Young mum going thru treatment
Pinkcloverss
Member Posts: 48 ✭
Hi everyone
Due to start chemo soon for BC treatment. On AC for 4 rounds and Taxol for 12 rounds. Just wanting advice on how to get by running a house with a toddler, getting thru treatment and symptoms?
Due to start chemo soon for BC treatment. On AC for 4 rounds and Taxol for 12 rounds. Just wanting advice on how to get by running a house with a toddler, getting thru treatment and symptoms?
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Hi @Pinkcloverss
Welcome to this shitty club!
I don’t have children but run my own little household family with my husband and dog.
Guessing you are quite young? I’m 27 and start chemo next week.
Cant help much because I’ve not gone through it yet but just wanted to say hey!1 -
Hey @Pinkcloverss welcome to this shitty club , i'm an older member so haven't juggled toddlers while undergoing treatment. You need to accept all the help anyone offers, so I hope you have the support of great friends & family .
Yell out here if you need help or just want to vent , we are all here for you
sending hugs xx
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Thank you so much @youngdogmum and @tigerbeth. I am 34..so yes i guess young? Chemo starts in 2 weeks for me. The waiting around for a diagnosis was worse than the diagnosis itself. Ive been encouraged to work during chemo if i can.. but being a primary school teacher and winter approaching I am not so sure!0
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@Pinkcloverss some women on here say they did work part time throughout, due to financial need or enjoyment or they felt up to it. Others haven’t at all. It all effects us differently.
I’m a nurse at a children’s hospital and certainly won’t be working at all because I’m exposed to far too many viruses/bacteria’s/fungi every single day.
I think it’s very personal.
what type of breast cancer do you have if you don’t mind me asking?
This forum is fantastic!1 -
@youngdogmum i love that i have finally been able to connect to others! I have IDC 2cm lump removed via lumpectomy 2 weeks ago with clear margins and no lymphnode involvement, er+ pr+ her2- what about you?0
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Amazing ! Sounds like you caught it really early that’s fab!
I have ILC (invasive lobular carcinoma). Mines a bit further along then yours, one lymph node involved and I had a full mastectomy and axillary clearance straight up.
You could ask your breast nurse if there’s any other young mums who have commenced treatment who might be happy to connect and offer advice, mine did that for me after getting both of our permissions for numbers to be shared.
Best of luck to you! And ask lots on here, everyone is so supportive and helpful.0 -
Hi @Pinkcloverss
I had the same chemo regime as you and worked throughout - no nausea, chemobrain or fatigue. But also no toddlers - I'm a lot older than you. Reactions to chemo are hugely variable - you'll get a reasonable idea after your first treatment. It's really hard to juggle at first, but whatever the reaction, it's a bit easier when you know what you are dealing with. Very best wishes0 -
Thanks @youngdogmum all the best for your treatment. Id love to hear how u go with it if u are ok with sharing it. Sounds like we will both be embarking on a very similar journey of a similar time line. We can do this!0
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@Afraser thanks for ththe reassurance and positive chemo story! It gives me hope..hopefully i tolerate it as well as u!0
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Hi @Pinkcloverss. How much help do you have on hand? Family and friends wanting to help? Is your toddler at a playgroup?
Sorry to bombard you with the questions!
People want to help. Even though it's hard, you have to let them! If it was your best friend you'd do anything to help.
If you're overwhelmed with offers, delegate the nitty gritty organisation to someone else. I have four kids and an elderly in law in my home and my best friend co-ordinated the help a lot of the time.
There are also a number of apps that can help with this. BCNA has this one on their website:
https://gathermycrew.org.au
People will say 'if there's anything I can do to help let me know'... This can be frustratingly vague. It is useful to have some tasks in your mind to dole out to friends who are genuinecin their desire to assist.
Being really organised will help. You won't feel hideous all the time. Towards the end of each cycle you'll have more energy. Use that time to prepare food and freeze it, and anything else that can be done ahead of time.
You'll have to stay away from school when your in your very low immunity days, but you might find a good rhythm for work round that. We all react so differently, it's hard to plan until you're underway.
As for your toddler, well if there are days where you just can't manage you can call them pyjama days and cuddle up in bed or on the sofa together. We're encouraged to keep moving during chemo, I walked every day, working my way up from a 1.5km slow stagger to a fastish 5kms for all but my last round. You can do that with your child. Do you have a park near you? Nice to have a destination.
Toddlers like to help. Make the most of it (they grow out of it!), enlist them to assist with looking after you when you're feeling crappy
A little job here and there might make them feel reassured and included. A treat together just before each infusion can be a nice ritual.
It's not the end of the world to let some of the 'normal' stuff we do fall by the wayside for a bit. Breakfast for dinner, some extra dust bunnies, online food shopping (your child might likecto help you do it!), it's only for a short period, though at the time it can seem like forever.
Big hug lovely. K xox0 -
@kmakm such great tips and ideas!! My dr pretty much said i can take the first week off after chemo and i should be right to keep working until the next cycle...even having explained i work with young kids and itll be winter. She was pretty adament id be ok. I found it a bit off putting as it seemed like she wasnt in support of my decisions re recovery. 🙄
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@kmakm oh and yes very fortunate to have lots of family. Son goes to day care tues to thurs and plan is to get my infusions on tuesdays so i have a few days to recover. Hopefully come weekend I wont feel as horrid.1
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Would love to hear anyones experience with AC and Taxol for chemo treatment?0
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@Pinkcloverss So many of us on here have had this combination but I don’t think any of us have had the same side effects. My first AC was worse than the next three. I felt like I had really bad flu plus extras. My last AC left me exhausted for six weeks. I had no probs with taxol until week eight, then a little peripheral neuropathy until week ten when I just felt blah for the remainder. Other people fly through both without any SE and then there are those at the other end of the spectrum. I got most of the SE that they say are possible, but mine were not generally extreme and quite doable. My few extreme SE were dealt with by lovely drugs. Just remember, IF you get SE’s there are drugs to help you. If, like me, you do not like chemicals in your body, just remember it is short term. Once chemo starts you tend to relax a bit.1
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If you have a good GP you can always discuss this kind of thing with them.
During your low white cell time some face masks might be useful as well, especially if your class is particularly germy. And lots of hand sanitizer. K xox
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