Dread of Chemo

Hi @Braveheart60 and welcome. I was diagnosed last Feb had to have single mastectomy but opted for double and had full axillary clearance 5/11 had microscopic traces so had to have chemo. I remember feeling like you are now. The fear of the unknown!! Dying to get started so I could see how I was going to react. I found the first one was a massive anticlimax! I did 4 AC and then 12 taxol. I didn’t sleep very well the night before so was tired and scared. Got hooked up and that’s was it! I was very lucky and had very few side effects. My routine was I had treatment in the morn, came home went straight to bed for a couple of hours. Got up when my boys got home from daycare, had dinner with them and went back to bed. I had a very chilled out day the next day and then I worked Thursday and Friday. I am a teacher. I didn’t lose my taste at all and only got the metallic taste the first 2 days after the AC chemo but not with the weekly chemo at all. Flavoured sparkling water was good or even just lemon in soda water and chewing gum also. My hair fell out Day 16 which was pretty much the same timing for my first free Brazilian!! I didn’t loose all my eyebrows but they thinned and same with lashes. Both grew back really quickly. I didn’t want to do wig or scarfs so I opted for henna tattoo on my head which I got done very couple of weeks and LOVED it. I found when I was on the steroids for the day of chemo and the couple of days after I couldn’t be sleep very well so I used cannabis oil on these nights. Worked a treat! Also remember that you don’t be have to suffer in silence. If you do have side effects that are tough like nausea etc tell them and make them give you better drugs. Finally my most important piece of advice is stay positive. A positive mind works wonders. Don’t sit around waiting for side effects to happen just listen to your body and try and keep your normal routines going. It’s like a hangover if you lie around feeling sorry for yourself you feel shit all day! If you hop in the shower get dressed and get up and out you feel 100% better. Mind over body! Good luck and you will be fine! Each treatment is one less so let the countdown begin!! Xx