11 Tips to Get Through Chemo
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4. Get some powder bronzer so that when your face looks pale and drawn and a little green from the drugs, you can throw on a little extra bronzer powder and blush and feel that you don't "look like a cancer patient." There is a reason the American Cancer Society has what is called the "Look Good, Feel Better" campaign, because if you get up each morning and shower and put on your blush and your wig, you literally feel better. It is so easy to start the downward spiral into feeling sorry for yourself. There's a great title of a book: Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy. My husband, Greg, once asked me why I was getting so dolled up. "After all," he said, "we were just going to chemo." I told him that was exactly why I was putting on lipstick and a bright scarf and great earrings. It's your body armor. Don't go out without it. Every time I have, I have regretted it.
5. Get some clothes that are your "chemo uniform." I went to Max Mara and got comfy leggings, long, cozy, sleek sweaters, furry boots (like Uggs)—cashmere everything. Anything to make you feel cozy and sporty. All easy to throw on so you just reach in your closet and grab your uniform—taking all the stress out of what to wear.
6. Immediately order from Amazon two cookbooks by Rebecca Katz (a San Francisco chef), The Cancer Fighting Kitchen and One Bite at a Time. Tell your friends about them so they can cook healthy things for you that help with the chemo side effects and not bring you doughnuts and cakes to make you feel better. I remember at the first group session at my hospital, the women were all going around introducing themselves and consistently they talked about having gained weight through chemo. One woman said she had gained 70 pounds. The drugs and the steroids can cause havoc to your metabolism, so it's best to try to find a reasonable but pretty strict eating regime to give your body and immune system the strength it needs to fight and bounce back. Your mouth will feel like Chernobyl pretty quickly and your taste buds die, so there are tricks in Rebecca Katz's books to make food still taste appealing and to stimulate your appetite so you can stay strong. Certain foods definitely boost your immune system.
5. Get some clothes that are your "chemo uniform." I went to Max Mara and got comfy leggings, long, cozy, sleek sweaters, furry boots (like Uggs)—cashmere everything. Anything to make you feel cozy and sporty. All easy to throw on so you just reach in your closet and grab your uniform—taking all the stress out of what to wear.
6. Immediately order from Amazon two cookbooks by Rebecca Katz (a San Francisco chef), The Cancer Fighting Kitchen and One Bite at a Time. Tell your friends about them so they can cook healthy things for you that help with the chemo side effects and not bring you doughnuts and cakes to make you feel better. I remember at the first group session at my hospital, the women were all going around introducing themselves and consistently they talked about having gained weight through chemo. One woman said she had gained 70 pounds. The drugs and the steroids can cause havoc to your metabolism, so it's best to try to find a reasonable but pretty strict eating regime to give your body and immune system the strength it needs to fight and bounce back. Your mouth will feel like Chernobyl pretty quickly and your taste buds die, so there are tricks in Rebecca Katz's books to make food still taste appealing and to stimulate your appetite so you can stay strong. Certain foods definitely boost your immune system.
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