Last day of chemo treatment and seeking community!

Spooner 1 month ago

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Hello,

I am really happy to have found this wonderful online resource. I have been seeking a community support group locally and unable to, when a friend had suggested moving my search to online.

My cancer journey began last summer when I found a lump on my chest and thought that it was due to poor sports bras...this led me to mentioning it to a doctor who then ordered a mammogram and ultrasound, followed by biopsy, lumpectomy, 4 rounds of TC chemotherapy (last one was delivered this morning), radiation upcoming and hormone therapy.

I am a 42 year old woman, living in Canada with double negative, invasive ductal carcinoma, clear margins and lymphnodes, 1/5 chance of recurrence within 9 years.

Well...that is my cancer journey without the emotional part of the ride included. It is also only one part of a very dynamic person! Do you feel that you have lost some of the other parts of yourself too when talking with others?

Today feels a bit strange, I have an undercurrent of energy for this last part. I also feel full of the TC and am very aware of the work that my body has to do one more time. Mentally, I am preparing for the injection that comes in 48hrs which always wipes me out the next day.

I am thankful for my body and what it is capable of. I remember this every time I want to be 'busy' externally and recognize that I am busy on the inside. Being kind and compassionate to myself has been one of the learns for me.

I look forward to reading your posts and getting to know you as well.

Cloudier 1 month ago

Hello, and welcome to the forum! You sound positive and level headed, and I’m sure that this approach has been a positive for you in your treatment journey. Others will respond with their own experiences, but yes, certainly I am not the same person that I was pre-diagnosis. Some of that change is a good thing (I appreciate a lot of things that I didn’t really notice before). I do like your description of being ‘busy on the inside’ though. That’s a really good way of putting it, and I’m going to use this for myself, as I am still on hormone therapy for another 7 years. You use some slightly different terminology to the UK - is double negative referring to oestrogen and progesterone? Anyway, it’s lovely to hear from you, and I’m sure that you will receive some more replies soon.

Spooner 1 month ago in reply to Cloudier

Hi Cloudier,

Thank you for your comments and response. Everyday through the treatment cycles have been different and it certainly a journey. How have you found hormone therapy? I have been putting off learning more about this part of treatment and it seems a bit overwhelming at this point. Yes, I meant to say that I am double positive for oestrogen and progesterone and negative for Her2. Have you been on this forum for long? I am still trying to work it out!

Cloudier 1 month ago in reply to Spooner

Hi, I take Anastrazole, and have experienced the aching joints ( in my case my ankles) that so many talk about in this forum. That said, some people don’t have side effects. You might be on a different tablet as you are younger than me. The treatment process can be overwhelming, or at least feel like that. So perhaps just think about the next stage of your treatment as it comes. There were times when I couldn’t think more than half a day ahead. But three years on, things are a bit better, although like many other people here, I can get setbacks. Self care and kindness to oneself is useful, when the day allows for it. Xx

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Last day of chemo treatment and seeking community!