Recent Diagnosis
Hi all, well it's been a head-spinnng few weeks. Diagnosed on 24/4 with BC - grade 2 - in my right breast and right lymph nodes. Started with a GP appointment for a lump I had been ignoring for ...
Forum Discussion
Dear @SS73
Bad luck! No-one really wants to be here but welcome anyway. Chemo is a bit of an unlucky dip - if there are any reliable indicators as to how an individual will react, I’ve yet to hear them. For most of us, there’s no testing before you buy. But it’s important to remember that it remains one of the big guns in the armoury for getting rid of cancers. In general terms, a number of people will have a lousy time, feel really ill and hate every part of chemo. At the other end of the spectrum, some will have relatively mild, manageable reactions and their lives will not be disrupted.
Most are somewhere in the middle - good days and bad days, some difficult reactions, some changeable as many have two different chemo treatments, some things not as bad as expected. I had some long term reactions, but most of the time I felt fine, lived normally and worked throughout treatment. So the best you can do is have plans A and B.
You may want to look into cold cap to try and hold onto your hair, and ice treatment on hands and feet to protect against peripheral neuropathy, particularly if you have one of the taxanes.
You can discuss options about work - I took a day off when having A/C every three weeks, but only a couple of hours when having Taxol weekly. Luckily my day oncology clinic was close to work. Some people prefer to concentrate on themselves during treatment but I found work an excellent way of getting out and about, and out of myself! But mostly it depends on how you feel, sometimes it’s just not an option.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Chemo
ends. It’s tempting to look back to your pre cancer/chemo life but it really doesn’t help. Look forward, there’s lots of life after cancer and you and your family will get there, you just need to be a bit flexible with the schedule.
Very best wishes.
Bad luck! No-one really wants to be here but welcome anyway. Chemo is a bit of an unlucky dip - if there are any reliable indicators as to how an individual will react, I’ve yet to hear them. For most of us, there’s no testing before you buy. But it’s important to remember that it remains one of the big guns in the armoury for getting rid of cancers. In general terms, a number of people will have a lousy time, feel really ill and hate every part of chemo. At the other end of the spectrum, some will have relatively mild, manageable reactions and their lives will not be disrupted.
Most are somewhere in the middle - good days and bad days, some difficult reactions, some changeable as many have two different chemo treatments, some things not as bad as expected. I had some long term reactions, but most of the time I felt fine, lived normally and worked throughout treatment. So the best you can do is have plans A and B.
You may want to look into cold cap to try and hold onto your hair, and ice treatment on hands and feet to protect against peripheral neuropathy, particularly if you have one of the taxanes.
You can discuss options about work - I took a day off when having A/C every three weeks, but only a couple of hours when having Taxol weekly. Luckily my day oncology clinic was close to work. Some people prefer to concentrate on themselves during treatment but I found work an excellent way of getting out and about, and out of myself! But mostly it depends on how you feel, sometimes it’s just not an option.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Chemo
ends. It’s tempting to look back to your pre cancer/chemo life but it really doesn’t help. Look forward, there’s lots of life after cancer and you and your family will get there, you just need to be a bit flexible with the schedule.
Very best wishes.