Dread of Chemo

I found some foods tasted just bitter. And ithers tasted better and I ate more salt. I liked more spicy stuff on AC chemo but couldn't tolerate it on Taxol. I lived on toasted cheese and spicy chutney sandwiches for a bit. 

Hi,

No problems with taste. Nothing metallic.

I gradually cut my hair shorter. I quite liked being bald. Easy to style. Bit more maintenance. My cancer was triple positive. I say was because I am trying to believe it is GONESKI!!!!
 

Hi there again @Braveheart60 I took the other boob off as my gut told me too. My surgeon said it wasn’t necessary but understood why I wanted to have it done too. Everyone is different and you will do what’s right for you. Margie xx

Hi Braveheart, 
i have been there recently and fortunately the anticipation has been worse than the reality. I will be having my 5 th chemo on the 8th Jan. What I found useful was following the advice of the nurses around preventing constipation. They have really good drugs to prevent nausea now so that is very unlikely. 

I found carefully recording my side effects each day after the first chemo very helpful as I then took this into the oncologist and he was able to advise me about meds to take to prevent as many side effects as possible the second time around.

Having some common meds on hand is useful like paracetamol, Imodium to stop diarrhoea, rehydration powder for diarrhoea. I found using gentle toothbrushes and salt and bicarbonate mouthwashes for the week after chemo really helpful. Not much you can do about loss of taste unfortunately! 

My hair fell out 2 weeks after the first chemo, getting it cut short first really helped me. Walking or some exercise each day has been shown in studies to help with side effects as well. 

The portacath should settle down and be happier and some local anaesthetic cream is good an hour before they insert the needle.
All the best for the 9th. 

Hi Onemargie, were you advised to have the other boob off or was it your plan?  I asked my breast surgeon if I had a mastectomy instead would I still have to have radiation and she said yes, there it made no difference to the treatment. Sparkling flavored water is a good tip, thanks. xoxo

@Braveheart60 I have just joined this group too and have been overwhelmed by the kindness of the members and their wonderful positive attitudes! Like you, I am starting my chemo next week on the 10th for TNBC so you are a day ahead of me. It is all very daunting and the fear of the unknown is real, but I have been very encouraged from the feedback of the other members here. I'm in Brisbane.  Best wishes to you. 

Hi there lovey. Welcome to the forum rest assured you will never feel alone when you chatting to us. I did a big cook up before I started treatment cooked enough to feed the whole country it seemed but better than the family starving!,  I had really long dark hair and cut it short then shaved it day 14 as I started to shed in big clumps. I found it much less stressful to shave it rather than watching it all fall out on the floor. My taste was affected but I had cravings like when you are pregnant it was the weirdest thing had to eat salty stuff mostly had a craving for beef chow mein for some reason but ate it for weeks and weeks chucked a heap of Veges in there too. Couldn’t stand to drink water so I would drink that mt Franklin sparkling flavoured one. I didn’t have an issue with the nausea just the fatigue. So I would get up early walk our dogs potter around and do the wash8ng etc and get dinner sorted then i would rest through the day. Could do more the second week. But did lose my appetite for the first few days after treatment but then made up for it after that. My bc was triple negative no lymph nodes involved. 3cm tumor could of had a lumpectomy but opted for the mastectomy so I only had to have chemo and not radiation as well then took the other boob off 6 months later as a preventative. I’m in qld too brisbane north side and am on the public wait list for reconstruction. I finished chemo 4 AC fortnightly and 4 taxol fortnightly October 16. I was 43 when I was diagnosed with no family history and negative for the gene test.  Hang in there love everyone is different. I took each day as it come but was the same throughout treatment didn’t get any worse. It can be a bit shitty at times but it is doable. Biggest hug. I’m happy to send you pics of y hair before during  and after if that helps too. Margie. Xx 

I have very long blonde hair which was transformed today into a very short stylish cut. It's only a hair cut but to me it feels like the first step along a long dark road with no going back. I'm not depressed it's more like a realization of whats ahead of me. Will all food taste metallic and are your taste buds affected from day 1 of chemo.  I was going to cook and freeze some meals ahead but I'm not sure what I will be able to eat?

@Braveheart60, reading your post brought it all back to me.  That dreaded first chemo.  I was in a state and had to take 5mg valium.  Someone drove me of course.  Helpful to have someone with you to distract,fetch coffee, tell jokes etc.  even though the unit supplied refreshments and sandwiches. Helpful to have someone on hand when return home, even if just for peace of mind.  have some precooked meals or snacks ready and some icy poles or juices.  They usually give you steroids which continues for day or so after so the tiredness doesn't usually set in till couple days after.  I guess it depends on the type of chemo you have and whether or not you have the injection 24 hours post chemo for white cell boost.  Talk to the chemo nurses, they should walk you through it.  They will give you a booklet of dos and dont's  and step by step procedure for emergencies.  Most chemo units will follow you up by phone following, especially first treatment.  Best of luck.  As @Afraser said, you can starting counting down from first treatment.

@Braveheart60, yep unfair is right and an understatement. I'm really sorry you have to  join this band of pink sisters but - welcome. You'll find everyone's situation and story is different but that's the great thing - you'll get such a variety of help, advice and tips. 
I finished chemo in September and I elected to have mine about middle of the day so I could have a really good breakfast then head in for my consult with onc then chemo.  I had 3 rounds FEC then 3 rounds Docetaxel ( I had triple negative ca). I never drove myself home ever. When I got home I rested and found having my son and husband around a good distraction. 
I kept a book and entered info in every day - when I took my meds (cos I was scared I'd forget and I kept getting befuddled) recorded my temp twice daily and my bowel motions - sorry but I needed to keep track or all of a sudden it was five days gone and I was pooping a concrete missile. I'm a nurse and pretty OCD - a doozy combo!!! 
My chemo was every 3 weeks and we went to our favourite Greek restaurant every 3rd Thursday night before Fucked Up Friday (chemo day) as a nice treat. 
We're here for you. Ask anything you want. Ask us lots. Vent with us lots. 
Massive hugs xxoo