Hi canasta. i was diagnosed with breast cancer in may 2017 i had 6 rounds of chemo, i think the first 3  were FEC. i was so sick and dizzy and extremely fatigue i was given sickness pills but they made no difference. i tried the cold cap but i don't think the nurse put it on properly because big chunks of ice kept falling down my back, so on day 15 my hair started to fall out and by the time I had the 2nd round it had all gone.  my next 3 was doxcetaceline  they said this one won't make me so sick but can cause leg pain  , it turned out to be horrendous the pain was really bad,my finger and toe nails fell off . watery eyes, eyelashes fell out in fact everything fell out . its now nearly end of January and I've still got leg pain. oncologists said i had just had a bad reaction to chemo, some people have very little side effects and others have bad side effects.  the good news is it shrunk my tumour from 6cm to 3mm so it was a brilliant result.  i had a mastectomy but didn't need radiotherapy.  so it all turned out good in the end. 

thank you for sharing i am just about to start this treatment and a bit apprehensive x

Morning all. Fantastic Idea to get this thread going.

I am due to have my first sesh today. Getting a dose of carboplatin as a precautionary measure to reduce the chance of recurrence of seminoma testicular cancer.

Been trying not to think too much about it and maintaining a positive outlook as in, however bad I may feel afterwards, the juice is going to be worth squeeze!

I'm getting a bit anxious as it gets near but this thread has certainly helped my expectations and calm my overactive mind! Good luck to all, i will repost over the next few days to give an upto date account of how i feel if people think it would help.....

All't best

Hi All,

New to the forum and found it in answer to a Google about how bad Chemo really is, which this thread was quiet informative, but still a lot more the read up on in this forum  !

What I would like to ask those who have had Chemo, did they do it on their own ?

I live alone and no one locally to help out,  and with it being such a long treatment  could not really ask anyone to be here for all that time, so do wonder with all the side effects if its something I can manage on my own ?

thanks.

Hi will100,

It's impossible to answer your question without knowing what chemo drugs you will be given. Personally I would have found it extremely difficult to cope on my own after the side effects kicked in a day or two after my chemo [see my earlier post of 18th Aug2016]. Driving to and from the hospital for the chemo  alone was ok however, once the side effects started I felt so bad I had to stay in bed for days.

Hi Bal72,

No idea of what the exact treatment will be, will hopefully know better after next weeks appointment.

Seems its  very much down to the individual but like your experience it does sound really bad for some.

Think it was the details that BBC guy, Bill Turnbull  that initially caught my eye in his Radio Times article the other week where he said he could not take any more after the sixth treatment.

While the hospital is nearby getting there by taxi is the easiest option, its was more about coping at home and being able to do the most basic of tasks like food shopping, cooking etc over what seems a very long period; suppose I ought to get into online food shopping  from the local supermarket set up and working ok before any treatment.

Personally I could not drive in the first week post chemo as I was very dizzy and suffered from chemo brain/confusion.

Help is good if anyone offers. Otherwise what you can do:

Stock up online before your chemo (not for the whole chemo but at least for a week or so). Get plenty of easy food like soups and stuff to make sandwiches or easy meals/nutritious ready meals. Some days I could barely face cooking. Only a couple of days though.

Stock up on tinned prunes and lactulose in case you get constipated. Difflam mouth wash too for sore mouths. Plus paracetamol and such like.

ice lollies can be good if you’ve got a sore  mouth (as long as your chemo doesn’t prohibit iced foods).

I hired a cleaner and outsourced my ironing. I bought more clothes, key items which often run out,  so that I have more slack in my laundry system if things don’t get done quickly.

Set bills to auto pay.

Make lists and write things down (I got very forgetful)

Get yourself one of those pill boxes that sort by day/time as there are tons of tablets to take.

Set alarms to remind you of medicine taking and/or install an app like the Macmillan one which includes medication reminders.

Pack yourself an overnight hospital bag in case you need to go in at short notice (already happened to me once).

My experience has been pretty ok so far though it’s early days. I had a few days of bad brain fog where I found it very hard to concentrate and just took it easy. The fog has lifted now (week 2), though now I am in low immunity and should avoid crowded places. Online shopping is definitely your friend!

Personally though I would not like to be facing chemo alone and if I were you I’d look into what options there are for getting someone to drop in now and then to help you out, just in case it all becomes too much.

Hi Will,

Ask your GP to refer you to MacMillan, the Community Nursing team and Patient Transport BEFORE you start chemo and make sure they fully understand your situation. You could also ask him to put you in touch with other cancer support groups in your area..

Suppport varies from one area to another, but the sooner you are referred the more likely you will receive the support you need. 

Good luck!
Dave