Scared

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Mis37
Mis37 Member Posts: 9
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
3 weeks ago I had a masectomy with reconstruction right away. I was not prepared to hear that I had cancer. I am scared to go through all the treatment. The surgery really hit me hard. I am the type of person to go a whole day long taking care of my family. Now I have to take breaks while tryng to get a little work done. I am not use to feeling so tired. I just don't know how chemo and radiation are going to make me feel. I just want to get better.

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  • shelley0914
    shelley0914 Member Posts: 8
    #2
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    Unfortunately, the treatments are going to make you feel like crap, but they are what is going to make you better. You have to change the way you look at it. Chemo is "wellness juice" that will allow you to be around for your family. You can't help them if you aren't here. So you have to put yourself first for a change and make yourself well. You also need to keep a positive attitude. If you are expecting the worst side effects, they will come. It is possible to only have mild reactions as well so expect the best outcomes and you'll get them instead. Good Luck!
  • LesleyH
    LesleyH Member Posts: 370
    #3
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    You don't say what stage you have so I assume you have node involvement?

    As Shelley said, chemo does a number on you. Take some time to exercise and you will feel a whole lot better. You will start to get your energy back.

    Hugs.

    Lesley
  • esmcj
    esmcj Member Posts: 5
    #4
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    Being scared is a normal reaction. However, now you have to get down to business and help yourself get well. You are going to have bad and good days. My first 2 treatments really knocked me down. But after I got my nausea medicine down pat, I would go for my treatment in the morning and go to work in the afternoon. I found I did much better than sitting at home imagining all kinds of aches and pains. By the way, the medicine that helped me was Zofran. I never got sick or felt sick once they gave me those pills. Just remember, although you are technically "sick", you don't have to act sick. So on your good days, get on with your life. And when you do tire, rest. Good luck to you.
  • Meems
    Meems Member Posts: 15
    #5
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    I started chemo and radiation with NO expectations of how I would feel and it was no no where near as bad as I thought. I worked through most of it and yes, you have to adjust your life because of the fatigue but make a big poster that says THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS! because it always does.

    Barb
  • Mis37
    Mis37 Member Posts: 9
    #6
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    LesleyH said:

    You don't say what stage you have so I assume you have node involvement?

    As Shelley said, chemo does a number on you. Take some time to exercise and you will feel a whole lot better. You will start to get your energy back.

    Hugs.

    Lesley

    I am in stage 3. I had 15 positive lymph nodes that were cancerous. I think I will feel better once I know what my treatment consists of and how much I need. Thanks for your advice.
  • Mis37
    Mis37 Member Posts: 9
    #7
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    shelley0914 said:

    Unfortunately, the treatments are going to make you feel like crap, but they are what is going to make you better. You have to change the way you look at it. Chemo is "wellness juice" that will allow you to be around for your family. You can't help them if you aren't here. So you have to put yourself first for a change and make yourself well. You also need to keep a positive attitude. If you are expecting the worst side effects, they will come. It is possible to only have mild reactions as well so expect the best outcomes and you'll get them instead. Good Luck!

    i am trying my hardest to keep a positive attitude. I know I have to get better because I have 4 kids and a husband and a family that needs me. That is what keeps me going. I need to be here for my kids and family. I will be alright once I know what lies ahead with the treatments. Thanks for the advice.
  • Mis37
    Mis37 Member Posts: 9
    #8
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    esmcj said:

    Being scared is a normal reaction. However, now you have to get down to business and help yourself get well. You are going to have bad and good days. My first 2 treatments really knocked me down. But after I got my nausea medicine down pat, I would go for my treatment in the morning and go to work in the afternoon. I found I did much better than sitting at home imagining all kinds of aches and pains. By the way, the medicine that helped me was Zofran. I never got sick or felt sick once they gave me those pills. Just remember, although you are technically "sick", you don't have to act sick. So on your good days, get on with your life. And when you do tire, rest. Good luck to you.

    Thanks for the help.
  • Mis37
    Mis37 Member Posts: 9
    #9
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    Meems said:

    I started chemo and radiation with NO expectations of how I would feel and it was no no where near as bad as I thought. I worked through most of it and yes, you have to adjust your life because of the fatigue but make a big poster that says THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS! because it always does.

    Barb

    I am hoping to be able to work through my treatments. I want to try to get my life back to normal. As normal as it can get for now.
  • Susan956
    Susan956 Member Posts: 510
    #10
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    Mis37 said:

    I am hoping to be able to work through my treatments. I want to try to get my life back to normal. As normal as it can get for now.

    My onc got me to think about treatment as a time in my life when I would have to slow down to get ready for the rest of my very healthy life. Chemo is tough... but it is temporary... and as you can tell there have been many who have walked before you.... As for working, I managed to work the majority of the time... Normally 5 days on off treatment weeks and 3 days on treatment weeks. everythink working out just fine...

    God Bless.
    Susan
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398
    #11
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    Mis37 said:

    I am hoping to be able to work through my treatments. I want to try to get my life back to normal. As normal as it can get for now.

    I guess this is where I have to ask this Question. What is NORMAL??
    If anything my cancer and survival has made it clear to me that if that life I was living before was normal then I it had to be changed. Cancer comes to us for many reasons and I have found it to be one of my life's greatest lessons and that lesson was I needed to take as good of care of myself as I did of others including my own child. I think we all need to take a good look at the lives we were living because the secret to our getting this lies deep within those years days and hours.
    Being good to yourselves is one of the first places to start.
    Tara
  • RNHF1986
    RNHF1986 Member Posts: 26
    #12
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    Hi,
    You will know what's right for you if you look inside you. If that's taking a bubble bath, reading your children a story, working, planting a flower, reading a book, lying on the couch, crying, laughing, writing in a journal, talking to your family, chatting with us, whatever....

    I am a firm believer that we are all different in not only diagnoses and stages, but in personality and spirit. With that being said, everyone will be different in how we react not only physically, but mentally to our treatments.

    I leave you with this: We are all a product of our experiences. It's our atttitude, true spirit and the choices we make that allow us to hope, cope and celebrate.

    Know that I'm thinking of you.

    Becky

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