Cinco Vidas

Look up the word “sensitive” and you’ll find descriptors like, “easily hurt or damaged; delicate; touchy; calling for care or caution in treatment.” Every one of these descriptors applies to your skin if you’re going through chemotherapy. The drugs make your skin ultra sensitive, dry, flaky, tight, cracked, and in general, needing a lot of TLC from you. Products you used to apply to your once resilient skin now need to go away until treatment is over.

This includes most (if not all) of the products that may now grace your medicine cabinet, bathtub, and shower. It’s time to put them in a bag and stash them out of sight, at least until you’re finished with treatment. Most contain ingredients that are way too harsh for sensitive skin. And we’re not just talking about skin-care products. Shampoos, body washes, lotions, shave creams, and perfumes can all add to the problem. If you want happier, more comfortable skin, scan your products for these ingredients, and restock your supplies with organic, chemical-free, and sensitive items. (more…)

My father and I—he suffered from the rash with the drug Erbitux.

“I started on 150 mg of Tarceva,” says a fighter on Cancer Compass, “and now 8 days later I find a very unpleasant rash on my face, and neck, and more coming on my arms.”

“My wife has been on Tarceva for 45 days,” says a caregiver, also on Cancer Compass. “Rash developed on her face and abdomen [sic].” (more…)