young grandma ready to start chemo

Hi Tracey I'm half way through 6 months treatment. I had doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide 4 times over 3 months, now started weekly paclitaxel for 3 months. The first 3 months was hard as you've probably read elsewhere.. I found I did not recover from the treatment for 10 days, then I came good till the next one. The only thing that lingered was the metal taste. That's pretty awful and I found I tried to take it away by eating constantly. This was fine as long as I kept up exercise. The worst things I found was the extreme lethargy and the taste. The ulcers came and went, the constipation was minimal as long as I kept moving and drinking fluids, blurry eyes in the third week just goes away. To combat dry skin I showered with goat soap then finished all over with baby oil. Expect your hair to go after 2 weeks from first treatment. 12-14 days seems common. Then when it starts, just get rid of it quickly or you'll be swimming in hair for days. I thought I would be sickly constantly for the whole chemo period, so I was very happy to have only 10 days of feeling really crappy each session. I had my port placed before the second treatment, bad idea. You are lucky to have yours in before you start. It will be healed faster. Mine has really just healed well now after 3 months. I found it bothersome when sleeping for a few months too, just really aware of it all the time. It's better now though. Just another thing we have to get used to I guess. You are a young nana......( I'm 42 and cant wait to have more babies around). I also have a girl 22 and a boy 16. And a devoted husband. All are coping really well now, and are very attentive and thoughtful especially through the chemo days and the expected down times. I reckon they do it harder than we do at times. Good luck, Louie