newly diagnosed

nbritton
nbritton Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Help I am falling apart at the seams, I am still trying to deal with the news. I am looking for reason not to have chemo. I am scared of the chemotheraphy and the side affects that comes from it.

Comments

  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #2
    We all fall apart at getting diagnosed with cancer. I suppose that doesn't make it any better, but freaking out is fairly normal over getting cancer and over all the indignities of cancer treatment too. A nurse friend of mine compared chemo to having a baby. Nine months and life begins again, different but good. Umm, I was mourning that I would never have that second baby at the time and didn't really feel cheered up, but I've seen numerous folks make their way through chemo since. Now I see her point. I was scared silly when I was first diagnosed (breast cancer 5 years ago). I've been diagnosed with lung cancer (not a met) since. Surgery and hormone treatment is all I've had so far, but chemo is almost certainly in my future given my luck. If needed, I will be glad its there, that is, if it is there. The research and treatment in breast cancer is yards ahead of where the research and treatment is in lung cancer. I have about an equal chance of going into advanced lung cancer as I do of getting advanced breast cancer. Five years ago I would have never been glad about chemo, but now that I'm facing a disease where the chemo is hardly as effective as what we have for breast cancer, I know it could be worse. My grammar stinks, but maybe you get the point. If you have to do chemo, understand that it is there to help you. It has been proven to give you better chances at a longer life. That's not all bad. And if you do have to have it, keep coming back to these boards with all your questions and concerns. The folks here are great! They will help you get through it so you don't have to do this alone.
  • scaraher
    scaraher Member Posts: 20
    #3
    first of all I am sorry. Bc sucks and I really hate seing the newly diagnosed posts. That was me a mere couple months ago. I was diagnosed in February and came here only a couple months ago. I am currently in chemo and hate every moment of it but know that it is helping me. I had 4 rounds of dose dense a/c which pretty much sucked I am now doing 4 rounds of taxol 1 down 3 to go its not as bad. I was so afraid of chemo before I started I just thought of all the horror stories I have heard but they do have some good drugs out there to help u thru I was on 3 anti-nausea drugs to keep it in check and they worked. They also gave me shots of neulasta to boost my wbc count. The hardest part of this for me has been giving up control of my household to others. I have 2 sons ages 3 and 5 and I had to get a lot of outside help from friends and family when my husband could not be home to take care of them. The best advice I can give is to accept help when it is offerred and remember that this is only a small portion of your life and it will be over soon then you can get on with living. My prayers and thoughts are with you.

    Stephanie
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    I know--chemo is very scary. I don't think any of us wants to go through it, but you have to do what you have to in order to live your best and longest life. My husband was against chemo for all the reasons you are concerned about. But bottom line is that I was more terrified of my cancer coming back than I was of the chemo. I too had 4 rounds of AC and 4 of Taxol. The AC really sucked but I had 4 anti-nausea meds and they did help. Its hard but you can get through it and when all is said and done, it was not as bad as I had imagined it would be. My oncologist said to me during our first visit; "Do you want to do everything possible to decrease the chance that your cancer will return?" My answer was YES. My Aunt died of breast cancer and it was heartbreaking how she suffered. I knew that I had to take advantage of every treatment offered to me. It really is a small portion of your life and once its over you can go on with your life confident that you have used every weapon available to win the battle for good. Good luck and please keep us informed on your journey. Hugs, Eileen.
  • Jadie
    Jadie Member Posts: 723
    #5
    Hi nbritton

    Don't be afraid of chemo. Think of it as your friend. It is there to help you. Do what you need to do to get better. Chemo is a rough road to travel but keep your eye on the light at the end. It will be worth it.

    Don't be afraid to ask your doctor about meds for anxiety. If ever you needed them it is now. I stayed on xanax and zoloft while in treatment.
  • red65
    red65 Member Posts: 3
    #6
    Honey, you're only human. BC is hard to accept for everyone. I had a mastectomy in January and finished chemo 2 months ago. If your doctor feels you need chemo, then do it. I had 4 treatments of TC and it wasn't nearly as bad as I had dreaded. Pick out a wig before you start chemo so you can find one that matches your color and style. Its nice to have one so you can look like yourself. There are loads of anti-nausea meds available if you need them. The week of a treatment, I didn't think about housework and had friends/family on-call. By the next week, I could go about my business like normal albeit I was a little tired. I compare it to kind of like having the flu and then needing a few days to recover from it. I took the treatments because I want to live, to see my son grow up, to take of my parents as they age, to spend years with my husband. I didn't even consider not taking chemo. Listen to your doctors and do as they say and you'll be fine.

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