After my diagnosis I did some research, read through my literature from the hospital, and chatted with a few people online about what to expect when it comes to the side effects of chemo so that I could prepare myself as best as possible.

For the first 2 chemo drugs I’d be on over the span of 12 weeks (Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide) my literature tells me I could have the following side effects (any mix of the bunch, but not likely all— thank goodness):

Infection (inability to fight off infection, a constant reading of my temperature helps me know I don’t have a fever which is a good sign of this)
Increased Risk of Bleeding/Bruising (It’s advised not to shave using a razor, nose bleeds are more common, even flossing may cause bleeding and infection)
Tissue or vein injury
(Rare) Heart failure, Leukemia
Neuropathy (damaged nerve endings in hands, feet or (rarely) the face)
Nausea/Vomiting
Allergic reactions (rash, itchiness, dizziness, breathing problems, chest/back pain)
Hair loss (and tender scalp!)
Fatigue (as treatment goes on, fatigue usually increases)
Mouth Sores
Diarrhea or Constipation
Burning urination
Pain affecting Joints/Muscles

The side effects I personally have/have had are:

Slight nausea (I’ve vomited once but I believe it’s related more so to digestive issues)
Hair loss (I still have most of my eyelashes and eyebrows, some leg hair, and some stubble on my scalp. I haven’t lost any arm hair. I have lost most of my armpit and pubic hair— sorry TMI, but trying to be super open and raw here)
Mouth Sores (luckily only for a few days after round 2)
Fatigue (And brain fog. For 7-8 days post chemo, I get tired every 2-3 hours and lose the will to do anything productive. This obviously greatly hinders my work and my exercise and anything that requires mental/physical strength)
Constipation (and with this I get acid reflux, indigestion, sour stomach, anxiety and shallow breathing, sluggishness, and haemorrhoids— again, sorry TMI, just keeping it disturbingly real, hah. I’d rather overshare in case someone’s in the same boat and wants advice/to talk about it/to know they’re not alone)
Pain (my joints click, I get very stiff, my back gets very sore if I’m sitting or lying down for too long, my neck constantly aches and cracks)
Headaches/migraines (luckily not often, and I’m not sure it’s directly related. Probably triggered from stress/pain elsewhere in my body)
Extremely irregular one (soon to be loss of one!)

So here are the few items I use to help with the side effects of chemo…

This is what I keep in my bathroom for daily use…

Neck/Chest Pillow (Thank you, Debbie, for this special pillow and inspiring/fun book! This pillow is great for healing from Port surgery and I know I’ll get a ton of use out of it when healing from the mastectomy)
Water Bottle (To avoid painful urination and for obvious other health benefits, I drink a ton of water. This glass bottle is super handy!)
Thermometer (again, before taking any pain medication, I take my temperature first to see if I have a fever. These types of medicine mask fever so it can be very dangerous to take Tylenol if you’re not certain you’re fever/infection free!)
Lozenges (Halls or mints/candy mainly to avoid a dry mouth, soothe the throat)
Biotène (Mouthwash/mouth spray— I actually haven’t even opened these products but I know a TON of people say they get such bad dry mouth that they depend on these products)
Eye drops (I still sometimes wear contacts and my eyes are super dry these days so this is a must)
Deodorant (I’m all paranoid about what I put on my body nowadays so I opted with this local, natural/organic one from Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Thanks Kaeley for introducing me to this brand!)
Extra soft toothbrush (to avoid mouth sores or bleeding bums that could lead to infection)
Anti-cavity Toothpaste (I use this one from Burt’s Bees. I won’t be able to go to a dentist for a good year or two so I figure this can’t hurt!)
Floss Picks (For a quick, lazy, and less-chance-of-bleeding-from-your-gums way of flossing, I use floss picks right after chemo)
Natural Soap (I have one for washing my hands, one for cleansing my body in the shower, and a shampoo bar for my scalp. I got them from Rocky Mountain Soap Co.)
Hand Cream/Lotions (Dry skin can lead to cracked bleeding skin, so moisturize lots! For my scalp I use a stick form one from Rocky Mountain Soap Co. that I just run all over)
Lip balm (I use this one from Burt’s Bees and another with SPF in it!)
Anti-acne sprays (Another product from Rocky Mountain Soap Co. I use are the natural skin sprays. I have one with Tea Tree, Willow Bark, and Aloe.)
Anti-Nausea meds (these are from the pharmacy and I buy them every 3 weeks. They would run me well over $100 every time if I didn’t have insurance…)
Other meds (Tylenol, Tums, Gas-X)
Inspiration Book (for while I’m sitting the toilet HA!)

I hope this helps some of you best prepare for chemo side effects. I think it’s best to have these items on hand proactively vs. scrambling to buy them once you already feel like poo. And if you are just reading to follow along with my journey, I hope it taught you something. These products from Burt’s Bees and Rocky Mountain Soap Co. are really nice regardless! Check them out.

I’d love to know what other items YOU use to combat the side effects of chemo! Please leave me a comment or send me an email shestaysstrongblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading! And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes stuff @shestaysstrongblog

Feel free to share! XO