Red devil

Thanks for responding I’ve been having so much anxiety about the cardio side of things and googling like crazy only to become more anxious 
I hardly had any side affects to Taxol 
don’t understand why AC was last for me when everyone else I spoke to had it first

I know everyone says it but Googling seriously doesn’t help. I did at the beginning, convinced myself I had inflammatory breast cancer. I didn’t. Have you got a cardiologist? Much better if you can discuss your concerns with a good specialist, specifically about you and your body and concerns. Take care. 

Hi 2MC,
I to had grade 3 triple negative BC, was diagnosed in October 2018.
Finished  dense dose AC, 12 rounds of pactlitaxel, 30 rounds of radiation, treatment finished October 2019.

One thing I learnt very early is not to do dr google. It just does your head in with not the correct information.
Websites that were the best was BCNA and Cancer Council.
I also had scans and tests on my heart during treatment, it’s a normal process so they can monitor you throughout treatment.
Everyones treatment is  different in order how they have it, if you are concerned ask your oncologist as only they can answer that question.

Depending on which hospital you have your red devil, you could be offered a cold cap to help with hair loss, where I had my treatment that wasn’t on offer.
I started loosing my hair in the third week after commencing red devil, I opted to have my head shaved as soon as I noticed hair loss, I wanted to control my hair loss not the cancer treatment.
Fortunately I purchased some pretty head scarves from ebay pre treatment.

Drink plenty of fluids to flush your system, your first few trips to the toilet to do a wee you will notice that it will be a very bright red/orange which is normal.
Fatigue is very common, you will be given medication to take to help,with any nausea, diarrhoea etc. Very important to take your temperature on a regular basis , the nurses will speak to you in regards to all of this and what to look for.
I was pretty lucky , not having much nausea, kept on top of things with the medication they send home with you. Any issues you will have 24/7 access to support, I can’t recommend highly enough if at all not sure please call them, they are fantastic even if it’s just putting your mind at ease.

Would recommend if you can do some cook ups and freeze some meals before AC.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask, if you want to pm me privately anytime I’m happy to help you get through this, and discuss anything more in depth.

You can do this, kick cancer to the kerb.........

Just to let you know, I have had the all clear at my first yearly  mammogram after treatment in December 2019.
Stay positive, you have got this.

Sending hugs xx

I am 47 also. Diagnosed in Nov 2019. I had my dose dense AC first and just had my 10 th taxol today. AC for some of us - me for sure - is tougher than the taxol but it’s over quicker and there are down days followed by really good days. The good days reassured me I would get through and be ok. Try not to read up too much because what you read might not apply to you. I was most afraid for my heart function also, and while it has affected me in a minor way (hopefully not forever) I still jog 4 times a week and a very small dose of medication has taken care of the problem. I will have regular echocardiogram for heart function which has so far been normal. 

Hi Shellshocked2018

Thank you for your response I found it very positive and insightful 
yes I should definitely stop googling it’s been hard the last few weeks with Covid-19 forcing me to self isolate and only having company 2 hours a day when my husband gets home from work.
this has been my first reach out since finding out I had breast cancer
thanks for your offer of support 
mans congratulations on your first year clear xx

Thanks ddon
sorry to hear about the changes to your body. was there a reason you were worried about you heart?
my scans 2 years ago came back good and the heart specialist told me I had a heart of a 17yo
so I put it all down to anxiety.
im worried because I do drink alcohol cut back when I was diagnosed with cancer and I know this can be a factor in heart health 
wishing you all the best with your recovery x

The thing I noticed with my heart was day 4-5 after each AC I would have multiple extra beats that just felt so uncomfortable. And then my heart rate, which was always so slow at rest because I was quite fit, just went up 20 bpm and stayed there. My ECGs before treatment would be normal then off it would go again. I had one night in hospital on a monitor to check the rhythm, saw a cardiologist and had an echo. I was a nurse and specialised in coronary care so I was very conscious of what was going on, and because I exercise a lot I was scared of losing that.  

I found the monitoring during treatment really good - I got Atrial Fibrillation (AF) during Taxol but almost certainly not caused by Taxol, probably a mixture of things - my age (smack in AF territory irrespective of cancer), surgery, A/C chemo maybe, bit of high blood pressure. I was also virtually asymptomatic - without the good monitoring, I would probably not have known for months. Long story short, I take beta blockers which are very effective at stopping any tachycardia (haven’t had any in years) and blood thinners to guard against any clotting. My heart rate remains normal, my blood pressure is normal, my irregularity is now very close to the ‘regular irregularity’ I had for decades before cancer. Blood thinners are also really good for DVT protection on long overseas air travel (if we ever get to do that again!). I live a normal life and am now seven years NED.  I don’t know how much I owe to my treatment and how much to good luck, but a few pills seem a very low price for the years I might never have had. Never regret your good care for yourself, it sets a pattern that is even more useful now. Best wishes. 

Afraser

Thanks again for responding
I had a my heart scan today (Agated blood pool scan) I’m pretty sure I was supposed to have had it before I started Chemotherapy 
I was having so much anxiety about A/C
and it’s side affects so I spoke to a nurse at the cancer centre who assured me severe reactions can happen but low risks so I guess I’ll stop googling 
I have had irregular heart Palpitations before and had scans that showed they were benign so I’ll just trust the benefit will out way the risks
thanks for sharing your story with me and congratulations on your 7years May you have many many many more