Chemo advice needed
Having had my first chemo session on monday, I thought it might be a good time to put up a thread for people to put up some good advice for us newbies starting.
Im having 8 rounds. 4 AC and 4 T.
I was just so relieved to get it started, i wasnt worried at all. I just couldnt wait to get going. Im on day 4, and not doing too bad so far.
Im taking things really easy, just pottering around (waiting to grow a second head or something 
)
Ive taken all of the tablets given to me, Im not taking any chances at all. Even the ones that say take if necessary, Im not waiting to see if theyre necessary.
So far, Im extremly thirsty. Im dringing about 3 ltrs of water, plus tea and orange juice during the day.
Ive an endless supply of orange ice pops to cool me down.
Im rinsing with oral b 5 or 6 times a day, and brushing my teeth very carefully after every meal.
Im resting as much as i can, sometimes i just crash and have no choice but to lie down and sleep.
If anyone has any other tips they could stick up here to give me a heads up on what more to expect.
My head feels like mush
Comments
Hi Ephemere
That's a tough one to call at this stage to be honest in terms of work but from my perspective I'm through 2 of my 4 AC which I have every two weeks. Both times were 9am Monday morning and I was done and dusted by 12.30 at latest. However, because of the Bank Holiday coming up my next one will be Wed 2pm.
Monday after chemotherapy and Tuesday are usually grand but I find myself getting tired and queasy by Wednesday night; Thursday I am tired and a bit queasy, Friday I am absolutely beat. The bigger thing to think of, apart from feeling sick and tired is that on my second AC I found my concentration levels are atrocious - I went out for breakfast on Saturday morning, asked the waitress about something on the menu and I could not understand a single word she was saying to me. My husband was roaring laughing because the waitress was looking at me as pure thick (in fairness, I was ) but he knew what was going on. I'm just saying this in case you decide to take on something that will require more concentration than clapping hands. Having said that, I wake up on Monday morning the week after chemotherapy and to date, I have had LOADS of energy and am out and about and doing normal things. I'm beginning to wonder if there is some way I can worm my way back to doing a couple of hours of work myself but we'll see
I might be pointing out the obvious when I say that things don't always go according to plan because you could get an infection as quick as you like and end up having to take a chill-pill or you could be neutropenic and not be given chemotherapy until your blood counts come up. That can cause stress especially if you are setting up meetings or scheduling project plans and having to change them.... Before I got my treatment plan, I thought I would be like alot of people and be in for treatment every three weeks, but I got a right kick in the arse when I found out I was in fortnightly on AC and when that was finished I will be in every week on Taxol for 12 weeks. That put the smile on the other side of my puss I can tell you!
Most important thing to remember, not everyone is the same. I was talking to a woman in the neighbourhood yesterday who is just after finishing the last of her AC and will be starting radiotherapy next month - she was in every 3 weeks but was extremely sick on the first session but got a handle on it on the other 3 treatments but still wasn't great. But last month, I was talking to a woman who had 4 x AC and 4 x Taxol a couple of years ago and apart from losing her hair, it hardly had any affect on her at all.... it goes to show you can never tell x
Hey Encee,
That's a great colourful description. Gives me an idea. That anything goes I s'pose. Hmm. Another blooming let's just take it stage by stage bit of the whole cancer-story. Oh well.
I already have gaps in my memory and understanding from anaesthetics I suppose so I don't need more. Keep using damn big unnecessary words like palpable and pernicious and can't remember the word 'socks'. Just great.
Guess I'll find out soon......
Cheers though, really helped!
Hi all,
quick question I am her2 positive getting the treatment TCH, which is taxotere, cortoplatin , herceptin.I am getting a funny feeling in my chest,like a heaviness it comes and goes.I got my heart checked this morning before my second lot of chemo and came back fine,bloods also...Is this a normal feeling....Nurses said it is..I'm just wondering if others are getting similar reactions....
I got the taxotere,second lot this morning and with in minutes my chest tightened and my face went red.Nurses where on me in seconds injecting me with Paraton it worked...Have to say I aged about ten years when it happened and the hubby wasn't far behind....
only four chemo's left,must we really go through this crap to get better,sorry rant over
her2 positive
tch (tc x 6) (h x 19)
Hi girls
Thanks to all for this older post. Just found it today. It's very helpful for me whose just on 2nd AC chemo.
Josephine
Hi Chemo ladies (sorry),
Looking for some sort of advice, and apologies- it's a sort of how long is a piece of string question. A bit silly, but if anyone can help in any way, I'd appreciate any advice.
I'm basically wondering to what extent I'll be able to plan ahead and set up meetings etc for work, during the chemo period. I work for myself and have a brilliant person working with me, but still- I do intend/must keep working in some sort of a way.
Some people seem to have two weeks okay and one week crap, but I have heard the horror stories too.
I'm just post two surgeries (tumour and then lymph nodes later), haven't met my oncologist yet so I don't know what regime I'll be on; initial indications were 6 sessions I think. I'm fit(ish), 44 and more or less healthy, but who knows?
Basically trying to get some sort of a handle on what the next four months might be like as we have afairly big project to do in work...
Thanks, in advance !