28yo noobie

Hi missy meow,

Agree, there is so much support out there, which you will find that you call on as you need help or stumble into another unfamiliar stage of this journey.  People really do want to help, so let them!  It makes them feel good too.

I was diagnosed August 12, age 40 and had the works - double mastectomy, AC+Paclitaxel chemo then radiotherapy and now on Tamoxifen.  I finished treatment in May13, and am pleased to say, life has returned to normal.  

One of the things that surprised me most of all was how long the process took - this is a marathon, not a sprint, so take good care of yourself and pace yourself.

Apart from all the wonderful booklets from BCNA and the info on this site, the best resource I found was a book by Prof John Boyages called Breast Cancer: Taking Control.  Such a wealth of information and could be available at your local cancer clinic/hospital.  It talks you through the whole process from beginning to end, and in my experience, forewarned was for-armed as they say!  Pretty much a map to help you understand the treatment and the many options right from beginning to end.  It really helped me understand this new cancer language and have more meaningful conversations with my medical team.

So you're 1 chemo down, 7 to go.  I found breaking the process down into bite-size chunks the way to go.  Just focus on the next step in front of you. Hair generally falls out about Day 17/18 after first chemo, so watch out for that one!  Best to be prepared for what you will do (ie, wig/scarves/naked?) as that was a really challenging time and for me, really made it feel 'real'.

Good luck!  Keep your chin up!

xx