Hi All
Im starting my chemo tomorrow thurs 12 jan aand i am so so scared about how i will feel , will i be able to cope, what if im ill at night and im on my own (my partner works away)what if im to ill to get out of bed (i have a dog to walk)what if i cant be bothered to get something to eat the list goes on and on
Rant over
I had my op in nov wle and have done ok upto now can enyone offer any advice or help
Oh yes i have to say i have a very good support network but im so independent and hate asking anyone for help but i know i WILL have to
Thanks for taking the time to read this
xx
Hello,
I felt EXACTLY the same as you before I started and was petrified. I didn’t think I’d be able to leave the house and even bought lots of sick buckets! The word ‘chemo’ just instilled fear into me and I thought I’d be cooped up at home for 4 months. I was amazed by the reality. My worst side effects were similar to a mild hangover - queasy, tired and a bit foggy in the head. No sickness or anything. I have a puppy that I walked twice every day and apart from a couple of days after chemo when I took it easy I was shopping, meeting friends etc. I certainly didn’t need any looking after - i just listened to my body and rested when i needed to. On my first day on the chemo ward I was terrified and in years but met a lady who had worked all the way through chemo commuting up to London and also looked after her 2 children. She really gave me the confidence boost I needed to know that it wasn’t going to be as bad as I’d imagined and that I could do it. I did! And you can too!!
X
Hi Perita
Try not to worry too much. Take all the anti-sickness meds they give you and, if you do start feeling queasy, shout until you get stronger/better ones. They aim to make you as side-effect (SE) free as possible.
I live alone and went through FEC-T chemo last year. I wasn’t sick once, was always capable of looking after myself and my cat and, through most of my chemo, I was able to work almost normally for two weeks out of three. I carried on riding, walking, gardening etc.
A bit of forward planning so that you have easy stuff ready in the freezer, don’t have any major activity planned, etc for the week after chemo is a good idea.
Not everyone is as lucky as I was - you just have to listen to your body. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Dx
Hi Perita - I felt the same as Sandytoes. What is important is protecting yourself from germs as your immune system will be very low. Buy yourself a digital thermometer and get into the habit of taking your temperature so that you know what your “normal” temperature is. I was told that if my temperature was higher than 37.5 for more than two hours I was to ring up the chemotherapy unit as this could be a sign of infection. I finished chemo at the end of November and I was never ill, mostly just tired!
What I found helped me during the early days was reading posts in here. Take a look at some of the “starting chemo in…” threads and you will see what people have experienced.
Good luck - you will be fine! I am.