Struggling through Chemo
Hi all, My nurse has just introduced me to this group. I’m hoping to connect and share my story and hopefully somehow feel better. After being diagnosed and a short time later having a mastectomy a...
Forum Discussion
Hi Ronda,
I understand your pain, I too started my chemo treatment in early Dec just before my 51st birthday, on the Horrible AC or the red devil as they call it - I had a lumpectomy to remove my cancer in my left breast and all my lymph nodes in my left arm, (early Nov 2023)
I struggled through the first lot of Chemo being on the AC, I was very sick, was hospitalised more times than I care to remember, I think QLD ambulance service had my address on speed diel (haha) Once finished I moved to the "as they call it "friendly" chemo, well this paclitaxel was not kind to me at all, yes it dose take a shorter time to be administered than the AC dose, but I wasn't expecting all the side effects to hit me as they did, I ended up with grade 3 peripheral neuropathy, so chemo has come to a stop for me, and I'm moving onto radiation soon, so in all I only got 1/2 way through my chemo treatment, it was hard decision to stop my medical team wanted to inset another picc line and carry on - however the picc line was also causing many issues for me from blood clots to failing to work correctly plus very bad skin reactions with all the hospital cleaning solution's they use to clean the area and redress the site, I ended up with chemical burns on the arm,
But the side effects were out weighing the treatment, and could cause long term damage to my life.
I had lost my gross motor skills - so was unable to open caps on bottles, I still struggle to this day, Carrying any shopping bags or washing basket was another issue as I had lost the strength in my hands and arms, holding a pen was a challenge, pins and needs and the numbness in my fingers and toes were horrible, slowly starting to go away now, the pain in my joints was the worst, I needed pain killers to sleep, my knees killed me.
I had already lost my hair, so wasn't expecting to loose my eye brows and eye lashes, but it seems that paclitaxel can cause this too, after doing some research and finding this to be another side effect from the chemo that I wasn't really told about only that I would loose my hair by week 3 of the AC, so I'm a bit gutted to say the least, my eye sight has gone also a fuzzy, so I'm off to spec savers at the end of this month to get that sorted, possibly a combo of both the chemo and old age eyesight, as I wear glasses anyway. Chemo was not kind to me, but I hope it can be a lot more kinder to you and everyone else, best wishes for a speedy return to health :smile: I hope this isn't a too scary read for you or anyone else, but that has been my chemo journey , one I wouldn't wish on anyone, I'm just hoping radiation will be kinder, I have 6 weeks of that to look forward to, oh yay!
Take care, and do what's right for you. feel free to reach out at any time.
I understand your pain, I too started my chemo treatment in early Dec just before my 51st birthday, on the Horrible AC or the red devil as they call it - I had a lumpectomy to remove my cancer in my left breast and all my lymph nodes in my left arm, (early Nov 2023)
I struggled through the first lot of Chemo being on the AC, I was very sick, was hospitalised more times than I care to remember, I think QLD ambulance service had my address on speed diel (haha) Once finished I moved to the "as they call it "friendly" chemo, well this paclitaxel was not kind to me at all, yes it dose take a shorter time to be administered than the AC dose, but I wasn't expecting all the side effects to hit me as they did, I ended up with grade 3 peripheral neuropathy, so chemo has come to a stop for me, and I'm moving onto radiation soon, so in all I only got 1/2 way through my chemo treatment, it was hard decision to stop my medical team wanted to inset another picc line and carry on - however the picc line was also causing many issues for me from blood clots to failing to work correctly plus very bad skin reactions with all the hospital cleaning solution's they use to clean the area and redress the site, I ended up with chemical burns on the arm,
But the side effects were out weighing the treatment, and could cause long term damage to my life.
I had lost my gross motor skills - so was unable to open caps on bottles, I still struggle to this day, Carrying any shopping bags or washing basket was another issue as I had lost the strength in my hands and arms, holding a pen was a challenge, pins and needs and the numbness in my fingers and toes were horrible, slowly starting to go away now, the pain in my joints was the worst, I needed pain killers to sleep, my knees killed me.
I had already lost my hair, so wasn't expecting to loose my eye brows and eye lashes, but it seems that paclitaxel can cause this too, after doing some research and finding this to be another side effect from the chemo that I wasn't really told about only that I would loose my hair by week 3 of the AC, so I'm a bit gutted to say the least, my eye sight has gone also a fuzzy, so I'm off to spec savers at the end of this month to get that sorted, possibly a combo of both the chemo and old age eyesight, as I wear glasses anyway. Chemo was not kind to me, but I hope it can be a lot more kinder to you and everyone else, best wishes for a speedy return to health :smile: I hope this isn't a too scary read for you or anyone else, but that has been my chemo journey , one I wouldn't wish on anyone, I'm just hoping radiation will be kinder, I have 6 weeks of that to look forward to, oh yay!
Take care, and do what's right for you. feel free to reach out at any time.