Advice on what has helped everyone get through chemo?

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  • trecsdss
    trecsdss Member Posts: 22
    #22
    Jeanne D said:

    Hi Debbie! Just welcoming
    Hi Debbie! Just welcoming you to this group of very supportive, caring

    bc survivors! Good luck to you!

    Appreciaring the Support
    Thank you for your kind words. I am reading all the discussion boards that apply, and it is really helpful. There is a lot of support here.
  • piseminger
    piseminger Member Posts: 35
    #23
    You can do it
    Hi Debbie, I was diagnosed in Oct 2008 with breast cancer. I was finishing my last semester of school heading into my internship to be a teacher. I am happy to say that I successfully went through 16 weeks of chemo and a fulltime internship at the same time. You will get a book that will scare the boots off of you because of all the side effect you "could experience." but that's the key, you could have doesn't mean you will.
    The worst side effect to me was losing my hair - I wore a wig everyday to school. I did have a little bit of stomach quiezziness during the first four rounds but my doctors/nurses were great with giving me medicine to calm it down. I also lost all of my senses of taste except for the sweet sense. I was happy to keep that one. I was even blessed to have no pain with the shot you have to take. Of course this all has to do with which chemo drugs they give you. I won't lie I was tired but not so bad that I couldn't go to school and do my internship. I am happy to say that I did graduate from UNF in April with high honors. Something I have been waiting to do for a very long time. The last twelve treatments were a different chemo drug so with that one I lost my eye brows/eye lashes and again fatigue but not so bad that I couldn't continue to work. Just rest as much as you can.
    God is my source and it was with the help and prayers of family, friends and strangers that carried my through both my chemo and my radiation. I just finished my radiation and will see my chemo dr. next week.
    The best to you as you travel down this road. God bless.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #24
    piseminger said:

    You can do it
    Hi Debbie, I was diagnosed in Oct 2008 with breast cancer. I was finishing my last semester of school heading into my internship to be a teacher. I am happy to say that I successfully went through 16 weeks of chemo and a fulltime internship at the same time. You will get a book that will scare the boots off of you because of all the side effect you "could experience." but that's the key, you could have doesn't mean you will.
    The worst side effect to me was losing my hair - I wore a wig everyday to school. I did have a little bit of stomach quiezziness during the first four rounds but my doctors/nurses were great with giving me medicine to calm it down. I also lost all of my senses of taste except for the sweet sense. I was happy to keep that one. I was even blessed to have no pain with the shot you have to take. Of course this all has to do with which chemo drugs they give you. I won't lie I was tired but not so bad that I couldn't go to school and do my internship. I am happy to say that I did graduate from UNF in April with high honors. Something I have been waiting to do for a very long time. The last twelve treatments were a different chemo drug so with that one I lost my eye brows/eye lashes and again fatigue but not so bad that I couldn't continue to work. Just rest as much as you can.
    God is my source and it was with the help and prayers of family, friends and strangers that carried my through both my chemo and my radiation. I just finished my radiation and will see my chemo dr. next week.
    The best to you as you travel down this road. God bless.

    Debbie, just want to say
    Debbie, just want to say that you can do it and that we will be here to support you!
  • trecsdss
    trecsdss Member Posts: 22
    #25
    Kylez said:

    Debbie, just want to say
    Debbie, just want to say that you can do it and that we will be here to support you!

    The Support is Much Appreciated.
    Thank you. I just found out that I will be taking cytoxcin and taxotere (not sure I spelled it correctly). This will be followed by radiation and then Tamoxifen. I had a Cat Scan on Friday, and of course I am nervous about the findings, which I hopefully will learn about tomorrow. This is difficult and such a roller coaster. My surgical site just started leaking, so I called the on-call surgeon, who said this happens. I am trying to keep positive and be thankful that there is treatment and hope for all of this. The support here is really helpful to and I am thankful for the site.
  • dmc_emmy
    dmc_emmy Member Posts: 549
    #26
    welcome debbie
    Yes, chemo is a tough one. I scheduled mine on Thurs so I would have the week-end to recover before returning to work. I was able to manage the nausea better, but it was really challenging for me. But, everyone is different. There was one lady at work that barely had any se. The nausea meds really work well for some.

    I took benedryl before and a nausea med five days before each chemo (sorry, I cannot remember the name). I also took a nausea med afterwards. They helped.

    I ate popsicles, the natural fruit ones, and that helped keep me hydrated.

    Good luck to you.
    dmc
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
    #27
    trecsdss said:

    The Support is Much Appreciated.
    Thank you. I just found out that I will be taking cytoxcin and taxotere (not sure I spelled it correctly). This will be followed by radiation and then Tamoxifen. I had a Cat Scan on Friday, and of course I am nervous about the findings, which I hopefully will learn about tomorrow. This is difficult and such a roller coaster. My surgical site just started leaking, so I called the on-call surgeon, who said this happens. I am trying to keep positive and be thankful that there is treatment and hope for all of this. The support here is really helpful to and I am thankful for the site.

    We are
    right here for you! Come here to vent,be encouraged,get advice,whatever!
    We have either been there/done that,in the midst of things,or newly diagnosed-or some have even just had a biopsy or surgery so far and are waiting for results.I think that wherever you are,you will find someone on here who can walk in your shoes!
    I had 2 surgeries,A/C,rads,and am now on tamoxifen.
    It is a roller coaster-I'm sorry.There were times when I wished it would slow down so I could catch my breath-but times too when I was glad that they didn't let any time pass from one thing to another(and today two years past almost,I am even more glad that they didn't let time pass).
    I hope and pray that your CT scan results come back normal! Let us know.

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