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Breast cancer and scared

PLH57
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hi there,

just looking for support I guess. I have been diagnosed with stage 2 ductal invasive cancer and Her2 positive. I start chemo on Thursday and am dreading it. In fact I am dreading it all. Am no a roller coaster of emotions. I get on With taking kids to school etc and trying do everyday life.

i have even been to try wigs so can be more prepared. Still in shock I think. 

Has any one got a positive about cold cap and tips on how to try to do it? X

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    Hi

    you know a lot more about your diagnosis than my wife does. We still need biopsy results on Monday. The wait is crippling!

    were in that same rollercoaster though with 2 kids.

    i rang the cancer research nurses on Friday morning just for a chat and they were brilliant at easing a lot of the fears that come with a lack of knowledge.

    they only do Monday to Friday 9-5 though but I'm sure there will be 24/7 helplines somewhere

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    Of course you're scared and dreading it, that's absolutely normal. All I can tell you is that chemo wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Wearing a wig meant never having a bad hair day and the friends I made at chemo and in hospital are still my friends and support eleven years on. There will be bad days but there will also be good days, you will learn to appreciate the good times and not dwell on the bad. Mark your calendar with the date of your last chemo and plan what you will do when you've recovered. Assuming you're going to have eight chemo sessions each one represents 12.5% if the whole so by the time of your second treatment you will be quarter of the way through it. My GP told me when I was first diagnosed that chemo buys you life and something as precious as life has a high price but the price is always worth paying. Reach out to everyone who's offering to help you and allow them to do it, you will need their help and support and they'll feel better knowing that they're doing something for you, however small. 

    Above all stay positive and look to your future. 

    Good luck xx

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    It'll take a while to sink in. My stage 2 IDC /HER 2+ diagnosis was a year ago. I had surgery and 6 cycles of FEC. At the time I was offered the cold cap, but was put off by the idea of brain freeze. The first time wig shopping was quite hard. It made things very real. In the end I wore scarves. They were more comfortable and you tube had clips showing how to make them look stylish. I won't tell you chemo is easy. There were some rough days, but they didn't last the whole cycle. Make the most of the good days and be fair to yourself when you do feel low. The chemo nurses are amazing and will do what they can to help. They'll ask how you have been feeling after each cycle of treatment...even if you think it's nothing...tell them. They will change meds if they need to, so you can manage the treatment. Count down to the last session and definitely make a plan to celebrate coming through it all. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but you can get through it x
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    I had breast cancer 14 years ago and used the cold cap. Although my hair thinned out, unless you knew what it looked like before, nobody else would really notice. The only thing is the hair I did loose, came back curly. I would definitely give it a try if you are really concerned about loosing all your hair. I didn't loose my eye lashes or eyebrows, but lost all my body hair, which was quite good. The down side is you have to be careful when combing your hair and you can't wash it too often. You will be surprised how well you will cope with things. I found that taking Noni Juice from Health Shops, helped me deal with the effects of chemo. Good luck xx

     

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