Breathing difficulties

Hi there
First chemo can be a horrible experience. You may also be experiencing the results of your anxiety - completely understandable, but just adding to your being unwell. Most people find the 2nd week is a bit better, as you get to know how you feel over a 3 week period you can get a little more prepared. Right now you have to rest, accept as far as you can that you are unwell and try not to get too distressed. Remember that every treatment is one less you have to face. And that these are the big guns to kill off cancer - there's a purpose and the side effects will be over on a day you can almost mark on a calendar. Count the days down. Best wishes. 

Hi @Nikkilee, you'll probably find that around days 6-10 difficult as your neutrophils etc are at their lowest. Everything will sit at this low ebb for a few days then start to pick up as your bone marrow gets to work and reproduces all those good blood cells again. If you are feeling a little short of breath it can be as your haemoglobin can drop too. 
Listen to your body. If you can't do anything, just don't. Concentrate on your nutrition if you can to help you through. 
First treatment for me was a shocker - not knowing what to expect of your body makes it a very stressful time. 
Well done tho getting through you first week. Biggest hugs xx

@Nikkilee this is all so stressful.
 When you have nothing else to do and try to act like a normal person (excuse the distinction) you find you don't  breath normally, you itch, develop strange ticks and odd obsessions. Your bowels may go mental. You want company but everyone drives you mental.
Its all nasty but it is our best chance of survival. Keep plodding. One day after another. Margxxx

Dear @Nikkilee , I agree with the comments above about low points in your cycle, then things get better. Keeping a diary, just bullet points in an old exercise book of all the side-effects, helped me heaps. The diary is also good if you need to report to your doctor/clinic about what's going on. Take it easy on your 'down' days and enjoy the good days. I laughed at @Zoffiel 's comment that 'you want company but everyone drives you mental'. Best wishes from jennyss

Hi @Nikkilee  I'm now Day 10 from my first AC.  Days 3-7, I felt like crap - couldn't sit up, couldn't lay down, couldn't watch TV, couldn't read (never happened before in my life), felt sick.  On Day 5, the onc gave me a script for Ativan which is supposed to be antinausea with an anxiety helper.  The best thing about it was that it knocked me out for hours at a time over the next day and half.  Day 8, I woke up a different person.  I still don't feel brilliant, but I can eat and watch telly, and talk to people, etc.

My worst time was always the 5th night. Don't worry to much about not eating right, you won't starve to death. I think some days I had a bit of dry toast and a bit of custard but lots of water is paramount. Flush all that rubbish out asap. Believe it of not, a bit of walking exercise is very good as well. I used to take someone with me walking, just in case I keeled over and it was nice to have someone to chat with when I had to sit down for a while.

Hi ladies , just an update I did wake up feeling a lot better today but the breathing troubles started up again this afternoon so just taking it easy at the moment , but Thankyou to all of your comments etc every bit helps ... sending big hugs to everyone xo

A hint for next time with food...  Sometimes during those first few days, I knew I was weak from not eating and it was not helping matters - I was able to swallow a teaspoon of hommous which helped quite a lot - mild flavour, no chewing and a shot of carbs and protein.

Hi there love. I was heaps better the second week of AC. Drank the mt franklin flavoured sparkling mineral water and didn’t eat a lot the first week but try and keep your fluids up. The second week I ate my body weight in fats carbs and sugar when I felt like it so that’s a perk. And I agree with @Brenda5 the exercise did certainly help I made myself grt up every morning and walk my dogs and always felt better when I got home. Helped with my appetite too. Take it easy and listen to your body, it’s a shit covered mountain we all climb but we all get to the top eventually even if you have to crawl up the fucking  thing on our hands and knees. Biggest hug.  Margie xxx

@Nikkilee I'm not sure about your breathing difficulties. But this is sonething you should get checked out. Some people can have an allergic  reaction or issues from chemo. I don't mean to alarm you..but...feeling buggered, exhausted,  tired and sick are normal. Feeling really breathless isn't standard and you should be checked out by a Dr asap.