POSTIVE FEED BACK

Just went threw having a lump remove.Tomorrow starting the chemo and having to take dexamethason tonight and in the morning before it starts very scared don't like the side effects from what I'm hearing.p.s need some positive feed back.Dawn

[Cheerpul]

11 months ago I started chemo (Taxotere, carboplatin and Herceptin) for a small tumor that was found (5mm) after my mastectomy for lots of DCIS.  Don't worry too much about the Dexamethasone.  There may or may not be side effects, and if you do have them, they probably won't hit with the first dose.

You will be offered all kinds of pills and remedies to help you deal with the side effets of chemo.  I bought a shoulder bag to carry them all in and kept it with me for about 6 months until I was over the nasty side effects.  That way I had them all together and always with me.

You will want something to write in that lets you keep track of how you feel and anything unusual that happens.  A date book is good, because you can see patterns quicker.

My experience with chemo was, according to my oncologists, extreme and unusual.  However, I got a little more sick after each treatment with fewer good days in between.  Having said that, I also worked full-time throughout, only taking days off for treatments every 3 weeks, and sang in two choirs 40 miles away in Toledo, OH.  That was all that I was able to do, but it kept me moving and fighting through the yucky parts.  

I was very open with my co-workers and they were incredibly supportive.  My chemo motto was: Adapt and or endure; with laughter.  I was able to apply that every day and things are going great now.  I have only two more Herceptin treatments and am having a preventative mastectomy on the other side and taking tamoxifen.

When you are starting chemo, it looks very bleak and scary.  When you've had a couple of rounds, you may not feel so great, but you find your feet and work out a routine.  You have a pretty good idea what to expect, but remember, that each day is a new adventure, and new stuff (good and bad) pops up often.  Put your oncologist and nurses on speed dial.  You need to call them often (and they usually check onyou in many places) when you are having side effects.  They know many drugs, home remedies and the like to help you cope.  I never had something happen that they could not help at least feel a little better.

We are all so much stronger that we would ever suspect.  The luckiest people never find out how strong they are.  But you and I, have a measure of our strength because we have gone through much.  I am now looking at life after chemo.  My hair is a boy-cut, but coming in nicely, I have great energy, have one breast for now, my immune and digestive systems are back to normal, and (for good or bad) I'm still me!  I worked through the summer at 2 jobs (doctor bills, you know) about 75-80 hours a week and then played the role of Little Buttercup in the operetta, HMS Pinafore, when the 2nd job was done.

Please be welcome to stay in touch.  We will support you any way that we can and offer what we know.  I am thinking of you and will be tomorrow especially.  I will be taking my second-to-last infusion of Herceptin tomorrow, so I'll be your long-distance chemo buddy.