Oh, and ask about what to do about constipation. That hit me first and was/is the worse ever had... The chemo hasn't made be very nauseated but they said not to take laxatives, just stool softeners and then they suggest prune juice... FYI

If you can tolerate it, try some pineapple juice or eat some canned pineapple. If it bothers your mouth, when you get your tube you will be able to put some right down the tube.

I used Restorilax (sp?) mixed in with my liquid meals, as recommended by the cancer nutritionist. It works differently than regular laxatives.
I just wished they had told me before, that constipation would happen from Tamoral and other pain killers. The pain was honestly worse than the cancer pain!
After trying suppositories and even enemas - I was ready to get out the rubber gloves - I think it was EZJim that talked about that?

A topic often discussed here several times a year. My vote has always been for plain old glycerin suppositories. Here is a thread from last year about the little "c" including rubber gloves.
suppositories
Charm

The old rubber friends: a last resort to be sure, but I was damn glad I had them.

Ah! Thanks Charm and David2 for clearing that up. It was you David2!

I used dish-washing 'Platex' gloves to get my compression stockings on to alleviate my swollen legs, ankles and feet.

I actually thought about using them 'elsewhere', but now I realize that surgical latex gloves would have been a better thought. Eventually it cleared on it's own. It was like passing 3 golfballs. I have never been so relieved in my life!!!! Great memories eh?

And it IS funny what you share on this forum

Yes Shauneen, it's one of the few places - cyberspace or elsewhere - where there's no such thing as "too much information!".
When constipation struck my brother, we called IT the BIG C and his cancer the little c. It can be shocking when you're already going through so much. Why on earth the doctors don't have you forewarned and forearmed about it is a mystery to me.

I ended up in the ER with 3 enemas when it got so bad one time that I started vomiting and couldn't stop. After that, I used a lot of stool softeners, Fiber-con, prune juice, suppositories, and Fleets. The only pain I had that was worse was when I had mucositis, and I got drugs for it! I always thought it was ironic that I had no pain from something that was killing me and such intense pain from something as simple as constipation.

When I was recovering from robotic surgery this past April (female stuff) and experiencing constipation and the joys of trying to get down on the floor to position myself like those little pictures that came with the Fleet enemas, I found out it was Hydrocodone that caused the problem so after quitting the Hydrocodone, and just staying with my googled list of "Foods to avoid constipation", everything came out just fine! Warm prune juice zapped in the Microwave and accompanying each meal really did the trick! Don't wanna go there again!

I laughed so hard at this I had tears steaming down my cheeks! [quote=Anne-Marie]the joys of trying to get down on the floor to position myself like those little pictures that came with the Fleet enemas[/quote] I did the same thing, but I chose the "on your back" position. I got in the tub with my feet in the air. My Tim had to be out of the house when I did this, as I didn't want him to hear my screams. Such fond memories.....