Chemo Tips & Tricks to Help Make Treatment a Little Better

(A beloved family member is starting their chemo journey.  I am re-posting this for him and his family in the hopes they might find some useful information.)

1. For mouth pain-Buy Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash (it’s made for dry mouth sufferers). Using these items helps the mouth pain and helps keep your mouth a little moister. Walgreen’s sells it.

2. For dry skin-Chemo dries out your body quite a bit. Switch to a moisturizing soap like Aveeno. Cetaphil lotion is non-irritating, non-greasy and quick absorbing (my dermatologist recommended these).

3. Adriamycin - The Adriamycin pretty much guarantees hair loss. Mine started falling out on day 14 after my first treatment.

4. For nosebleeds-After about 5 treatments, my mucous starting getting a little bloody, especially in the morning. My Oncologist said to use a saline spray to moisten the nasal passages, but this didn’t work very well for me. I bought a case of the small kid size Gatorades and drank one a day. Problem solved.

5. Nausea - If you get nauseated during a treatment, ask the nurse to slow down the drip (Decadron). Adding 15 minutes to the drip really reduced the discomfort. They didn’t tell me this until about treatment #9.

6. For hip pain-If you’re white cells drop and you have to get Neupogen shots, they can cause a great deal of discomfort. My hips and legs hurt so bad after the shots, Vicodin wouldn’t help. I know this sounds weird, but take an anti-histamine. The pain is caused by a histamine reaction and most of your white cells are produced in your hip region. One Zyrtec later, everything was fine.

7. Numbing Cream - If you don’t have it already, ask for Lidocaine Cream. Apply to your port area 2-3 hours before chemo and cover with Saran Wrap to allow better absorption without messing up your clothes. This numbs the injection site. Also works well for celebratory tatoo when cancer free!

8. For the ladies (Especially if you're amply endowed) - Before having your port inserted, invest in a sports bra. The weight of your breast can cause the scar to widen because of the pulling during the healing process. I learned this the hard way. When I had my port removed, I explained this to the surgeon and he cut the scar tissue away so I could start with a fresh wound. He found it amusing, but said he had never thought of that (he looked about 20 years old). I explained to him that he only sees us lying down and wouldn't realize they were D cups when they spread out.:-)

9. Weight Gain - If you gain >15% of your body weight and are not having difficulty with nausea, ask your doctor to decrease your Decadron a little.

10. Nausea - One of my readers used Prilosec to help alleviate nausea during treatment.

11. Tylenol - If you aren't already given it, ask for Tylenol at the beginning of treatment.  It helps the discomfort of treatment and any headaches from chemo.

If you have any tips and tricks to share, I'd love to hear them and add them to the list. Click on the comments link below and submit them. Please let me know if you found these tips helpful.

Why Are Aries So INCREDIBLY Sensitive? - InsideAstrology.net

From InsideAstrology

Why Are Aries So INCREDIBLY Sensitive?

People born between March 21 and April 20 fall under the Aries sign of the zodiac.

Aries are adventurous, passionate, and curious by nature. Aries are also incredibly sensitive.

This sensitivity comes as a surprise in light of Aries other characteristics. It takes an understanding of what makes Aries tick to appreciate why Aries are so sensitive.

Aries Characteristics

Aries have a tendency to take the lead. Their courageous nature and the strength of their convictions spurs Aries to search out challenges and adventures. Aries enjoy a challenge. The adrenaline rush and the opportunity to pit their strength and intelligence against a worthy opponent play into Aries passionate nature. Aries throw themselves into projects and relationships wholeheartedly, often without much thought to the consequences.

Aries also tend towards arrogance. The strength of their convictions and their innate stubbornness makes it difficult for Aries to back down. Some Aries are downright confrontational. This is a problematic trait, as impulsive Aries does not always think before acting or speaking. Those involved romantically with Aries often accuse Aries of being insensitive. This is ironic because partners and family members of Aries know that Aries are themselves incredibly sensitive.

Aries Sensitive Side

Aries’ very nature sets them up for hypersensitivity. Aries are passionate, driven, and often impulsive in their decision making. Paired with their stubbornness, these qualities ensure that Aries repeatedly find themselves in difficult situations of their own making. An impulsive business venture or a poorly thought through plan results in Aries feeling foolish and also unable to admit that they were wrong.

Aries passionate side leads them into friendships and romantic partnerships that consume them. When feelings are not returned, Aries are devastated. Their stubbornness and confrontational nature make Aries difficult to compromise with. Aries have a hard time understanding why their partners get frustrated with them. When a partner does not share Aries excitement over a new project, Aries takes it personally.

Aries want to lead. Their strong convictions and enthusiasm are catching. Others find Aries’ enthusiasm contagious and are eager to follow Aries. This backfires when Aries make a bad decision or act without proper research. Aries have a very hard time admitting they were wrong, and they also crave approval. When approval is taken away, even if it is Aries’ fault, Aries are terribly upset.

Aries resiliency helps them counter their innate sensitivity. It enables them to bounce back from depression. Unfortunately, Aries do not always learn from their mistakes. This means that every time Aries bounces back, they are at risk of repeating the same mistakes.

Aries are capable of self-reflection. Aries that realize their mistakes are usually too hard on themselves. They cannot believe that they let themselves make an error, and are deaf to others’ attempts to comfort them. Aries high personal expectations are often unreasonable. Failure to achieve these goals leaves Aries feeling dejected.

Learning From Sensitivity

Sensitivity is the price Aries pay for their passion. Aries are sensitive because their nature tends towards the extreme. It is impossible for Aries to live up to their own expectations and for others to live up to the expectations Aries have for them. Aries can learn from their sensitivity. Their impetuous personality often offends others. By taking the time to analyze their own sensitivity, Aries better understands the impact their actions have on others.

Where has the time gone

18 years ago I went on my first date with my wonderful husband Jerry. 

We've been together 18 years; in 3 decades, 2 centuries, and 2 millennia! Wow!

Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Dog Treats for Dry, Itchy Skin and Shiny Coat

PEANUT BUTTER COCONUT OIL DOG TREATS 

• 1 cup Peanut Butter, All Natural / Organic

• 1 cup Coconut Oil, Organic

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

• 1/2 cup Oatmeal, Optional

• 2 Tbsp Flax Seed, Optional

Preparation Steps

1. Microwave coconut oil to soften if needed. 

2. Add in peanut butter, cinnamon and any optional ingredients then stir until mixture is well mixed. Note: mixture should be thick, but pourable. 

3. Pour mixture into silicone ice cube trays and refrigerate or freeze until set.

Pop dog treats out and serve them to your pup! (Store in an air-tight container and keep in refrigerator.) 

Notes

Yield: depends on size of ice cube trays

It improves overall skin and coat health (it moisturizes and reduces itchiness due to allergies or eczema), but it’s also been linked to preventing diabetes and heart disease. 

*Start with about 1/4 dose of coconut oil and gradually increase over the course of several weeks so your pup can get acclimated if needed by decreasing coconut oil in recipe.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

So I think we finally got our recipe down for the most part. 

Slow Cooker Creamy Beef Stroganoff

• 2 pounds boneless beef round steak or stew meat, cut into thin strips

• 1 cans (10 1/2 ounces each) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 1/4 cup Beef Broth or Beef Stock

• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (about 4 cups)

• 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 8 oz Cream Cheese, Light or Fat Free okay

• 1 cup Sour Cream, Light or Fat Free okay 

• 12 ounces (about 7 cups) medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

• 1 Tbsp Corn Starch, if desired to thicken

Preparation Steps

1. Stir the soup, broth, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic and black pepper in a medium bowl.

2. Place the mushrooms and onions into slow cooker.  Top with the beef.  Pour the soup mixture over the beef.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.  

4. 20 minutes before serving, add cream cheese to slow cooker and replace lid to allow cheese to soften. Turn setting to warm or off. 

Start preparing egg noodles. 

5. 10 minutes prior to serving, stir the sour cream in the cooker.  

Serve the beef mixture with the noodles.  

Sprinkle with the parsley, if desired.

Notes

Add splash of red wine if desired to taste

Lighthouse at Sunset

Finished size 12x12

Completed July 2015

Sunset

Finished size 20 x 27

Completed July 2015

I'm working on some smaller pieces since its been so hot!

Peacock Fan

This one was a little tricky. Not only did I fully bind the edges, the rug is scallop shaped making trimming it a challenge. 

After binding, I applied two coats of non-skid backing and it is now on the floor in front of my bed. 

Finished size 40 x 27

Completed June 2015

Pot of Pansies

I currently have this one hanging, but will probably apply a non-skid backing and make it a rug before winter. 

I started making these because they are beautiful and portable. I can do them in bed or on the couch, I even keep one at work to help make me take my breaks. 

Finished size 20 x 27

Completed May 2015

It's Peep-tacular!

There are so many great examples of creative peep usage, I compiled a few of my favorites:

Vincent Van Peep

Peep Show

Lot's more after the jump...