How to survive AC chemo

@Trussy as someone in an earlier post mentioned, the thought of chemo is much scarier than the treatment itself. I am doing TC chemo but only 4 round every three weeks. I find I have insomnia the day I start taking steriods, then have an emotional & tiring crash days 1,-3 post chemo. By day 4 I am much better but still tired. Lots of liquid, I live on red cordial and Lucozade 😀, sunshine and walking. Listen to your oncology nurses as well as they have little gems up their sleeves. Best of luck. Xx

Dear @Trussy, Can't really add to the great comments above. So I'll just say

AC is only 3 months. I was down for a week. A bit wobbly week 2 then felt pretty okay week 3. I kept in close touch with my team and medication was adjusted to make it better each round. Bloating and constipation were my most memorable issues.

Thank you all for your comments, describing your experiences and the great tips. 
Yes @kezmusc I'm having Taxol as well, its the same regime which you had. I'm going to try the cold cap too.
I'm not an anxious person normally and i totally agree @Afraser i could have very easily said those words myself, I'm likely worrying about what might not happen. It does help me to hear all your experiences because i realise I'm not the only one going through this. 
I hope your surgery goes well @kitkatb, another hurdle in our cancer journey. 
Best wishes to all xxxxxx

Excellent advice from all above. I had very little problem with A/C, more with Taxol (but most of that  was irritating rather than dreadful). I worked throughout - did lose my hair (pre cold cap, don't know if I would have tried that or not if offered), but found a wig (synthetic) light and easy. No nausea, no fatigue. As I had no nausea, I took very few steroids when on A/C and none on Taxol. Reactions are hugely variable, and the first few weeks should establish a pattern, then you can plan accordingly. The fear of chemo is very real, but the reality may be much easier than you imagine. One of the hardest things with cancer treatment is to try and just deal with what's immediately in front of you. The rest will come soon enough, but worrying ahead of time doesn't help very much - after all, what you are worrying about may not happen. Best wishes.

Hi @Trussy ,

Welcome to the forum lovely.

Chemo scares the hell out of everybody and the first Oncology appointment I think is the most daunting..  For some reason our brains like to conjure up the most awful things. I pictured myself getting every single side effect on the list but the reality was nowhere near what I had imagined.

Chemo does suck and we'd all rather be holidaying in the Bahamas, but they wouldn't recommend it unless they thought it was going to give you that extra protection to keep that nasty thing gone for good.

  I had 4 x 3 weekly AC and then 12 weekly Taxol.  

AC I found cumulative.  The first two, i got a huge buzz on day 2 and 3 from the steroids so got heaps of work done. Crash day was day 4 then got better from there.  The last two rounds  took a little longer to recover from but by then, you're nearly done.

 I worked through pretty much all of it, ran my farm, rode my horses, renovated my dining room etc etc,
It was a very busy social time for my family that year.  Formals, graduations, 21st birthdays, christmas and the like.  I organised all of them in amongst treatment and had a blast at every one.

I kept my hair with the cold cap, had very little fatigue, never got any colds, bugs or high temps, no mouth ulcer problems.

 I just tried to keep my life as normal as I possibly could. 

Worst side effects were hot flushes of an atomic level, light headed and a bit dizzy at times for the first couple of days, and nothing tastes the same. (add salt to everything), I think I ate my body weight in fruit tingles and peppermints.

One thing they don't tell you is that there is very little time between needing to pee and actually getting to the loo.  I think they should warn you about that one and AC makes you pee red for a bit.  A good tip is to paint your finger and toe nails as they can discolour and the polish protects them.  Mine were fine.
 Ask for the good drugs (ondansetron I found worked the best). The stuff they gave me at the beginning was pretty average.  

Are you having taxol as well?  I found this one pretty easy going compared to the AC with only a few minor side effects.

Sure, there were some crappy days along the way, but there were a whole lot that weren't,  I took a lot of photos and videos of all the good things I did throughout treatment and made a video out of them when I finished. 

Six months sounds so long at the start but once you get started you'll be checking off the weeks and before you know it you'll be at the end.  

You got this.  We're all here for you.

xoxoxoxo

Hi @Trussy, my oncologist said that often the thought of chemo is worse than the chemo itself. I had the same chemo you’ll be having and I was able to continue working and had very few side effects. I did sleep a lot. Remember to follow the directions of your doctors, try to keep exercising if possible and drink enough water. It’s differebt for everyone, but you’ll get through it. Also, take time to care for yourself and continue doing the things you love,  but remember to stop when you need to. All the best. There’s no wrong or right, it’s what works for you. x

Hi  @Trussy ,  I am so sorry you are going through this BC Journey but you have come to the right place where you will find so much support from people which all get it. This is the place to rant and rave, have a good cry as well as a few laughs and black humour along the way.  I can't talk about AC as I had TC Chemo. You will find chemo affects people differently, some still work while others like myself found I couldn't. I had lumpectomy, then re excision earllier this year like you grade 3 IDC, I have just finished chemo and am due for my mastectomy in a week and a half.   Chemo is hard but it is also doable. My few suggestions are keep a diary of how you feel for the first 10 days, as well as let your Onc and BC nurse know any side affects as all of these are treatable.  They changed mine altogether and it made a huge difference. Take your meds even if you feel okay.   I found that I felt the worse on day 4 to day 10 but again everyone is different.
Here are a few suggestions of things you might need and I found a godsend.

Biotene toothpaste and mouth wash to protect your mouth and soft toothbrush
I drank soda water with a little lemon or lime as I found I could not drink straight water
Stock up on lemonade icy poles for those days you feel worst
I found that watermelon, pineapple and pawpaw went down a treat
Get yourself a thermometer
I got some lanolin, as I got a sore backside and it was a good protectant not just for that but for cracked lips etc.
Hope this helps. Be kind to yourself.  I found I ate different things than I usually do like lots of pasta and chicken noodle soups. Whatever you feel you can cope with.
Remember chemo is doable.   If you have any questions at all even if you think they are silly, believe me aren't or even if you want some reassurance you have come to the right place. Big Hugs   katie  xoxox