As the country awaits the transition to a new president, our family begins day one of four months of chemotherapy. I repeat, day 1!
I’ve packed a bag for this long first day of treatment (see my list below) and would love to hear what helped you get through if you’ve experienced this journey too. A friend is kindly watching our kids while we’re away today. Although we love City of Hope and it is a welcoming place, with a warm supportive staff, there’s a sense of fear and uncertainty as we start this new chapter. The unknown is daunting, but we’re ready to learn together. Reid is starting on “Oxaliplatin” chemo, and while there are many types and doses, we’ll take each step one at a time.
For those asking, Reid’s port installation went smoothly. He’s feeling a bit stiff and says he feels like a robot, turning his head carefully, but it’s a relief to know this port allows for aggressive chemo to help shrink the tumor.
Here’s what’s in my bag for today:
- Grounding pad – A cancer diagnosis affects the mind in so many ways, and this mat has helped me sleep and feel more centered at night. Ours was a gift from John and Katie Gresko- thank you!
- Cozy blanket, hat, and gloves
- Protein powder
- Essential oils – I love peppermint oil for headaches and de-stressing.
- Oliveda lip oil – This has been great for the dry hospital air.
- Chargers for phones and iPads and my red-light “LumeBox”
- Healthy snacks – Kale chips, Ezekiel bread with grass-fed butter, pistachios, low-sugar gummies, mushroom hot chocolate, and plenty of teas like dandelion and green tea.
If you’ve gone through this, I’d love to hear your tips or items you found helpful. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and prayed for Reid and our family.
Chat soon,
Shalice
1 comment
Hi Shalice,
I first want to say that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during these difficult times. A year ago October my husband and I were where you and Reid are today; my husband Mark was diagnosed with aggressive bladder cancer. Mark walked the same path Reid is on now, just a different type cancer. I can tell you with certainty that you are in the best hands with the City of Hope family. Take one day at a time, breathe; there is so much information coming at you all the time and it can easily become overwhelming. Mark put together a three ring binder to keep all the bladder cancer related stuff organized (treatments, chemo info, diet, insurance …) and it became our second bible; the simple act of organizing all of this ‘stuff’ was very therapeutic. Chemo days were long (even the short chemo days are long) and we each had our own duffel bags, filled with things (games, snacks, reading material/puzzles, hard candy, chemo inhalers, etc) that helped us get through the day. Keeping him hydrated was a must…lots of water. Mark still drinks 3+ liters a day, sometimes adding hydration powder to add flavor and extra minerals. Most chemo days he slept while I sat next to him either watching a movie, doing word search books, Pinterest, took walks outside, snacks, shopped & texted with my kids ( they are 28 & 25). Anything that brought me joy to get through the chemo days. Also prayer and staying positive. On our chemo days we had a family friend who brought us meals to eat. I can’t express how thankful we were to have him, as it was one less thing for me and my husband to worry about – do not be proud; welcome and embrace any help you get, people truly want to help but often don’t know what to do…so ask for what you need. ❤️🩹 Accept all the help you are given; friends, family and loved ones will help you get thru this. You will both get through this one day, one milestone, at a time – that’s how you have to approach it. The road is long and hard, but you are both strong and will get through it to the other side. City of Hope is simply the best place for you to be, keep your faith and trust, ask questions if you don’t understand something – and take advantage of their counseling and group resources…the more you know the less scary it is. Above all take care of yourself; eat, hydrate, exercise, rest, meditate – caregiving is exhausting and you can’t neglect your own health. One thing that my husband found helpful was to reach out to the bladder cancer advocacy group and connect with others who had been through his journey-he now has a support group that can share experiences and advice; I’m sure there is something similar for colon cancer. I am here and if you have any specific questions that I can help with please don’t hesitate to reach out directly.