Starting Chemo, starting new job
I am on a bit of a runaway train at the moment. :) I saw my oncologist yesterday, I'm due to have my first chemo on 19 July and start a new job on 29 July. Hopefully, I won't get too many side effe...
Forum Discussion
Just found this post - good luck @Wu57! I agree with @shs14 and @kmakm, exercise is really helpful! I try to walk my dogs every day and do some yoga at home even if I can't get to class. I kept the yoga mat right next to the bed during treatment so I could just roll out of bed onto the mat (sometimes that's all you can manage!!) and at least do a few stretches am and pm. Swimming gently is also a good one, especially if your feet get too sore to walk or do other stuff (this is a thing for some people with Taxol and/or Xeloda).
I had 5 mths of chemo (dose dense A/C follwed by weekly Paclitaxel) followed by mastectomy, 5 weeks radiation and then 4 -5 mths Xeloda. I managed to keep working through my whole year of treatment - I'm a 55 yo Finance Manager. What also helped me was the following:
-Work let me flex my hours at will - I worked more on good days, less on bad ones. I soon realised mornings were effortful for me, so just went slowly and rocked up at the desk when I got there - anywhere between 9.00am and 12.00pm! I worked later in the evening if I felt up to it and eeked out my sick leave so I still got paid even when I was forced to take a couple of weeks for the surgery.
-My family were great - huband assumed all cooking/shopping duties and I closed my eyes to the mess! A wonderful girlfriend came and helped me do a bit of a spring clean a couple of times when I was feeling a bit better.
- I kept up my favourite hobby - I sing in a fantastic choir and this was really important for my mental health. When you're concentrating really hard on singing (or doing anything you love that feeds you) it's hard to thing about the cancer rubbish, for a few hours at least. Also my singing family were so loving and supportive!
- I treated myself to regular ralaxation massages (my private health fund helped with this, bless them) and I found real support and friendship from my massage therapists and yoga teachers.
- I planned doable things to look forward to, being mindful of my treatment cycle - a movie or early dinner with a girlfriend.
- When I felt down I rang my amazing Breast Care nurse for a vent - this helped me not moan to my husband too much - I feel as though the year of treatment was just as hard for him as for me - I slept through a lot of it!
- I used my compulsory chair time while having my chemo treatments to read and read about helpful stuff - diet and nutrition (I went plant-based and I'm sure that helped my body cope better) and everything I could get my hands on. Knowledge is power!
Let us know how you do - wishing you strength :smiley:
I had 5 mths of chemo (dose dense A/C follwed by weekly Paclitaxel) followed by mastectomy, 5 weeks radiation and then 4 -5 mths Xeloda. I managed to keep working through my whole year of treatment - I'm a 55 yo Finance Manager. What also helped me was the following:
-Work let me flex my hours at will - I worked more on good days, less on bad ones. I soon realised mornings were effortful for me, so just went slowly and rocked up at the desk when I got there - anywhere between 9.00am and 12.00pm! I worked later in the evening if I felt up to it and eeked out my sick leave so I still got paid even when I was forced to take a couple of weeks for the surgery.
-My family were great - huband assumed all cooking/shopping duties and I closed my eyes to the mess! A wonderful girlfriend came and helped me do a bit of a spring clean a couple of times when I was feeling a bit better.
- I kept up my favourite hobby - I sing in a fantastic choir and this was really important for my mental health. When you're concentrating really hard on singing (or doing anything you love that feeds you) it's hard to thing about the cancer rubbish, for a few hours at least. Also my singing family were so loving and supportive!
- I treated myself to regular ralaxation massages (my private health fund helped with this, bless them) and I found real support and friendship from my massage therapists and yoga teachers.
- I planned doable things to look forward to, being mindful of my treatment cycle - a movie or early dinner with a girlfriend.
- When I felt down I rang my amazing Breast Care nurse for a vent - this helped me not moan to my husband too much - I feel as though the year of treatment was just as hard for him as for me - I slept through a lot of it!
- I used my compulsory chair time while having my chemo treatments to read and read about helpful stuff - diet and nutrition (I went plant-based and I'm sure that helped my body cope better) and everything I could get my hands on. Knowledge is power!
Let us know how you do - wishing you strength :smiley: