Met with the oncology team on Thursday. The rest of the year will be taken up with chemo, readiotherapy and hormone treatment. They got all the cancer in the breast area. The treatment is as a result of 2 of the 5 nodes having cancer even though it was contained within them. I am coming off methotrexate which I have been taking since January when I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease. I will still stay on steroids (20mg). The risk of infection is high for me and I am a little worried. I am having a bone and chest scan, at my request, on Tuesday to make sure all is clear. Are there any other tests that I need to have to clear the worry of having it in the rest of the body? I am sad and overwhelmed at the moment. More than I was when I was diagnosed or before the op. Is this a normal feeling to have before treatment? My 16 year old daughter is not coping with this latest news. Hearing that I had cancer caused her great grief and now the idea of chemo is freaking her out. So she has gone to stay with a friend for a week to get some head space. I am a sole provider so I am hoping this will give her some relief. Are there things I can do to prepare for this scary part of the journey?

Hi Mares canteen offer a great book for 12-24 year olds http://www.canteen.org.au/cancer-in-my-family/mum-or-dad-has-cancer/ get her to have a look. There is also a book from cancer council about talking to kids. http://www.cancervic.org.au/downloads/brochures/CISS_brochures/Talking-Kids-cancer.pdf ; She will be worried about you . My kids were 8,10 & 12 when I went through treatment ( 10 years ago) and they helped set rules for the house! I did contact their school and the teachers kept their eyes open. If she needs help you could get a referral through your gp for a mental health plan. Dont be afraid to get her some one of her own to talk to. Even if it is another adult, family friend that she is close too. Good luck with everything. Hugs Jo

Get in contact with CanTeen in your state or ask the hospital social worker about your daughter joining CanTeen. I have 6 daughters 19,18,17,13,12 and 10 four of them have joined they hav been on a few camps now and they loved it cause its for kids who hav or had and family that hav or hav had cancer. They get to talk to trained councillors and hav made heaps of new friends who hav dealt with cancer in some way. It gets them away from living with it everyday with me and they can talk about how it affects them without upsetting me. It realy does help them to deal with it. Kerri

Hi Sarah, It is so good to hear from you and knowing that you are a sole provider and surviving. I too have taken the year off work and I miss the people so much even if I catch up with them as much as is possible. I am so glad that I have taken the time as I wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace. The only information I have is from this site and I belong to an American FB group who are the same as here. I also have an autoimmune disease which I was diagnosed with in January and which is triggered by cancer. So I have had to come off some of the drugs for that to do chemo and I am on 20mg prednisone...good old steroids hey!!! I am so sorry to hear about your depression and accident back in Oct..it never rains but it pours!!! That would have been terrible to cope with and then cancer. I wish you well with your mastectomy. I must say the op and recovery is not that bad. There is little or no pain after. It's just putting up with the drain and that is not that bad! I am on FECD chemo and I am not sure what hormone drug they are putting me on. I am meeting with the Breast Care Nurse on Wed. I am loosing my hair so I have been told so I am to Big W and the hairdresser. Thanks again for your encouragement. Healing hugs back to youx Mary

Treatment for mastectomy | BCNA Online Network

16 Replies

Hazel_M
Member
11 years ago
From memory around day 10 I got a very tender scalp and a few strands started coming out, I got my partner to get the clippers out and basically got down to a No. 1. It was too annoying finding hair all over the place. Then on day 14, I was in the shower and thought I would wash what hair I had left and when I rinsed 99% fell out on the shower floor. Very surreal, didn't know whether to laugh or cry, when I looked in the mirror I looked like Benjamin Button:) with a few tufts here and there. Got the clippers and took them off. So your idea of going to the hairdressers beforehand is a good idea. As for the taste buds, on FEC I was fine, Docetaxol was when my taste went. The oncologist said taste buds regenerate every 6-10 days, so just when I would start to taste something, my next treatment would be due and that knocked the taste buds out again. Please remember, this might not happen to you, I wouldn't like to think I scared or worried you. Everybody is different and the drugs affect everybody differently. There were only a few days when I slept a lot, usually Day 5-9 after treatment. From what I have read on this website, some of the women didn't have bad reactions to Docetaxol. In the end the drug and I had a mutual dislike for each other. I do have most of my taste back now which is good. I have 9 more radiation treatments to go, my partner is on the mend with the help of medication, so we are looking forward to reclaiming some of our life back again, keep in touch with how you go,

Hazel xx
Mares
Member
11 years ago
Thanks Hazel. I am glad to meet someone else in the same boat as me regarding chemo. Did your hair all fall out on Day 14 or was that the start of it? Did it come out in clumps or in stands eg on pillow after sleep? I am not sure what to expect. I am thinking of getting it chopped really short by hairdresser beforehand.

Also, did you loose your taste completely for the whole time or was it just during the days of treatment? I hate the thoughts of not being able to taste my food. Love ths sugar and salt mix up!!!! I love my Gloria Jean's coffee and I dread not being able to enjoy that!!!

Did you sleep lots?

Thank you for your honesty regarding your journey. I am sorry to hear that your partner got sick whilst you were trying to manage to get through your journey. I hope you have/are recovering well. Maryxxx
Hazel_M
Member
11 years ago
Isn't it strange? I, too, was more upset about chemo than I was with the diagnosis and operation. I basically cruised through FEC and had a bit of trouble with the docetaxol. I had the usual aches and pains, but I have to say the worst part for me was the oral thrush and the loss of taste buds. For some reason I just couldn't cope with not tasting anything. I was expecting a metallic taste because that is what I read, but I seemed to have lost all taste. For example, when I was in hospital I thought I would add some salt to the veges to try to get some flavour. I managed to eat half, then went looking for the sugar for my cup of tea. All I found was salt:) I had eaten veges with sugar on them and didn't even notice. I developed some psychological problems with my eating and a psycologist helped me through this period. However, that was just me. Everybody is different so it won't necessarily affect you that way. I did lose my hair on Day 14 after my first treatment. With drink, even though I thought I was drinking enough, I did get dehydrated and had to have hospital treatment. All in all, I did manage to get through the chemo treatment and I'm quite proud of myself as I had other problems at the time (partner got ill halfway through my treatment). The best advice I was ever given is to take one day at a time, whenever I looked further down the track it all overwhelmed me. It is doable, not always a pleasant trip, but doable. Take care Mares, you'll be just fine,

Hazel xx
Deanne
Member
11 years ago
Panadol for the headaches and lots of rest. I learnt to just go with what I needed to to get through the week of chemo. My onc prescribed Endone which did work for a while but lead to constipation. I did try panadol osteo but this did nothing for me. In the end I found nurofen worked the best for me. It took about a month for the pain and muscle weakness to improve after the last Docetaxel. Knowing your options in advance is a great idea. Xxx
Mares
Member
11 years ago
That's good for me to know about Docetaxel as my autoimmune disease has affected my muscles and I was put on steroids and methotrexate (chemo drug) to stabilise my condition. I will call my specialist/rheumatologist regarding this.

I am with you regarding being ready for what is around the corner. It gives one a sense of some degree of control and being able to cope with whatever comes without distressing everyone else also. What did you take for the headaches and pain with Doctaxel. Panadol??? Yes bracing myself for the storm!!! Thanks againxxx
Deanne
Member
11 years ago
With FEC it was just headaches but Docetaxel caused lots of muscle weakness and pain and very sore throat. I have heard other ladies recommend manuka honey for the sore throat. Everyone is different though so your symptoms may be different. But I think it pays to be prepared rather than find yourself needing to get help when you are really not feeling good. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best! Xxx
Mares
Member
11 years ago
Hi Hazel, good hearing from you and I am having the very same treatment as you. Yes, it is the word chemo like cancer that scares the living day lights out of people. I must say chemo overwhelmed me more than the cancer or the op. I am getting back on top of things again but it certainly does hit you big time!!!

I am interested in how your treatment affected you. Were you in pain? I presume you lost your hair. How did you go with food and drink?

Thanks againxxx
Mares
Member
11 years ago
Hi Kerri, I love the idea of getting her on to Canteen, sounds like a great outltet for her and away from me and the everyday reminder of the reality of our situation, You are amazing trying to get six daughters through and looking after yourself tooxxx
Mares
Member
11 years ago
Hi Jo, thank you so much for those links for books/reading for my daughter. I will get on to this and I have let her school know about my journey. I have also booked the two of us into a counsellor outside the school. I am hoping that this will be a good outlet for her. I am thinking that she might be able to speak with me ex's sister as she is very close to her. I will check that one out. Thanks again. Maryxxx
Mares
Member
11 years ago
Hi Deanne. Thank you so much for your tips and I have a little book where I am making a list. I am on FEC and D chemo too. Loosing the hair is the part that is really hitting my vanity, more than the breast!!! Maybe it's all hitting me now!!! I am off to the hairdresser to get the chop and then will have the clippers ready. I value your tips on hygiene and having separate cutlery etc. I am on a chemo drug for my autoimmune disease which I used to take once a week and had to be careful eg laundry etc. I am off that now that I am doing chemo but I am a little used to the drill with drugs and the immune system. I will be extra vigilant with crowds and visitors. Did you have alot of pain throughout? I will buy lots of mosituriser. I have dry sensitive skin so I am sure I am going to have fun there and the autoimmune disease attacks the skin as well. Fun times ahead!!

I am having a meeting with the Breast Care Nurse on Wednesday so I am hoping she will explain a few more things to me regarding medication. Thanks again Deanne for your support and encouragement as I launch on to this journey. Maryxxx