Hello! I’m looking for some advice please.
I’m 29 and was diagnosed with Grade 2, ER+, HER2- breast cancer in March. I had a mastectomy and immediate reconstruction on one side with temporary implant. Surgeon got all clear margins and lymph node biopsy showed it hadn’t spread to any lymph nodes which was excellent news!
Due to my age and being intermediate risk for recurrence, my oncologist advised 12 weeks worth of weekly Paclitaxel (starting next week), then hormone therapy and other injections.
I’m engaged and my fiancé and I had planned /booked the wedding of our dreams in September. We’ve already been engaged 2 years, and together 10 years! So we really don’t want to wait any longer to be married. I’ve been doing well with surgery, fertility preservation and hospital visits so far - daily exercising and even went to Amsterdam at the weekend for a trip.
I’d be due to finish up chemo 3 weeks before the wedding. And I plan to ice cap (though know this is a bit of a lottery on whether it works or not).
From those who have been through similar treatment plans how did you feel mentally in the weeks/months after? Is it silly to think the wedding could go ahead as planned or should we definitely reschedule?
I don’t want to let the cancer dictate too much of our lives, we’re already missing out on 30th birthday celebrations and we can’t try for kids when we had planned to… but also want to enjoy our wedding day! Any advice welcome 
Best wishes x
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Hi @kcg0610,
Firstly I want to congratulate you on your engagement and upcoming wedding - this should be such an exciting time for you, and I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and the fact that the lead up to your wedding won’t be anything like what you imagined it would be - I’m sure you’re feeling like you’re caught up in a whirlwind. And I hope that you find the forum a comforting and helpful place that you can come to throughout your journey. We will always do our best to answer your questions and offer support
If you haven’t yet you might find it useful to check our our Younger Women Together services, which are targeted to your age group Younger Women Together | Breast Cancer Now
We also have a section specifically for younger women on on our forum Younger women - Breast Cancer Now forum
I’m sure someone will reply soon sharing their experience on Paclitaxel, and you can also use the search function to find previous posts which might contain the information you’re looking for.
If you ever need to talk to someone or ask questions, or if it all gets too overwhelming at any point, our nurses are only ever a call away on 0808 800 6000.
Wishing you all the very best for starting your chemo and hoping you can still have a wonderful wedding experience, albeit not the one you expected,
Alice
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Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding.
I have had 2 spells of Paclitaxel. 12 weeks (after 4 cycles of EC) for my primary cancer, then a similar period of NAB-Paclitaxel for secondary spread. I found I bounced back from both sets of chemo quite well. 3 weeks out, I probably didn’t have full energy but didn’t feel too bad. I did try cold capping but it didn’t work for me. The Paxman literature / website has good data on success rates for different hair types and chemo combinations. Realistically everyone sheds some hair and has some issues with hair condition, even if cold capping works. The treatment also usually causes eyebrows and eyelashes to fall out. So it’s worth thinking about a good quality wig and perhaps professional makeup for your wedding.
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Hi @kcg0610 - I’m not following the same chemo regime as you but I am on EC and Docetaxel which is very harsh on your hair. If you’re planning to cold cap it may be worth you trying Daniel Field hair products? I’ve used them and have so far kept about 85% of my hair with just two more sessions to go. May be worth considering if keeping your hair is important for you for your wedding.
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First of all, kudos to your strength and positivity through all this. From what I’ve seen, many folks manage to bounce back well after chemo, though it can vary. You’ve been proactive with everything so far, which is great!
If your treatment plan aligns and you’re feeling up to it, I say go for it. Maybe have a backup plan just in case, but staying optimistic can make a big difference. By the way, I’ve been eyeing some classy options at Gentleman’s Guru wedding tuxedos —they might have something perfect for your big day.