Chemo thru but still feeling yucky?

Snookums
Snookums Member Posts: 148 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
How long after you finish Chemo do you begin to see changes for the better? Nails not so sore and bruised, food not tasting like cardboard, tiredness not a constant, eyes stop flooding and nauseau not a problem? I finished 1 week ago and don't expect immediately to "poof" be back to normal but, a general estimate - month, 3 months, ??? If anyone out there could shed some lite? I was on Taxotere for 12 weeks and now am finished. I move to Tamoxifen in a month but . . . what can I expect to get better and when? Thank you for your time gals- I need your educated "lived it" knowledge. OXOX and God Bless

Comments

  • hummingbyrd
    hummingbyrd Member Posts: 950 Member
    #2
    Well Snookums, sounds like you're already doing some better. Nails improved, food has some taste, no nausea and some energy...'normal' is a hard one to pin down. For me, I was so much better on Taxol than AC I didn't bother thinking about much more. Better than feeling like I'd been run over by a frieght train was good enough. LOL
    Now feeling really good probably came about 3-4 weeks after the last chemo treatment. That was May, by August I actually had some hair, now that made me feel good! Didn't "look" like a cancer patient when I saw myself in the mirror. For me, that was a BIG deal.
    Tamoxifen never phased me, guess that's why I'm on Aromasin now, ha!
    I think main thing for you to focus on now is
    YOU MADE IT! and life, by the grace of God, will just keep on getting better. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
    ((((HUGS)))) God bless. hummingbyrd
  • jamjar62
    jamjar62 Member Posts: 135
    #3
    Hi Snookums! Congrats on finishing the chemo! I had my last cycle of Taxotere on Thursday. Go Snookums! Go Jamjar! It's your birthday, it's your birthday!

    I can't speak from experience on when it all goes away but a friend of mine who went through chemo said that her onc told her not to expect to feel 100% herself (whatever that is anymore) until she had been off chemo as long as she was on it. In other words, 6 months of chemo, 6 months til you're back to "normal". She thought that was true in her case but I'm hoping that it doesn't take 6 months because I need my energy for summer! Good luck and God bless you. We will have hair, we will have energy and we have a future!

    Karen
  • sandytrif525
    sandytrif525 Member Posts: 106
    #4
    Dear Snookums, Hi I think you will feel better sooner than you think. I am glad to report that I was on Chemo for a year and it did not take me a year to get "back to normal" . I had taxotere but I am not a good candidate to tell you what to expect after that because I had my surgery after I finished with that round of chemo. So I had to recover from that. Just take it one day at a time and thank God for each new improvements. God Bless and Way to Go on Finishing. Woo Hoo. :) Sandy
  • prayerangel
    prayerangel Member Posts: 147
    #5
    sandytrif525 said:

    Dear Snookums, Hi I think you will feel better sooner than you think. I am glad to report that I was on Chemo for a year and it did not take me a year to get "back to normal" . I had taxotere but I am not a good candidate to tell you what to expect after that because I had my surgery after I finished with that round of chemo. So I had to recover from that. Just take it one day at a time and thank God for each new improvements. God Bless and Way to Go on Finishing. Woo Hoo. :) Sandy

    Everyone is so different. Just listen to your body, above all. Rest when it tells you to rest. It took me a good 4 months until I felt my old self again. Mostly I was just fatigued. Just relax, and before you know it, you'll be your old self again.
  • Klady
    Klady Member Posts: 2
    #6
    hummingbyrd said:

    Well Snookums, sounds like you're already doing some better. Nails improved, food has some taste, no nausea and some energy...'normal' is a hard one to pin down. For me, I was so much better on Taxol than AC I didn't bother thinking about much more. Better than feeling like I'd been run over by a frieght train was good enough. LOL
    Now feeling really good probably came about 3-4 weeks after the last chemo treatment. That was May, by August I actually had some hair, now that made me feel good! Didn't "look" like a cancer patient when I saw myself in the mirror. For me, that was a BIG deal.
    Tamoxifen never phased me, guess that's why I'm on Aromasin now, ha!
    I think main thing for you to focus on now is
    YOU MADE IT! and life, by the grace of God, will just keep on getting better. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
    ((((HUGS)))) God bless. hummingbyrd

    I finished my chemo July 8th last year and my sister's took me on a Carribean cruise the first of September to celebrate. I had a blast and had no problem eating anything! Wasn't seasick and had enough hair to go without a hat or scarf and just looked like I was in fashion. I just finished radiation in March and I feel great! It will get better and as soon as you can, have a great big piece of chocolate cake and celebrate!
    Have a blessed day, Klady
  • bullfrog13
    bullfrog13 Member Posts: 213
    #7
    Dear Snookums,
    Normal is a relative term, and NONE of my relatives are normal! oh -ok. that wasnt was you asked was it? sorry, was to tempting.

    ANYWAY, I noticed it as a gradual change, hard to explain, but one day I'd be able to perform a task -without pain- that I could not perform a week earlier.

    I noticed that food no longer tasted like dirt one day when I was eating some BarBque-something up to that point I would NOT dare to even attempt to eat!

    One day I had hair (it was over thanksgiving i think) and just decided I'd had it with the hats/scarfs and wig!

    I noticed about two months later my skin was clearing up and my nails were growing again.

    I was on chemo for over a year - so it had been a LONG time since I'd seen NORMAL!

    I still forget things I should remember, and my eyelashes are still not''just right''.........but Im here..and I feel great.. this is May 2003and my last treatment sometime in August 2002. SEE now I should remember the exact DATE-but I dont!
    much love- and God Bless
    Jerilyn
  • adamsmom
    adamsmom Member Posts: 2
    #8
    hummingbyrd said:

    Well Snookums, sounds like you're already doing some better. Nails improved, food has some taste, no nausea and some energy...'normal' is a hard one to pin down. For me, I was so much better on Taxol than AC I didn't bother thinking about much more. Better than feeling like I'd been run over by a frieght train was good enough. LOL
    Now feeling really good probably came about 3-4 weeks after the last chemo treatment. That was May, by August I actually had some hair, now that made me feel good! Didn't "look" like a cancer patient when I saw myself in the mirror. For me, that was a BIG deal.
    Tamoxifen never phased me, guess that's why I'm on Aromasin now, ha!
    I think main thing for you to focus on now is
    YOU MADE IT! and life, by the grace of God, will just keep on getting better. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
    ((((HUGS)))) God bless. hummingbyrd

    My name is Liz, new to boards..hello all! I have been done with cysplatin for 2 weeks now...still major nausea and fatigue.I work now, but when at home, it's sofa or bed. How long will this last..
    I still have to look forward to brachytherapy in 2 weeks...after that ....were hoping for cancer free!!!
    stay healthy all! thanks for listening
    liz z.
  • jheller9
    jheller9 Member Posts: 1
    #9
    adamsmom said:

    My name is Liz, new to boards..hello all! I have been done with cysplatin for 2 weeks now...still major nausea and fatigue.I work now, but when at home, it's sofa or bed. How long will this last..
    I still have to look forward to brachytherapy in 2 weeks...after that ....were hoping for cancer free!!!
    stay healthy all! thanks for listening
    liz z.

    Hi Liz. I was just diagnosed in October, had a lumpectomy and am scheduled for brachytherapy in early December. Your message says you were headed for brachytherapy. How did it go? I'm having trouble finding out what it's like and what to expect.

    How are you doing now?

    Thanks,
    Joan

Discussion Boards