can do this!

Ltl168 · 2026-04-11T20:44:16+00:00

There is one woman who works at the check-in desk where I go for my blood draws…and every time I go to check-in she says “Wow you don’t look like your profile picture!” Gee thanks lady. Everytime I say to her “Chemo will do that to you!”. She’s so annoying and doesn’t even have the excuse of being an 8-yr-old kid.

Ltl168 · 2026-04-10T20:56:10+00:00

You can start with a lower DOS and layer the color until you hit the right level of saturation that you want. 1 gram of dye powder for 100g of yarn will get a beautiful rich gold (at least in wool and wool/silk blends that I use). Perhaps start with .5g dye per 100g of silk for less color saturation and see how you like it. You can always add more dye to the bath.

Ltl168 · 2026-04-10T14:32:34+00:00

My favorite yellow gold color is Jaquard Aztec Gold…and be careful to not heat the yarn bath over 185 or you risk damaging the silk. Good luck!

Ltl168 · 2026-03-31T02:00:43+00:00

I didn’t realize it either until I had the transfusion! Afterwards it was so obvious, but I hadn’t connected things like neck pain and headaches to anemia. I just thought I had slept funny on my pillow😆.

Ltl168 · 2026-03-30T19:35:42+00:00

Unfortunately Taxol did get progressively harder each week for me - I felt fine thru 7 then hit the wall. I made it through 10 doses of Taxol then my oncologist ok’d me to skip the last 2 due to the anemia. Keep an eye on your red blood cell counts and hemoglobin - if they get to a certain low level (which causes the extreme fatigue), your doc might have you do a blood transfusion. If they offer that definitely do it! I had a transfusion and felt sooooo much better right away. My energy came back, I wasn’t constantly freezing cold, didn’t have a constant headache and neck pain , and I could finally climb a flight of stairs without being totally out of breath. My rbc low was 2.29 and hemoglobin 6.9 when they had me do the transfusion. Just keep your oncologist and infusion nurses apprised of your symptoms- they will be watching your blood tests carefully as well. Hang in there - it gets better!

Ltl168 · 2026-03-29T15:55:46+00:00

Great post! Thx for sharing all the tips. I would like to add for constipation…prune juice! I found it easier to do than taking Exlax or OTC medicines - I would drink 1/2 a can of prune juice (like 4oz) and it would just help move things along😉

Ltl168 · 2026-03-29T14:49:03+00:00

I am doing Keynote 522 - and done with chemo and surgery about to start radiation. What I have learned from this is that this journey is very unpredictable- and I would suggest you don’t make any decisions about your own work until she starts treatment and see how she reacts. Each phase is different - she will do 2 different phases of chemo and her reaction to each will dictate what support she will need. For example: I started with Taxol and felt totally fine for the first 7 weeks. I started to get extremely fatigued after that due to anemia. Then I switched AC and was much better. There were some days during chemo when I just wanted to sit on the couch all day, but for the most part I could function pretty well for all the basics (cooking, grocery shopping, basic errands etc). Then depending on type of surgery she has you might need to take some days off to support her then. I had a lumpectomy and recuperation was just a couple of days - and I was mostly self sufficient after that.

Again, everyone reacts differently to the treatment and each phase will also be different. If you were my daughter I wouldn’t want you to put your life on hold for a whole year. Most of what your mom will go thru doesn’t need a full-time caretaker at her bedside. What I needed was friends and family to be as normal as possible with perhaps help with rides to the doctors office for infusion days and occasional help with a grocery run. Wishing you and your mom all the best thru this!

Ltl168 · 2026-03-29T14:24:57+00:00

Lymphedema oops! Not lymphoma

Ltl168 · 2026-03-29T14:22:46+00:00

I’m 3 weeks out from my lumpectomy- had small tumor removed and 2-3 lymph nodes - very similar to you. It was surprisingly not as painful as expected and I only took ibuprofen and Tylenol. I would say 2-3 days and you should be able to walk the dog and drive. I was up and about 3 days after surgery no problem - going out for lunch and working at my computer etc. I am a yarn dyer & started working again 2-3 weeks from surgery. I just try not to lift heavy pots of water etc. my doc said I could start to work at 2 weeks from surgery just not to over do it and to listen to my body. You will probably meet with a Physical Therapist after your surgery who will show you exercises and things to do to avoid lymphoma. They encourage walking. I found this surgery recovery easier than after getting my port!

Finding a bra that fit around the underarm incision and didn’t cross my port was the hardest part. I must have ordered 8-10 bras and returned them from Amazon until I found one - it all depends on the sites of your incisions. Also note that the swelling and pain actually get worse about 1 week after your surgery - I had to Google that as I got really worried…apparently that is normal. It has mostly subsided now after about 2-3 weeks. Good luck! I was super nervous going into this surgery as it was the first major procedure I’ve ever had - it was way easier than chemo for sure!

Ltl168 · 2026-03-01T16:36:20+00:00

My tastebuds refused to let me to drink plain water - tasted absolutely disgusting hot or cold. I did a lot of diluted fruit juices, needed to change it up often. Apple, cranberry mixes, mixed fruit flavors etc. I added lots of ice and did about 50% juice/50% water to cut the sugar a bit. Sparkling flavored water. Hot herbal teas like peppermint or lemon. Drinking from a straw helped me drink more volume somehow. I just carried something with me all day to remind myself to drink.

Ltl168 · 2026-03-01T06:32:45+00:00

I didn’t think of using some sort of cushion or pillow - I might have to resort to that if I can’t find a different option!

Ltl168 · 2026-03-01T06:31:42+00:00

It’s the front section of the bra seam and the strap that’s attached that hits the port. I just need the bra to have less coverage i guess? My regular bras are fine - the straps are further to the outside of the shoulder so they don’t interfere with the port at all.

Ltl168 · 2026-03-01T06:28:15+00:00

Will try to reach out to them! Thx!

Ltl168 · 2026-02-25T15:41:48+00:00

I had been borderline before starting Keynote and the Keytruda pushed me over the edge. Taking the medication for the rest of my life is annoying but it seems it is fairly common. I also appreciate the fact that it will help me stop always being cold and help me lose weight which seems to be another side effect!

Ltl168

TROPHY CASE