Well today was very long (probably no surprise to you guys).
Got to hospital early and decided to find the Macmillan Centre, it is lovely, a real haven of comfortable chairs and free coffee (and sweets)!!
Then off to get a marker put in my breast, which was extremely painful!!
After that off to chemo, and a 2+ hour wait to see the Dr. After seeing him it's another long wait for the chemo, but they have a pager system so you can go elsewhere in the hospital. Went back to the Macmillan centre (stopping to grab a burger on the way) and booked my wig fitting while I was there.
We went back to clinic before being paged and had a bit of a wait in a then empty waiting room before being taken in to have a long chat with one of the nurses. Then had to wait for the meds, but actually having the chemo was fine tbh.
Now feeling sore and bruised and rather queasy.
So I'm on accelerated DC every two weeks, and later Paclitaxel. I also have meds for sickness and will be having injections to boost my blood cell numbers.
Alongside the paclitaxel I'll be having Herceptin
And after all that surgery and maybe radiotherapy.
FormerMember
Hi Sweetheart - it' s good that you are no longer a chemo "virgin" and know what's in store for you, lol I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing soreness, bruising and feeling a bit "queasy" - don't forget to take the anti sickness tabs, they really do help (much better if they're taken prior to being sick). Well done, and I hope your side effects take the hint and BOG OFF!! with lots of love kate xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You sound so calm about the whole procedure - I went very uncharacteristically ape for my first one! How well your clinic is organised - I like the idea of the pager system - we just have to sit and wait. If you ask if you have time to go for a coffee, they usually just say probably not! I don't know anything about the accelerated DC - how many cycles of that will you be having? I have paclitaxel and carboplatin myself (for ovarian cancer), which makes it rather a long day.
Anyway - the important thing to remember now is don't wait to feel queasy - take your anti-sickness pills regularly before you start to feel sick! Good luck with the rest of your treatment - let us know how you get on. Lots of love, Kate xxx
You sound like you've squeezed in about a week's treatment and meetings into a single day! I hope that the pace everything's proceeding at reassures you. Sorry to hear that you are feeling queasy. It is a horrible sensation, and puts you off food - which you know you need to eat to keep your body nourished. Hopefully the medication will sort this out. If it doesn't talk to the nurses and they will get another type prescribed by the doctor. Sending loads of love xxxxx Penny
Well that's one down. I thought I wasonly going to have four iv chemo's as was picked for a trial which meant I could take tablets for the the next four sessions - unfortunately severe reaction to the tablets so back to the iv and I had to have a further 8 . You get through it and I kept a diary which I found helpful when you can't share your thoughts with anyone but yourself. I read it now and think - well there's a year gone and you're through those trips to the hospital. It is so much part of your life while it is happening that you can't see beyond that but it does pass as do the horrible days. If you can, remind yourself that it's ok to feel miserable and be kind to yourself -you didn't choose to enter this marathon. With regard to the sickness I found the "sea bands" very helpful and ginger tea and ginger drinks. I was told that if my sickness tablets didn't work there were many more I could take. I really didn;'t suffer any vomiting, just a feeling of nausea and only for about three days. My pattern was that I would feel great chemo day and part of the next but then would hit the wall on the third day and I would just indulge myself with magazines and books and then it would seem like someone would switch a switch and I would feel back to normal (until the next time). I endured the cold cap which freezes your hair follicles and tho my hair went very thin I didn't lose it all. I found that some of the people in the chemo unit seemed to "enjoy" telling horror stories and I don't mean to sound horrible but I found it better to take my i pod and only speak to the ones I found reassuring. It takes all sorts!!!!! I do hope all goes well for you. Look after yourself x
