DCIS Breast Cancer about to start treatment

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Hello

ive recently been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and have had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal.

I am now due to start 6 rounds of chemo - Docetaxel - with Herceptin, followed by Radiotherapy, and Hormone infusions.

My mind is a mess - I was adamant that I would try a Cold Cap but having been told the success rate is really low and it is brutal, I’m having 2nd thoughts.

I am also terrified of what the side effects will be from the chemo - how soon do they start? What are the most common ones? Will I be bad the whole 3 weeks and then have to have another round without any respite?

There is so much information out there my mind is just reeling from it all - I am trying to ensure I have all the right things to ease me through it all - but then I worry I have missed something - my head is a swirling mass of ‘get frozen grapes to prevent mouth ulcers’, oil your fingernails, get unperfumed moisturisers, get sugar free boiled sweets, rubber gloves, comfy, loose clothes.......I don’t know what’s important and what isn’t!

And as for the comfy clothes - I have put on so much weight over the past few months , nothing fits me so nothing is comfortable- I live in PJs at home.

I know I just need to step back and take things one at a time but I am feeling so overwhelmed and am in a state of disbelief still.....

An6 advice will be much appreciated.

Thank you

GodWilling over 4 years ago

Hi Xray1, first just stop a moment and breathe because you can do this and you will probably find that it's not as bad as you were expecting. I'm not saying it will be easy, although it might be, but it will be doable. Treatment has advanced a lot over the years.

I haven't had chemo so I don't have first hand knowledge but you should hear from ladies who have. If you don't get many responses you might want to post on the Breast cancer sectionhttps://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/chat-breast-cancer or the breast cancer for under 50's section https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_experiences/breast-cancer-for-the-under-50s-forum

There is also a thread in the breast cancer section for people having chemo this month which you would probably benefit most from https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/chat-breast-cancer/f/questions-about-diagnosis-and-treatment/218946/june-2021-breast-cancer-chemo

To help calm your mind and would put everything down on a list. Make a list for questions to ask, a list of things to take with you, a list of things to do beforehand etc

With the cold cap why not give it a try and then decide. Everyone is different and it may not bother you as much as it does others so maybe try it and if you find it intolerable you can always stop using it.

Wishing you all the best xx