AC Chemo..First session

Sorry for the reason for joining this club but welcome neveretheless as this is a good place to be undergoing Chemo and dealing with BC...

Nausea was most anoying for me the first 12 hours and then amigraine that set in followed by constipation (or a case of cement poos) nobidy warned me about... The blue white capsule they give us orenchemo is at fault so if you have not had any Movicol.make sure someknenruns out and buys you a packet 1st thing tiday and have one straight away and another tonight and try not to force the poos in the meanwhile as it can cause fissures and hemmoroids. Movicol will take care of it for you and just take Movicol twice daily until stool softens then all is good...

Make sure you rake the anti nausea tablets regardless of feeling queezy or not as the first 2 to 3 days they are needed ore meals at least and work like a charm.... If extra helpnis required I found sucking on segments of grapefruit helped heaps or drinking just half a lemon in a glass of cold water...

I found the 1st AC to be the hardest and weirdest to take as felt like I was running a low grade fever and my body reacted a bit weirdly to the meds that first time giving me a heavy dury case of so called Chemo Brain - ie foggu brain that interfered with my ability to perceive what I was hearing seeing or even thinking properly initial 4 to 5 days. Also almost caused me to take wrong meds and overdose so since then I have my steroid taking supervised initial 4 days post Chemo just in case. Inalso knownifnsomekne who did OD in the initial 24 hours on another med so highly reccomend some supervision in meds department.

Chemicals do kind of hit us harder the first time and you may find yourself feeling sleepy and tired so be kind to yourself and listen to your body and rest up.  Initial 5 days or so are the hardest in terms of tiredness so do not be surorised if you sit diwn to watch TV and find yourself waking up 2 hours latter... I kept on falling alseep every time I sat down that 1st week and I never ever normallu can fall asleep so quickly learnt not to cook and allow myself to sit down without a loud alarm set to wake me up asnkept on being waken up by stench of burnt food...

All in all eat well, drink a lot of water and if water becomes yucky after a while a 1/4 fruitnjuice mixed with 3/4 water makes is easier to swallow as dies soarkling mineral water, remember heavy duty sunscreen any time you go out, and movicol and heaps of rest will get you looked after...

Also, tummy once you stop steroids may play up and do not bebshocked if you get a case of butt scortching poos after steroids stop. Or uncontrollable flatullence... It is normal... Have some hemmoroid cream at ready when the backside plays up... Also not unlikely afterwards to have a day of runs so if it does happen do not panic. Just good old white bread ricepotato and banana diet will get you through it quickly...

All in all I genuinly believe that it is a lot easier than any one of us had imagined it to be beforehand and you will be OK.

Just take it easy, listen to your body and rest when you feel the need for it.

All the best and do not forget we are here and have been through it and this forum for me at least has been the most valuable resource and has keot me sane through my AC Chemo...

Hugs

Jel.