hi Tracey 

I have recently finished 6 rounds of chemo followed by 15 sessions of radiotherapy.

I found I managed quite well on chemotherapy.

I do know what you mean regarding you fear the worst having being told you need to have it. I also felt like you scared of the unknown and thinking I would be very poorly.

It's not exactly pleasant but it's doable.I had a few days each time where I felt pretty horrible then I'd have a good week to two weeks where I felt relatively normal.

They give you all the medication you will need for side effects and it's all very well managed.I didn't really suffer with nausea much.Perhaps a slight sickly feeling but I took what Meds I was told and any extras I felt I might need.

Is there anything else I can help with? I don't mind giving my experience to you if there's anything you want to know please ask away.

take care 

Ness 

Thank you very much for your replies. I haven't been told about any drugs yet.  I am wondering if I can still work through it all?  I work bout 40 minutes drive away and I would be willing to still try and work. Is radiotherapy better than chemo?  Why do we sometimes have to do both? Thanks x

Hi,what type of cancer do you have? What chemo is it your having? It will help others to advise and share their experiences with you if we know a bit more? I was diagnosed in may this year I'm in my 3rd cycle of chemo for follicular lymphoma,i too dreaded chemo I expected to be bald and weak and I'll as I watched both my parents and my sister like that but apart from feeling like I'm hungover and very sea sick for 10 days which I am trying to sort out with different drugs at the moment,I'm otherwise ok and my hair is still in tact although its alot thinner! It's not all as bad as you first imagine and the staff are second to none! They help you and explain everything to start with. Good luck!

PS. I forgot to say.. Regarding working..You will have to ask your consultant that as every one is different,we all have different jobs,different cancers and treatments,for me personally I'm not allowed to work due to where I work and as I'm in isolation I cannot risk being near teenagers or large groups of people so it's a NO for me although I feel I could work on the 2nd week after chemo it's just too much of a risk of infection.Im on Rituximab and Bendamustine chemo for follicular lymphoma.I m 42.

Let us know what your having?

Hi Tracey

Gillian asks a good question - what type f treatment will you be on, that way members who have had the same can at least tell you their journey.  I was on six months of combo drugs oxiplatin and capacitebine. Never had nausea, did have upset tummy but dr gave medicine which stopped that and I worked a full time job for the treatment duration.  Did feel very tired and on the weeks I had intravenous I worked from home in case I needed to have a nap.  You do have to adjust your living style according to how you are on the drugs.

please come back and let us know more so we can support you through your journey

Best wishes

JB

Hi Tracey

lm 57 l had breast cancer at the age of 30 and l felt exactly like your feeling, it all becomes so overwhelming, this doctor that doctor specialist family friends. However 12 weeks of chemo followed by 6 weeks of radiation was no where near as bad as what l anticipatated, having 3 children in primary school kept me focused, sure there were bad days there were days you didn't want to get out of bed but you have to try and stay strong, keep busy go shopping( not on your bad days of course)my hair thinned a lot but l did go bald and so what if l did l was doing what l had to do to save myself. Then 2014 aged 55 l got lung cancer. Once again l wasn't ready to say goodbye to the world, l had surgery and they removed 1/2 of my lung, then came the chemo, this time it knocked me about a bit more but l stayed positive and this is a must you gave to stay positive and don't let it beat you. Keep a good diet plenty of fruit and veg and if you can drink loads of water so you flush the chemo out as quick as you can. These days vomitting doesn't happen that much, they give you loads of steroids to stop this, but more than likely you will feel nauseated usually 2 - 3rd day after having the chemo. Try to keep a log of everything you experience so when you see your oncologist you don't leave anything out. I actually kept working just less hours. So stay strong and positive. However everyone reacts differently. L wish you all the best

Hi Tracey, welcome to the forum, but sorry for why you are here. When we are initially diagnosed with cancer, any type of cancer, the first thing we do is panic. Cancer is a very scary term and automatically we figure we'll be sick as a dog with treatments and likely die in the end anyway. That perhaps was how it used to be years ago and unfortunately, that mindset still exists to some extent. These days, that isn't the case. People now are living longer with cancer after treatments and some people get cured. Having siad all that, as treatments affect everyone differently, and for sure, there are hundreds of different chemo treatments, it's really hard to say how treatments may affect you or anyone. A treatment that might have made me sick, may not affect you at all, or vice versa. When I was first diagnosed, I was given chemo drugs and half way into the treatment program, I was so sick they had to discontinue the treatments. Like the oncologist said, killing me with the treatments wasn't going to help me for sure. He explained how complicated it is to design a specific treatment for each patient. There are so many drugs available for so many different kinds of cancer and even if its' the same cancer as someone else, it can manifest itself differently in any one patient. My treatment team was surprised that I became so ill on the treatment program they put me on because most people tolerate that treatment very well-not me though. That was six and a half years ago and I'm still alive, but I've been through a lot since then and still going through a lot. In any case, sorry for rambling, but I just wanted to present a different view to how we all react to different situations.

I hope I haven't thoroughly confused you more than you alread were. That was not my intention. I want to wish you all the best with your treatment and just remember, everyone reacts differently to these drugs and my hope for you is that you sail right through with little or no problems. I would strongly advise you against working though as your resistance to infections of all types will leave you very vulnerable to pick up whatever is going around. Besides, having treatment, even if you're not sick, should be a time for you to lie back and relax. Allow your body and your mind to come to terms with a cancer diagnosis. That alone, requires rest and relaxation. Pamper yourself!

Sending hugs your way.

Lorraine