is there anyone out there who i can talk to about chemotheraphy

[pinkstarlight]

i will be starting chemo soon within the next 2 weeks and quite frankly im terrified and still no matter how many times im told can take in what to expect im still in shock of being diagnosed.

i will be having 4 months of 3wk cycles,will i get any sense of normality during this time.what happens during the second week i understand im vulnable to infection,i know no 2 people are the same but is there anyone out there who can talk me through their experience,offers tips etc.

Ok, firstly stop panicking!

I was on chemo for six months in 2004/05, and in that time had one day off work through illness. I was lucky in that I had private insurance so was able to take tablets (capacitibine) rather than have to go on a drip.

I was not sick once.

I did not lose any hair.

The worst thing was feeling tired. I'd often get home from work and once I'd made dinner and tidied up was in bed by 7pm. The other thing was that I had very red and tender palms and soles ("palmar plantar syndrome") which meant that walks weren't the usual 4 hours, but only an hour or so, and I couldn't wear high heels very often.

Try to go into it with the attitude that it's up to you to decide how much it'll affect your life.

I know that some people have much worse side effects, but just keep reminding yourself that you're doing it for a reason.

All the best.

Hello pinkstarlight - sorry you're facing chemo. I went through it last year for Breast Cancer. Sounds like a similar regime to what you're facing. Everybody's different in terms of how they react, but most women find they can live a relatively normal life. I found that the worst side effects happened in the first 7-10 days, but even within that I could function, so still took my son to school and also worked through most of it. Once you've started the first cycle you'll start to see a pattern. Then when you know how it's going to affect you, you can plan round that.

Come over to the Tamoxifen thread and say hi. There are a fair few of us on there who've been through chemo, and three who have just started. You can ask anything on there, really doesn't matter how trivial. We've all been there, so understand how terrifying it all is.

PinkStarLight - sorry to hear that you need chemo. I haven't had it myself, although have been through it with other people.

Some people cope well with it/have few side effects as Mumblechum has said and others have a different reaction.

I think though, as MC said, it will help you enormously if you can go into it with a positive attitude - that you will cope with it, that you will be OK and that it will do its job.

One of my friends overhauled her diet overnight, she was pretty healthy anyway but she started juicing and eating only 'good' food (& good quality chocolate on occasion), really helping her body build up its strength/defences - she is the one who has come out of it all the best. Of course it's not the be all and end all and some people who do this have terrible symptoms etc, but the way I'd look at it is that it can't hurt!

Her attitude was that SHE was attacking the cancer it was NOT attacking her!

I don't have any advice for you i'm afraid - just wanted to hold your hand. Good luck :-)

thanks everyone i was suprised to hear that some of you still managed to work its good to hear some positive feedback,i have been told i will be having chemo by a drip.

i have already cut out all rubbish from my diet eating plenty of fruit,veg ,nuts etc,replaced my coffee with herbal teas.

i know i have to pull myself together im just feeling overwhelmed by it all right now.

Pink, it's probably worth trying to build up your iron levels too. You can do it naturally through your diet. Chemo tends to make you anaemic, so it's worth trying to get ahead of it. Also go to the Dentist if you can to get a good check over. The drugs tend to cause mouth problems as they attack areas of fast growing cells - so cancer ones (yeay!) but also cells in places like the mouth.

And in some ways, I don't think you don't have to pull yourself together. It's okay to be terrified - actually I think it helps to admit you are, otherwise it gets you later. You will get through it though and it probably won't be as bad as you think. It's mostly just a slog. I'm a year on from diagnosis and am feeling good. You will be too.

thanks smee thats a good point about my iron levels as i have been anaemic in the past,im pleased to hear that your feeling good now.im going to come over to the other thread and say hi.

Hi Pink, I haven't had chemo but work with pepole who are having or have had it. I think people often find it gets easier once they have started rather than the waiting for it to start. The Macmillan support website is really good and would be worth a visit. The anaemia you get from chemo is not caused by lack of iron so changing your diet won't help with this but obviously a good diet is helpful in other ways. Good luck.