1st Chemo help

hi i am  41 and have had a lump (16mm)  removed and 2 nodes which were clear. lucky me i am young enough to have all 3 treatments.. chemo, herceptin and radium. i start 1st of May. just joined the group as i do not want to google anything.. some interesting reading here.. thanks in advance :smiley:

Hi, your Picc line is a great idea, I had one put in after second or third cycle.  Really helps.  You absolutely don't need to be positive.  But you do have to turn up and have the chemo. No one loves it.  Everyone experiences it differently.  There are some good medications to take if you need it, just make sure to ask.  Good luck. Karen 

lgray3911 said:

Hi Piccme 
My name is Laura, I'm 37 and have 2 small children at home. I was very scared about my first chemo, which was on the 7th of April. Was so worried about what side effects I would get and how could I look after 2 little ones if I got all these symptoms etc.... To be honest it was a major anticlimax! I went in got hooked up into my port, sat in a very comfy chair for bout 3hrs drinking tea watching tv and then it was over. That night I slept really well and the next 4/5 days I felt what I can only describe as symptoms similar to morning sickness or a wine induced hangover. Fuzzy head and nauseous! I rang my oncology nurse and she got my oncologist to write me a script for better anti nausea tablets and life was good again. Apart from that I was fine. I am 11 days post chemo and feel back to normal apart from metallic taste in my mouth and 2 mouth ulcers. Next treatment on the 26th. Don't be scared you can do this. Whatever symptoms you get your team will help to manage. Just focus on the fact that chemo is clearing up and getting rid of the cancer. Each session you do is one less and you will be cancer free after its all done. You can do this. The fear of the unknown is the worst but just breath and try and have a good sleep tonight it will all be fine xx

@igray3911, do you use a mouth rinse with ulcers? I had one in cycle 1 in my throat and salt water could not reach. I ended up with low grade fever on day 11 and admitted to hospital. You can use Difflam anti-inflammatory mouth wash too. Really helped. xxx

@piccme I don't use Moogoo but i know GoVita has 20% every first week of the month maybe call the branch nearest to you to ask. I found that my skin became super good after my surgery and diet change. So I did not need to use any moisturiser on my body. I was telling my radiation oncologist i hope it was chemo that gave me smooth skin! She says she knows chemo can give eczema never better skin, so it must be my diet haha! I did use lots of Cetaphil and some QV for itchy rashes in chemo round 3. They were God-sent. xxx

@piccme another thing I found most useful, especially if you already have dry skin, is Moogoo and Sorbolene cream (which you can buy cheaply in enormous bottles in most chemists) I use either Sorbolene or the Moogoo wash in the shower instead of shower jel. Then I lather with sorbolene from the toes to my neck after a shower and Moogoo udder cream my head (no hair) and face. Moogoo smells lovely and feels good and nurturing, especially good if you are feeling fragile and need pampering. Chemo can make your skin very dry, especially around the nether regions.

Piccme said:

I start chemo tomorrow. I'm not coping so well today, I think I am going to scream if I hear anyone else tell me how important it is to stay positive!  Today I'm having a picc line put in, chemo education and an appointment with my onc this afternoon. I also have an appointment with the hairdresser to cut my long hair short. I am feeling really overwhelmed. I have read many of the post from you ladies who have bravely gone through chemo. I guess I fear the unknown but am so concerned about the list of side effects (which I know are different for everyone). My onc says that she thinks I will do well through chemo but obviously there are no guarantees. I didn't fare so well through surgery, finding out that I don't tolerate opiate pain relief well and that many of the nausea drugs didn't help when I was on IV antibiotics for axillary infection. I think this is adding to my anxiety. Sorry, I just needed to vent as my husband and teenage daughter, although caring, just don't understand how I'm feeling today. 

Hi, I had a whole month while waiting from first chemo after left mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy. I can therefore identify with you. Moments of anxiety and uncertainties can drive me nuts. I would try to do something I enjoy to distract me. I am a Christian and I spend lots time reading the Bible as the promises of God strengthened me. I listened to songs a lot. I went for walks. I chat with lots of friends who support me. Many people including loved ones don't really understand how we feel, I agree with you.

I was anxious over the long list of side effects of chemo. I had a port inserted in my right chest for chemo/herceptin infusions. After mastectomy I had the port inserted under GA but surgeon accidentally punctured my lung and needed a pheumothorax surgery a few days after the port insertion. The pheumothorax surgery was very painful with a tube going though my chest. So I am not sure how I managed all that but I did.

I also cut my hair very very short before chemo. I did not want to go see hairdresser only after chemo started. I was not exactly sad about losing my hair. If you lose your hair when they are short, it does feel that bad and it's less messy too. I know they will grow again and there are a lot of great wigs out there. No more shampooing all that hair, blow drying or ironing my hair for a while and that is fine for me. I also bought a nice wig and it look so natural and nice. I lost most of my hair by chemo 3. By chemo 4 I still have some hair left and my eyebrows stayed. Nurse says pubic hair hangs around and won't go but mine went so not all side effects are experienced by all of us. It's true chemo will affect us all differently.

Please drink at least 2L water before chemo day and continue to drink after chemo for at least 2-3 days to flush out toxins and wastes. It helps with nausea (I never felt nausea once and that helped me eat well to recover, I never had to eat any extra nausea tabs except what nurse pumped in). And make sure you don't get constipated cos chemo messes up the bowels. So lots lots veges and try taking Coloxyl+Senna at least first few days of chemo. Bowel movements are important cos all the wastes come out via bowel and urine.

I did have other side effects but they are all manageable. Different side effects may affect you for each cycle but try to get on top of it by getting informed. And side effects can build up through the cycles. My nails are tender and tad painful after cycle 3 and 4. I paint all nails black for all cycles. Paint nail hardener then paint black. Keep them short. Some ladies have no nail issues but I got them. Toes too. A friend did 16 cycles but she never had painful nails though they turned yellow and had black ridges.

Always ask and we are all here to support you. xxx

And sometimes, just sometimes, it's nowhere near as bad as you fear. I had my first in hospital (managed a temperature before I had even started!) but no nausea, no fatigue, just not very hungry for a few days. Yes I lost my hair, but it felt weird for a week before it went so I didn't feel so bad about it going. Yes I got more side effects from my second cocktail, but by then I was much more accustomed to it all. Ask questions, don't suffer in silence and remember it's finite. Best wishes.

I've got a really grumpy friend who's job it has been to take me to chemo appointments. I remember the first one, I'm in the car sooking, he pulls up outside the hospital and says 'Stop snotting all over me seats. Get out." Right. That set the tone for the next ten years.
Find someone who loves you but is not going to to try to be nice to you, it's sooo refreshing. You can let down your guard and be your terrified self and not worry about them fussing you, asking silly questions or digging up every desperate thing you say weeks or months later.

Good luck with it all! This is my first post and I finished 12 weeks of  chemo just last week.It is all consuming and overwhelming but just take one step at a time and as you go on,the kids and partners progress with you and come to a realisation that yes, this is no walk in the park! I had my long hair cut short too and got lots of compliments,should have done it years ago! One thing I did do during chemo was to ice my hands and feet and have had no nail loss and minimal tingling. I would recommend doing this if you can. My hospital had an ice dispenser in the staff pantry which I was allowed to access and I brought my own bowls. Make sure you accept offerings of meals , as these come in handy big time!
Big hugs and healing your way, you will get through this x

Thank you all so much for taking the time to post you experiences, wisdom and support. It really has helped. Still nervous but a bit more determined! Thank you all again.