Hello Jebe. I think that being frightened is a very reasonable reaction to all that has been happening to you. Experience and knowledge will perhaps help you to find a way to navigate through this awful time. Sharing information with you - I had 12 cycles of chemo for breast cancer and I found that the actual process of receiving the medication was okay. I had a picc line too and that made it simpler than a needle inserted into the hand each time. I met helpful, friendly people, comfy chair and I usually dozed throughout the session. One of the prep medications makes you a little sleepy. I was very frightened of feeling sick from the side affects however, I was one of those lucky folk who did not suffer badly. I am not a brave soul re: nausea so I feel fortunate. I have been reading other chemo accounts posted on this site and my lack of strong symptoms is not an isolated incident. Medications vary and so do individual experiences. So fingers crossed for you, keep taking your anti-sickness medication. My mindset throughout was that this treatment was finding and destroying any cancer cells that had possibly escaped surgery removal and so it was positive action towards helping me to survive. That helped me weather any unwell feelings and fatigue. It is the second year since the cancer treatment happened to me and I am free out in the wild again. Wishing you lots of future freedom beyond this immediate misery.
Welcome to the forum. I think everybody here felt exactly the same as you do at the same stage. You can do this and you will, and your BC team want to make it as easy a ride for you as possible. Take all the support meds that they give you and do not wait to feel eg nausea. Also keep hydrated, drink plenty of water and then some to flush chemo through. It will still work just as well, but you will feel better. If you need advice or help next day, phone your BC nurse or the out of hours helpline. That is what they are there for.
As Moth suggests, at every yuk feeling, I thought: If it is doing this to the whole of me, just think what it is doing to the ******** gremlin! I had my chemo before surgery for a huge lump and at least one positive node. The chemo and targeted therapy got rid of it from lump area and nodes before the surgery. There was no cancer left in the removed lump and nodes tissue, although they could see where it had previously been as by then all fibrous.
Thankyou so much for your reassurance. I am similar to you. Chemo first to shrink lump and nodes. Then removal of what's left.. For me it's fear of the unknown, once it all starts I shall be fine. As you say it's all about getting rid of it..
Hi Jebe. Thank you for thoughtfully wishing me well. Wallydug’s advice seems really good to me. In another post, I referenced my lovely sister, who was a clever nurse, she also went through cancer treatment a few years before I did. She said that the body can, in some sense, get into a ‘nausea reaction cycle’, so she advised me to take anti sickness tablets before I felt ill and to keep taking them as prescribed for at least the first day/night after every treatment. It worked for me. I felt on the edge of sickness but it never really got a hold. I certainly felt unwell and peculiar but that was manageable. They also gave me 15 doses of radiotherapy after the chemo so I feel that they covered all the bases as best they could. Hope tomorrow goes well for you
I'm currently waiting (again) for Oncology appointment re treatment plan, following op and results. As we all say the waiting and fear of the unknown crucifies us all. We CAN do this!!
The thought/fear while waiting for chemo to start is agonising. However once you get the first one done you will hopefully fall into the routine of it all. Just take each session as a time. You may be lucky and sail through it all and if you do get any side effects then your team will have a solution which will make things easier. I had 6 rounds of fec-t and they gave me some super duper anti sickness drugs and they worked a treat. Just keep on top of all meds and drink plenty of fluids. Picc line is daunting but you will appreciate just how much easier it makes everything from bloods to chemo as the weeks go on.
Sending lots of love you way- words I found helpful to keep me going when I was frightened is when people used to say it’s all doable. I clung onto those words and hope it will help you to. Xxx
