Starting chemo this week: Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide and Pegfilgrastim then Paclitaxel
Hello everyone, this week I start chemo. As I understand it, 4 cycles of Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide and Pegfilgrastim then 12 cycles of Paclitaxel. I am looking for any advice and tips on how to get through it. We all know that experience and side effects are all different and individual but it would help to know how others have coped. I haven't had my introduction session with the oncology nurse yet and the fact sheet is a bit scary. I am in Melbourne and will be treated at St Vincent's private in East Melbourne as that is where my medical oncologist works. For the time being I am remaining a private patient as insurance covers it. I am choosing to try the 'cold cap' to see if it will help with not losing hair but as I have fine hair and already experiencing age related hair loss, it may not work. I know it will add about 2 hours to treatment and am willing to give it a go. My plan is to take audiobooks and colouring books with me to pass the time during treatment. I'm aiming to keep busy but not taxing myself too much. At this stage I do not plan to work on treatment days but do plan to work from home other days. A friend has suggested a probiotic as a precaution as a relation and her mother used one during their chemo and found it helpful. Has anyone else found this? With the second treatment and Paclitaxel I am concerned about the possibility of peripheral neuropathy side effects due to a previous condition. I read in another post that some ladies have tried cold gloves and socks - has that worked? I will have to look into it further but am curious and want to be prepared. Thank you all for reading and any advice and tips :heart:
Must-haves for chemo
Hi all. I am about to start chemotherapy next week, fortnightly for 8 weeks and then weekly for 12. There is SOOOOOOOOOO much out there about what it will be like, what the side effects will be, what to expect... but then it is also so much to navigate when one's head is already full! I was wondering if anyone had some very basic recommendations of things that are 'must-haves' or was a 'go-to' for them when they went through therapy. I know that everyone responds differently and everyone would have different experiences, but I guess I want to at least start with a shortlist of items that I can have on hand in preparation for the first few rounds. Haha am I even making any sense :wink: Thanks in advance :smile: