Hi Pink 

I'm sorry I can't help with your question but I just wanted to say if you do end up having the chemotherapy don't be too scared if it. 
 

When you first hear the word chemotherapy It's very scary and although it can come with some nasty side effects, it doesn't always mean you are going to suffer from them all. I had 5 months of chemotherapy before surgery and although I did get some side effects it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I anticipated. 
 

I hope you get the answers you need 

I'm here if you have any questions.

Sarah xx

Hi, thank you so much for taking the time to reply . I'm just so scared I feel good again now but am also scared to risk skipping the chemo incase something bad happens I'm so stressed and confused but everything about the chemo scares me, it has so many side effects. Hope your on the mend now . 

Aah it's totally understandable to be scared honestly. Have you told your consultant about your worry's? It's worth telling them how you feel and they will be able to tell you more with regards to how much the chemo is needed etc. 
 

I can't tell you that chemotherapy won't give you side effects but anytime I got any kind of effects from it I tried to keep it in my head that the chemo was Battering that nasty cancer for me but for it to do that it would have to hit me a little bit too.
 

If I'm being completely honest I, myself would always go with what the Drs say on this. They have seen so many cases and would only put us through treatment if they thought it was necessary. 
 

You are a lot Stronger than you think

I hope your ok 

Sarah  xx

Thank you Sarah it really helps talking to someone who understands .  Yes I had my appointment yesterday but they just seemed to sell it to me hard that I need it, which I understand but just feel pressured. It just seems extreme to me because I got clear margins I would be happy with just radiotherapy. 

Thank you for your advice how are you getting on? X

Aah your welcome. It defintely helps to talk :) 

do you have a breast care nurse? Maybe you Coould contact them and just put your questions to them see if they can help give you answers. 
 

I'm good thank you :) I had 5 months of chemo last year and then mastectomy in January and now have 5 sessions of Radiotherapy left and then I'm done :) 

xx

Hi, Pink.

I had a lumpectomy in mid-December and am now on week 5 of chemo, to be followed by radiotherapy. My margins were clear as were the lymph nodes. 

The way it was explained to me was that getting  chemotherapy is an attempt to kill off any other cancer cells in your body that you don't know about whereas radiotherapy is targeted in the area where the cancer was found.

The side effects haven't been as bad (so far) as I was expecting although my hair came out in handfuls after 3 sessions - I'd been told that would happen. Not everyone gets the same chemo drugs so not everyone loses their hair.

I thought the advantages of chemo outweighed the side effects but each to their own

I don't know anyone who chose not to have chemo but I am sure there are ... hope you get some answers that set your mind at ease and help you make the best decision for you xx

Hi Sarah glad to hear your nearly finished, how are you feeling?  Yes I have a nurse but she's really trying to sell me the chemo hard, which I understand but it's OK for her it's not her body is it?  I'm just really torn I'm scared to have it with all it brings but scared of the risk aswell. Are you able to still go about your daily routine on the chemo?

Thank you for your help x

Hey Pink

I was able to carry on as much of normality as I could to be honest. My treatment was pretty harsh too. I had Paclitaxel every week for 12 weeks with another chemo called Carboplaitin added in every 3rd week and then following  that I had Epirubicin with Cyclophosphamide every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. 

I got through the first 12 weeks not bad at all and I'd say the last 8 weeks were probably the hardest, as that treatment made me feel a bit rubbish but I was still cooking when I could and walking the dog(I got a puppy just after starting treatment which kept me active :) and still is .. she's amazing :) 

The most deistic side effects was probably losing my hair but they do have something called a cold cap which can prevent this from happening. It wasn't available when I started due to COVID as it adds a bit of time onto your treatment and to be fair I'm glad really cos I don't think I'd of fancied it but it's an option if your worried about losing you hair.

please keep asking questions if it's helping you to get things clearer in your mind. I'm happy to help 

Sarah xx