Aa
Items I need at home to rescue cue me while on tx
Could someone tell me what I need to buy before I start tx in January in case I experience some of the horrible side effects and where I can buy them. Most of you live in the U.S here , I am from Montreal Canada. Thank you.
You guys are so funny LOL ,,, I guess I will start stocking up on the itcy and bum stuff that seems to be priority , that and the heavy stuff water, cat litter and his food. As far as food wise , that's going to be as I go to see what I can eat. I guess for XMAS, I will ask people for special medicated products found at your local pharmacy , and oh yeah can't forget the tylonel snd bennadryl . That's a stocking stuffer.
The anticipation of starting treatment is the worse part! My best companion so far,,,Netflicks, Have had no sides to speak of yet, shot 7 this week, undetectable at week 4. So far all I have experienced is fatigue. Good luck and let us know how you are doing. try not to worry!!
Great comments so far. I just did shot #5. No sides to speak of. But I did prepare for tx with Ginger snaps for nausea and advil for fever, headache, flu symptoms, etc. What actually happened...I needed nothing, had no symptoms, ate the ginger snaps with my mom cause they were delicious, and only needed 1 Xanax the first night just to deal with the overwhelming fear of getting all the nightmare sides. Then, nothing. The best supply of all is to have at least a few friends or family members at the ready in case you need stuff or just need to talk. Good luck!
It did not matter what I had in my house already, nothing helped with some of my symptoms. Once the nausea and weird taste buds hit, I did not need much food so that was not a problem. But I wish I had had 6 mos worrth of dog food. I had to get help getting it into my car. As for water, I use a Brita pitcher and did not have to worry about carrying cases of the stuff as well as not worrying about all of those plastic bottles clogging up the landfills. Things I had to have - a good dermatologist, sunscreen and loose, soft non-binding clothes- that stuff wreaked havoc with my skin.
Willbb, James and can-do-man,
LOL, yes, the toilet is better than the litter box (for me).
Maybe I should explain something. I might be able to handle a box of l;itter every few months if I had one cat. But I don't. I have 9 cats, all very old, geriatric cats. I rescued them off the streets when I lived in San Francisco. They are now living out their lives in the house in comfort (and I love them dearly). However, they use about one 25 pound box of clumping litter per week, maybe slightly less. But I think you get the picture. My vet orders the litter for me and I go to the vet clinic to pick it up, normally 12 boxes at a time. It is a chore to cart 12 boxes of liitter around (into the car, out of the car, into the house) even when I feel great so I don't want to be carting it around if my hemoglobin drops to 10 or 8 (during these 48 weeks of treatment). I also don't like to cart it around in the winter. It is just too cold and slippery.
Now you will really think I am a hoarder, LOL. But I am not. My house is neat as a pin and very clean, and it is not at all cluttered. I don't keep unneccessary items. I actually give away all items I no longer need or use through freecycle or to the thrift store. I just have some very old cats who need their litter, LOL.
LOL, yes, the toilet is better than the litter box (for me).
Maybe I should explain something. I might be able to handle a box of l;itter every few months if I had one cat. But I don't. I have 9 cats, all very old, geriatric cats. I rescued them off the streets when I lived in San Francisco. They are now living out their lives in the house in comfort (and I love them dearly). However, they use about one 25 pound box of clumping litter per week, maybe slightly less. But I think you get the picture. My vet orders the litter for me and I go to the vet clinic to pick it up, normally 12 boxes at a time. It is a chore to cart 12 boxes of liitter around (into the car, out of the car, into the house) even when I feel great so I don't want to be carting it around if my hemoglobin drops to 10 or 8 (during these 48 weeks of treatment). I also don't like to cart it around in the winter. It is just too cold and slippery.
Now you will really think I am a hoarder, LOL. But I am not. My house is neat as a pin and very clean, and it is not at all cluttered. I don't keep unneccessary items. I actually give away all items I no longer need or use through freecycle or to the thrift store. I just have some very old cats who need their litter, LOL.
LOL!!! Trust me, my cat's needs are the last things I wanted to think about during this. I had to put her on my schedule to make sure I don't forget to feed her! Pooh doesn't want to lug stuff in the snow, and I don't want to lug stuff down the street. Not saying that one couldn't, but more that one probably won't want to or may not feel like carrying heavy things. There are good days and bad days. Don't get to a bad day only to realize you are on the last square of toilet paper and there's no Kleenex in sight :(
James -- Hoarders -- LOL!! No, no. Just stocking up like I would for earthquake supplies. Stuff to tide me over for a couple of weeks at least.
James -- Hoarders -- LOL!! No, no. Just stocking up like I would for earthquake supplies. Stuff to tide me over for a couple of weeks at least.
i would get a soft tooth brush and a baseball cap w/sunglasses...bright light is a drag...and your mouth will get sore...vitamin d3...fish oil.....good luck....billy
" I agree with Pooh on the kitty litter....cuz that stuff is heavy, and the last thing I wanted to do was worry I didn't have enough."
Just what kind of drugs you people on anyway???...... :)
Just what kind of drugs you people on anyway???...... :)
Tucks, Tucks, Tucks and more Tucks, & Imodium............ Lots of Desitan Diaper Cream with 40% Zinc & moistened for sensitive skin baby wipes (lots of them, that is if you get firreeah ! ~ Water out the kazoo ! Biotene mouthwash, a very soft toothbrush. Lotion with no alcohol, anti-bacterial soap.
Jello, Pudding, Chicken Broth, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Crackers, yogart, (this is when your pukey) Chicken Ramen Noodle soup with a couple of eggs beat in it , it also will give you 20 grms of fat in one package (with eggs) , bananas, rice, apples , toast. Good Luck, I may have repeted some stuff, but these are some basics for me.
Jello, Pudding, Chicken Broth, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Crackers, yogart, (this is when your pukey) Chicken Ramen Noodle soup with a couple of eggs beat in it , it also will give you 20 grms of fat in one package (with eggs) , bananas, rice, apples , toast. Good Luck, I may have repeted some stuff, but these are some basics for me.
Wow 48 weeks of those supplies you guys could have been "Hoarders"
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LOL. Yes, but I am glad I ordered those boxes of kitty litter and all of the other staples I stocked up on. As it turns out, I am going to have to do 48 weeks of treatment and I just might get anemic or something else before those 48 weeks are over. Plus, I am 65, not 20, LOL.
Also, I live in MN and I do not want to have to be walking around in the cold weather (soon to be upon us) and on slippery sidewalks this winter any more than I have to.
I don't have bad side effects yet, but I also don't have any energy. I am glad the litter boxes are 6 feet away from the litter box and not several miles away, LOL.
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LOL. Yes, but I am glad I ordered those boxes of kitty litter and all of the other staples I stocked up on. As it turns out, I am going to have to do 48 weeks of treatment and I just might get anemic or something else before those 48 weeks are over. Plus, I am 65, not 20, LOL.
Also, I live in MN and I do not want to have to be walking around in the cold weather (soon to be upon us) and on slippery sidewalks this winter any more than I have to.
I don't have bad side effects yet, but I also don't have any energy. I am glad the litter boxes are 6 feet away from the litter box and not several miles away, LOL.
Good question. Excellent lists here. I bought stuff I have yet to use, and stuff that didn't work for me, but was still glad to have it in the house. I agree with Pooh on the kitty litter....cuz that stuff is heavy, and the last thing I wanted to do was worry I didn't have enough. Definitely stock up on anything heavy or in bulk now. So........
Food/supplies/medicines for any pets
Trash bags
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Tucks
Preparation H (cream, gel or suppositories; hey, you asked)
Gold Bond Medicated Lotion in the green bottle
If you have warehouse stores (Costco, Sam's Club, etc), those will give you the best deals. As for water, I have a mix of bottled water and my Brita Pitcher (so stocked up on filters too).
Snacks that have a good shelf life
Canned goods
Frozen fruit to munch on
Sugar free popscicles - for hydration
Cinnamin Gum (Big Red or Trident)
Peppermints
Ginger chews - for Nausea (got mine from Trader Joe's; so maybe a healthy type of grocery store); small bites of this, as it's spicy
Ice Cream
The fresh stuff -- you're on your own. But it will give you reason to get out and have a normal routine. Treat yourself to some new pajamas, sheets, fuzzy slippers. I treated myself to a real pretty ring, to give myself something to fidget with during tx, and when I look at it, it makes me smile :) Oh yeah, have a collection of DVDs that always make you laugh, near you.
Food/supplies/medicines for any pets
Trash bags
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Tucks
Preparation H (cream, gel or suppositories; hey, you asked)
Gold Bond Medicated Lotion in the green bottle
If you have warehouse stores (Costco, Sam's Club, etc), those will give you the best deals. As for water, I have a mix of bottled water and my Brita Pitcher (so stocked up on filters too).
Snacks that have a good shelf life
Canned goods
Frozen fruit to munch on
Sugar free popscicles - for hydration
Cinnamin Gum (Big Red or Trident)
Peppermints
Ginger chews - for Nausea (got mine from Trader Joe's; so maybe a healthy type of grocery store); small bites of this, as it's spicy
Ice Cream
The fresh stuff -- you're on your own. But it will give you reason to get out and have a normal routine. Treat yourself to some new pajamas, sheets, fuzzy slippers. I treated myself to a real pretty ring, to give myself something to fidget with during tx, and when I look at it, it makes me smile :) Oh yeah, have a collection of DVDs that always make you laugh, near you.
I am so glad I stocked ip on some things, I had serious eye issues, "the burn", the itch, aches, and other symptoms in the middle of the night or felt too bad to think about the store. Was so happy to have immediate relief on hand.
I could have had a store in the next room, but when the diarrhea and "flaming rear" hit, anything more than 10 feet from the toilet was too far.
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That is sure the truth. I actually did not have the baby wipes before I started treatment and that was a huge mistake.I had to go out (in a lot of pain) and get those wipes as soon as the "flaming rear" hit. LOL.
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That is sure the truth. I actually did not have the baby wipes before I started treatment and that was a huge mistake.I had to go out (in a lot of pain) and get those wipes as soon as the "flaming rear" hit. LOL.
I could have had a store in the next room, but when the diarrhea and "flaming rear" hit, anything more than 10 feet from the toilet was too far.
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Oh my, sounds like one would need a good strong brown eye to deal with all that. lol had no idea.
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Oh my, sounds like one would need a good strong brown eye to deal with all that. lol had no idea.
Where do you live?
OMG!!!! Don't you have a store nearby??
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LOL. I don't live in the boondocks. I live in a town of 10,000 near a city of 50,000. The thing is, I had no idea how sick I might get and so I wanted to be prepared in case I started itching at night or had the runs or got a headache or was puking my guts out. I tend to like to be prepared even when I am not ill so this is my nature. In addition, I was very, very ill in 1993-94 and I remember how bad I felt and how tired and weak I was at that time. So I prepared for the worst and hoped for the best this time. I have used all of the items I bought, although I think I have lucked out so far on side effects. Other than the rectal issues, mine have been relatively mild.
(I also stocked up on a years worth of kitty litter and several months worth of cat food, LOL. It comes in 25 pound boxes and I don't want to be carting 25 pound boxes of litter all over the place in the snow.)
I agree with you about the calming pictures and the good music. I go to sleep every night listening to soft instrumental music. It is very soothing.
I also have some educational DVDs from The Teaching Company and I have been passing some of my time resting and watching them.
OMG!!!! Don't you have a store nearby??
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LOL. I don't live in the boondocks. I live in a town of 10,000 near a city of 50,000. The thing is, I had no idea how sick I might get and so I wanted to be prepared in case I started itching at night or had the runs or got a headache or was puking my guts out. I tend to like to be prepared even when I am not ill so this is my nature. In addition, I was very, very ill in 1993-94 and I remember how bad I felt and how tired and weak I was at that time. So I prepared for the worst and hoped for the best this time. I have used all of the items I bought, although I think I have lucked out so far on side effects. Other than the rectal issues, mine have been relatively mild.
(I also stocked up on a years worth of kitty litter and several months worth of cat food, LOL. It comes in 25 pound boxes and I don't want to be carting 25 pound boxes of litter all over the place in the snow.)
I agree with you about the calming pictures and the good music. I go to sleep every night listening to soft instrumental music. It is very soothing.
I also have some educational DVDs from The Teaching Company and I have been passing some of my time resting and watching them.
I could have had a store in the next room, but when the diarrhea and "flaming rear" hit, anything more than 10 feet from the toilet was too far.
"Mom"
"Mom"
Lots of cases of bottled water, you go through water like crazy. You will need to carry it with you and drive with it too. Many cases.
Lots of zero water, cases from sam's club, contains zinc and vitamins
Benedryl, have not needed this yet
Hydrocortisone cream, use this now and then
Tylenol, have only needed this a few times
Imodium, have not needed this yet
Ginger ale or better, ginger chews which are easier to carry with you, help with the nausea, used the ginger chews often the first few weeks but rarely now
Gold bond, i use ultimate soothing but i hear others swear by the green medicated, started slapping this on before tx and during, twice a day, in hopes to avoid rash, so far so good
Keri lotion, does better for my face
Genteel eye drops, mild to moderate, my eyes dried up so fast, get 2, I was so glad I had this the first weekend
Melatonin to help with sleep, makes you really tired the next day though, don't need this as often anymore, also hear it's better to take the RIBA earlier as it impairs sleep ( I take at 5am and 5pm)
Omega 3 supplements, helps with brain fog
Tucks, you know it when you need it and won't want to run to the store, sold by the hemorrhoid section
Nioxin shampoo and conditioner
All free and clear laundry detergent, docs soap, tp, paper towels, green cleaning supplies (fumes too much for me), food or other staples so you dont need to run to the store often
If you are on incivek, you need fats with the pills and you must take the pills on time so:
Individual packs of nuts you can carry with you. South beach diet NUT-rition by planters are sold in boxes at the grocery store. Good for a quick snack when you need your meds and easy to carry some with you. 22 grams of fat.
Almond or peanut butter
Bagel and cream cheese
Cheese, hard salami, and multigrain bread make a good fat lunch
Ice cream, the rich stuff has more fat
It's hard to eat 20 grams of fat so suggest looking for what works for you at the grocery. Go to the grocery store before you start, don't plan on going anywhere for a couple days if possible. At least avoid unnecessary trips.
My taste for food has changed over time, I think partly because my liver is improving but mostly because the meds drain you. You don't want to put too much of anything into your body but after a few weeks on treatment I started doing better with more protein, iron, whole grain, potassium foods.
Lots of zero water, cases from sam's club, contains zinc and vitamins
Benedryl, have not needed this yet
Hydrocortisone cream, use this now and then
Tylenol, have only needed this a few times
Imodium, have not needed this yet
Ginger ale or better, ginger chews which are easier to carry with you, help with the nausea, used the ginger chews often the first few weeks but rarely now
Gold bond, i use ultimate soothing but i hear others swear by the green medicated, started slapping this on before tx and during, twice a day, in hopes to avoid rash, so far so good
Keri lotion, does better for my face
Genteel eye drops, mild to moderate, my eyes dried up so fast, get 2, I was so glad I had this the first weekend
Melatonin to help with sleep, makes you really tired the next day though, don't need this as often anymore, also hear it's better to take the RIBA earlier as it impairs sleep ( I take at 5am and 5pm)
Omega 3 supplements, helps with brain fog
Tucks, you know it when you need it and won't want to run to the store, sold by the hemorrhoid section
Nioxin shampoo and conditioner
All free and clear laundry detergent, docs soap, tp, paper towels, green cleaning supplies (fumes too much for me), food or other staples so you dont need to run to the store often
If you are on incivek, you need fats with the pills and you must take the pills on time so:
Individual packs of nuts you can carry with you. South beach diet NUT-rition by planters are sold in boxes at the grocery store. Good for a quick snack when you need your meds and easy to carry some with you. 22 grams of fat.
Almond or peanut butter
Bagel and cream cheese
Cheese, hard salami, and multigrain bread make a good fat lunch
Ice cream, the rich stuff has more fat
It's hard to eat 20 grams of fat so suggest looking for what works for you at the grocery. Go to the grocery store before you start, don't plan on going anywhere for a couple days if possible. At least avoid unnecessary trips.
My taste for food has changed over time, I think partly because my liver is improving but mostly because the meds drain you. You don't want to put too much of anything into your body but after a few weeks on treatment I started doing better with more protein, iron, whole grain, potassium foods.
pooh:
Where do you live?
OMG!!!! Don't you have a store nearby??
I just deal with the sides as they come, or not.
I surround myself with calming pictures, and good music.
You should have tylenol.
And lots of drinking water.
Where do you live?
OMG!!!! Don't you have a store nearby??
I just deal with the sides as they come, or not.
I surround myself with calming pictures, and good music.
You should have tylenol.
And lots of drinking water.
lots of toilet paper
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ouch!! lol Very good list, I love Havarti cheese!!
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ouch!! lol Very good list, I love Havarti cheese!!
I bought:
hydrocortisone cream
keri lotion
hemorrhoid cream
baby wipes with aloe
benadryl
loperimide
tylenol (325 mg size)
lots of toilet paper
saltine crackers
chicken broth
chicken soup (noodle or rice)
mild soap and mild shampoo
soft sheets
For the 20 grams of fat:
Lots of Greek yogurt
avocado
chedder cheese
havarti cheese
heavy whipping cream
ice cream
pate (if you don't like pate, don't buy it, and even if you like it, probably don't buy pate until you see if you are nauseated)
The literature suggests many other high fat items like potato chips and fast foods, but I don't eat any of those things normally and they definitely do not appeal to me now. I just look at the labels when I buy things and get the stuff that is high fat.
I am sure I forgot some items but there are some great lists some place on this forum.
hydrocortisone cream
keri lotion
hemorrhoid cream
baby wipes with aloe
benadryl
loperimide
tylenol (325 mg size)
lots of toilet paper
saltine crackers
chicken broth
chicken soup (noodle or rice)
mild soap and mild shampoo
soft sheets
For the 20 grams of fat:
Lots of Greek yogurt
avocado
chedder cheese
havarti cheese
heavy whipping cream
ice cream
pate (if you don't like pate, don't buy it, and even if you like it, probably don't buy pate until you see if you are nauseated)
The literature suggests many other high fat items like potato chips and fast foods, but I don't eat any of those things normally and they definitely do not appeal to me now. I just look at the labels when I buy things and get the stuff that is high fat.
I am sure I forgot some items but there are some great lists some place on this forum.
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