Dread of Chemo
Hello everyone, so glad to join your group with my first post. I live in
Cairns and was diagnosed in Nov with ER+ PR+ HER2- and underwent
lumpectomy for 4.5cm tumor and removed 7 lymph nodes. Outcom...
Forum Discussion
Hi Braveheart60. Best wishes and best of luck to you as things get started on the chemo front. I am happy to say that I am now on the other side of all this, having been through 6 months chemo prior to surgery (4 times FEC and 12 times Taxol), then surgery, 30 radiotherapy treatments and 12 months of herceptin. The other ladies have all offered wonderful advice and tips as to how to cope with the whole deal which I am sure you will fine very helpful.
I would just like to put in my own plug for exercising through the whole process. I personally found, and research also backs up, that it can really help with improving energy levels and minimising side effects. But perhaps more importantly is the likely possibility that it will improve the effectiveness of the treatment and consequently your outcome. I got into the habit of riding my bike on the morning prior to the chemotherapy (when it was just the herceptin I'd ride it to and from treatment) such that my system was all pumping and ready to soak up the drugs. As I had treatment prior to my surgery, it was possible to monitor the impact upon my lump and I can report that by the end of the first three months it was no longer palpable and by 6 months when I was due for surgery my MRI had gone completely clear. My surgeon and oncologist were both very pleased and I was delighted that my surgery turned out to be very minor.
There is a great webinar on exercise and cancer on the BreaCan (or is it Counterpart?) site that you may find helpful.
And again, hang in there and all the best. You will get through it!
Fiona
I would just like to put in my own plug for exercising through the whole process. I personally found, and research also backs up, that it can really help with improving energy levels and minimising side effects. But perhaps more importantly is the likely possibility that it will improve the effectiveness of the treatment and consequently your outcome. I got into the habit of riding my bike on the morning prior to the chemotherapy (when it was just the herceptin I'd ride it to and from treatment) such that my system was all pumping and ready to soak up the drugs. As I had treatment prior to my surgery, it was possible to monitor the impact upon my lump and I can report that by the end of the first three months it was no longer palpable and by 6 months when I was due for surgery my MRI had gone completely clear. My surgeon and oncologist were both very pleased and I was delighted that my surgery turned out to be very minor.
There is a great webinar on exercise and cancer on the BreaCan (or is it Counterpart?) site that you may find helpful.
And again, hang in there and all the best. You will get through it!
Fiona