Hello, 

just seen this thread, what chemo will your sister be having? I had fec chemo for breast cancer....finished end may.....xx

Hi, I am 72, had mastectomy in 2014, “red death” chemo, with port, 4 sessions.  Hair better than ever, cancer free today.  Never nauseated with chemo, VERY exhausted.  Totally energetic today, about to enter into reconstruction.

I was diagnosed in September with testicular cancer, surgery was perforned and the following CT appears to show everything clear. As a precaution they have  suggested a single cycle of BEP Bleomycin. 

We had the pre session appointment at the chemo unit and the young foreign nurse with very broken English spent 30 minutes with myself and my wife explaining the procedure of which 20 minutes were the side effects and how some could be life threatening. I came out of there totally overwhelmed and frightened with the information.she gave us.

I am sure like others have found, this 10 week journey has been a roller coaster of emotions and this was definately the lowest I have felt, I have tried to remain upbeat and positive most if thebtime but this floored me  however I still consider myself to be one of the lucky ones in my prognosis.

I am due to start chemo this morning and I am scared, primarily due to the overwhelming info given. I appreciate it has to be given but I'm sure there must be a better way.

My chemo as i say is only single cycle but that spread over 5 sessions, however i will update this thread with how it goes. 

Day 1.

Nervous, anxious and apprehensive are my main feelings approaching the hospital yesterday morning.

Reclining chairs, the sound of drug pumps and general busiment surround me as I'm shown to a corner of the room and settled. A couple of poorly patients catch my eye along with others on their laptops or on the phone, some greet or nod to you as you approach the chair, its like the first day at school.

Run through of basic questions and the repetition of name and D.o.B for the umpteenth time (i dont care  they want to make sure I'm getting the right treatment and they're helping ne stay alive). 

Cannula inserted in the  back  of my hand and an injection of steroid into the line, this was an unpleasant experience as it makes every part of you itch uncontrollably for 30 seconds before passing. A bag of sodium and potassium chloride was then infused over an hour, then Asplantin for another hour, half way through the Asplantin i now began my regular walks to the toilet, this became a ritual thereonin every half hour for the remainder of the day. Once the Asplantin was done it was onto the 'chemo' as the nurse put it, 2 hour bag of  'Etoposide'. This seemed a long period, my wife and I had packed a large bottle of drink each, books and the obligatory mobile  phone but my attention span was short. I nodded off for brief intervals a couple of times but the constant 'swoosh' of the pump is there in your brain reminding you of where you are and why your there. Lunch was an expensively bought sandwich etc by my wife from the cafe downstairs and this relieved a small amount of time. Tomorrow we plan on taking cards and puzzle books. 

During this last bout of infusion we were occupied by the nurse who came bearing 'gifts', tablets and more tablets and injections. These came with a regime of what to take on what day and at what time, for the next 3 weeks and after the two hours was up a quick wash through with saline and that was it.

I felt fine, except for a sore backside from sitting down too much and stiff knees for the same reason, i opted for the cannula to be removed as I have one particularly playful cat at home who would find a cannula and tube fascinating . 

The whole procedure was just over 5 hours today and i felt very good, we came home and prepared a meal which was great as I was starving by 7pm. 

I was glad I hadn't slept too much as I was out like a light last night, however at 3.30am this morning I was woken by mild heartburn/indigestion which a cup of coffee seems to have settled as i type this. 

Overall at the moment I seem to have dodged most if not all of the side effects listed but this was only day 1 and i have another 4 sessions to go over the next 13 days, tomorrow and Wednesday may be different, i will keep you posted. 

This is so helpful, thank you. I start chemotherapy in 10 days as will use youre tips! 

Good morning,

Thank you for sharing your stories. I have just had 8 cycles of chemotherapy for breast cancer. Finished last Wednesday. I had two different drugs, AC (the Red Devil due to it's colour) and Docetaxel. Every three weeks apart. Full hair loss after the first 2 weeks.

Although this will be the hardest physical and mental assault you will ever experience conscious I feel I must encourage you by saying you will cope. I had the darkest moments yes, it's hard. The side effects are brutal for some. I was lucky here, as although I had plenty I was never hospitalised or caught an infection. I did have nausea, aches, pains, chemo belly, chemo brain, loss of taste buds throughout, sore throats, breathlessness (to name a few!) but looking back now. Mild to moderate. Some days I didn't get off the sofa. Others I was walking the dog and running round the supermarket.

Keeping strong and focused mentally will help you. This is what you need to counterbalance the chemo. Believe in yourself and your body will listen. 

I am a counsellor and I was determined to help others in a similar situation with my skills and experience. So I wrote a blog, journaling the whole thing. You might find this useful. Look for the coping skills section, pre, during and after chemo! 
It's not easy. But it's doable. You will get through, stand tall and get on with your life. The cycles go past quickly too and you'll be knocking them off!

thecounsellorscancer.com/

I have been through so much and want to help others too.

I really hope some of what I say can encourage you further.

Take good care and never doubt what you can do x 

I have only had one treatment but have decided I can't go through that again I had all the side affects plus I ended up in hospital with sepsis then found out I had Covid I'd rather feel like  I do now  not like I was with the chemotherapy 

I had my first course of chemo 2 weeks ago, and have not been as bad I had expected. The day after I had an awful headache, felt sick and very tired, but this was by far the worst day. The following week I felt tired still, but still had a good appetite, the week after  I felt fine, hair started to come out, so I've bought some scarves, don't  want  a wig, I've  decided. I think the fear of what I'd  imagined was far worse than the procedures. 

I agree with your feelings. I have now finished all my treatment. I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer HERS+ and had 8 cycles of chemo every three weeks, operation and radiotherapy. After each infusion I had steroids and injections in my stomach which I dreaded. The steroids stopped me sleeping - I had three days without sleep and then they changed my prescription. I found it all trial and error. I wrote a diary of symptoms each day which seemed to be the same for each cycle and helped me be kind to myself. I spent 10 days feeling terrible and then was ok for a week before the next treatment. I couldn’t have managed it on my own because I could only do things one week in 3. The unbearable sore throat and loss of taste were really difficult but I know if I had to go through it again I could do it because you soon forget what you went through!

Your words are like gold gems as I'm in the midst of chemotherapy and dealing with the side effects of the red devil for triple negative breast cancer. I'm on day 9 after my 2nd chemo treatment and am having treatment every 2 weeks so I'm currently right at halfway - have two more red devil treatments left and then I'm hoping they give me a little rest to recover before starting on Taxol which will be weekly for 12 weeks. 

I seem to be having a complete tour of all the possible side effects and have been to A&E twice in the last three weeks first with swallowing difficulties and then to check if I had an infection. 

Today, I've got terrible indigestion, no appetite, sore joints, sore mouth, sore throat, headache, bone pain, chemo belly, upset stomach and utter exhaustion. My cancer care nurses are kind and helpful but they can only suggest I take my anti-sickness medicine, drink lots of fluids and rest which isn't very helpful because rest is impossible because I don't feel well. 

I also managed to lose every strand of hair on my body in the last five days....I knew I would and I thought I was prepared but it's kind of scary seeing the exact shape of my skull whenever I look in the mirror or touch my head. I'm booked in to be fitted for a wig in a few weeks but till then I'm wearing a lot of hats and trying to get used to my reflection. 

Having written all of that, it sounds like I ought to be depressed or anxious but interestingly, I feel mentally okay and am having a good day. I feel positive that I'll get through this because I really believe it and because my cancer is curable and was caught early which is something I'm very excited about. I just hope that if I feel physically this rubbish, then I'm hoping my tumour feels just as bad! 

Reading other peoples accounts of what they experienced and how they managed, is somehow very reassuring but wow it's hard and I can't wait until I'm on the other side of chemo and cancer-free and telling people how I got through it......I cannot wait! 

Maybe day 10 will be better. I hope. 

Thank you for your words of wisdom and for your blog! It's a beacon of light in the darkness right now!