Waiting times for chemo?

Hi Kazoo,

I see you have decided to have chemo to shrink your tumour before doing surgery. Glad you've got that bit sorted now.

Have you met with the medical oncologist yet - the consultant to decides WHICH chemo you will be getting, and how much? Is that who you were already attending since you were previously on hormone therapy? What chemo have they recommended for you? Some types require a test or two prior to beginning treatment so this could lead to some delay. Also, is it possible that they need to allow a couple of weeks for the Tamoxifen to leave your system before they can begin chemo? I've no idea on that one?

Sadly, the state of our health system could also be a reason. I know a patient who had her chemo in the Mater Public in Dublin - she had to sit in a waiting room for 1+ hours every session while she waited for a place to become available in the chemo day ward for her. It was very crowded with the nurses run off their feet. So it may be that they just don't have the capacity to cater for everyone immediately and this is the cause of your wait.

However, just because there may be valid reasons for the delay does not mean you should just accept it. I would ring your Breast Care Nurse and explain that you are anxious about beginning treatment. The majority of patients have chemo as a systemic followup AFTER the removal of their tumour. You can remind them that you have not yet had surgery to remove your tumour AND have stopped Tamoxifen so feel like you are doing nothing to combat the cancer at the moment. Just ask if there is anything they can do to speed things up. Maybe you could be bumped up the waiting list???? They may say No Way but there is no harm in asking!

Good luck, let us know if you get anywhere.
Hugs,

Flo.

Hello Kazoo

Hope you're ok in all of this; it might not be any harm just to have a quick chat with your Breast Care Nurse just to check and see if the time-span is normal before starting chemo, if nothing else, it re-assures you that you haven't been left out of the loop and there may be a perfectly logical explanation for the delay; or if not, then your call might put the skids under them.

The one thing I can say is that time flies from when you meet the medical oncologist and told what the regimen is, to when you're sitting down in the day ward getting your first treatment. If I could suggest to you to use this time to keep eating and drinking healthy, get a few dinners in the freezer, get out for loads of lovely walks in the fresh air and do some things you will enjoy for yourself, you'll appreciate it when chemotherapy starts and it makes you feel like you're not just hanging around!! Hopefully the chemotherapy wont be too harsh on you (if you can get over a bit of a slump two or three days after the first regimen, a bit of nausea thrown in, smells turning your stomach maybe, then you'll be flying it).

Best of luck Kazoo and mind yourself

Girls, thank you for your replies.
The good news is I am starting chemo on Thursday, I got a call last night, a bit of badgering seemed to work. Am scared s***less but will get through it best I can. Thanks again for all your help and I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Hi Kazoo,

Glad you got your date. I was scared too but you CAN do it. And the sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish, I suppose.

check out the chemo thread for lots of tips (and a few laughs too).
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=446

And remember to come back with any questions, or gripes you have.

Good luck,

Flo.

Well done Kazoo!

Anticipation is worse than the fact - I'm going in for my second regimen on Monday and dare I say I'm looking forward to it. I expected the worst but can honestly say it wasn't too bad at all. Hope I'm bloody saying that as the weeks go by

Best of luck petal

Just an update really. Started first round of chemo week before last - am doing 4xDocetaxel followed by 4xAC. Was rough for about a week after, didn't get sick but felt nauseous most of the time - took the anti-nausea pills, they helped a bit. However, my appetite was good despite the nausea although I went off a few of my favourite things for a few days. The tiredness, on the other hand, was like something I had never experienced!
A week after treatment, I felt like a new woman - tiredness and nausea lifted and taste buds returned to near normal. Bit of a dry mouth but using one of the recommended mouth washes.
Hair is not gone yet, getting wig next week - have been told the hair will be gone by next treatment (9 June). Should I expect more of the same, a week feeling bad followed by 2 weeks feeling all right?

That sounds about right! I've had those side effects - you can ask the medics for something for the nausea. I just went with the flow - did what I felt able to do and rested when necessary. All the best with the rest of your treatment.

Hey kazoo,

One down! Yippee!

Re the nausea - see if the medics will add another anti nausea. I was on emend and the steroids plus immodium but it was not enough. For round 2 they added zofran which made me feel nearly normal which equated to slightly crappy for 2 days after chemo then normal but taste buds were pretty screwed up till AC finished.

LL