This topic is for anyone starting chemo in December 2024 to share thoughts and feelings in a supportive environment.
You can find more info on chemo on our pages Chemotherapy for breast cancer | Breast Cancer Now
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Just bumping this up in case there are any people starting chemo in December who haven’t spotted this thread and want to make connections with others going through treatment at the same time .
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Hi
I have just found out I will be starting chemo in December after thinking I had dodged it. I am 48 and had a single mastectomy 6 weeks ago. My tumour was grade 3 58mm plus 112mm of DISC and micromets in one node after SLNB. I have had the oncotype test which came back low at 7 which was why I thought I had dodged it but went to see the oncologist today and they have advised that it’s a difficult area as the oncotype data is based around grade 2 smaller tumours than the one I had. Essentially I do have a choice but because I want to have the best possible chance and didn’t want the what if scenario if it comes back I have decided to go ahead and will start on the 9th of December. 2 children 19 and 15 who I want to be around for as long as possible. Good luck to everyone else out there and look forward to sharing experiences and top tips x
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Welcome to the forum @mumto2 . Best of luck with your treatment.you will get lots of support and helpful advice from others on the forum , hopefully some other December chemo starters will join you soon .Best wishes Jill
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Thanks Jill, looking through previous months starters and forum for top tips to help with chemo 
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Hi @mumto2 Just popping over from November starters to wish you luck for your start of treatment . Feel free to pop in to our group if you need some advice or a hand hold before that first session x
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Thanks @arty1 it’s kind of lonely over in December maybe everyone has swerved it for Xmas month . I have been surreptitiously looking at the November one to see how everyone has been getting on so I will take you up on that x
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@mumto2 , We are more than happy to keep you company until more join the thread , pop over and say hello xx
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Hi there! 
Just wanted to reach out to you as I will likely be starting chemo in December, too. It’s been really tough, because like you, my Oncotype came back quite low at 12. I am 49 years old, ER+/PR+, Her2-, grade 2 tumor, 30 mm and 1 node positive after mastectomy and lymph node dissection in early October. Even though I’m premenopausal, I really believed my low Oncotype would mean that there was a chance of possibly not needing chemo and moving onwards to radiation.
After needing to seek a second opinion for treatment decisions in a much larger city (Long story, but I live in a very remote rural area here in the US and I was not in agreement at all with the local oncologist here, and I felt unheard and unseen, unfortunately), the oncologist during the second opinion appointment recommended 4 treatments of chemo over 12 weeks, despite my lower Oncotype.
The mental and emotional anxiety of having to make this decision to go forward with it has been agony to be very honest. 
But, at the same time, I want to know that I did everything possible to eradicate this beast. I’m waiting to hear back as to when I will begin. It will likely be just before Christmas. Ugh…it’s just hard and I sure understand what you are going through!
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Hi @pugmom29 that is scarily similar to me - my oncotype was actually 7 ! So I was the same and thought I had dodged chemo . My grade of 3, size and my age is why they think it’s best to give me the most positive chance of this not coming back. They can’t say I didn’t try everything to stop it if it ever does ! We can keep each other virtual company - I start on Tuesday next week - wishing you the best with your treatment xx
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Hi @pugmom29 im on doxetaxal ( taxotare) and cyclophosphamide 4 cycles one every three weeks starting now on Tuesday the 10th at 9:30 am ! X
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Hi @mumto2 @pugmom29 I’ll also be starting (TCHP) chemo in December (12th). I’m terrified but slightly relieved as I’ve had (what feels like) a long pathway to this point. I was diagnosed at the end of Oct, triple positive, the original plan was lumpectomy and then chemo but an MRI showed another mass and a swollen lymph node which was then biopsied and positive for cancer cells so it’s straight to chemo before surgery. I’m 36 with 2 young kids (9 and 4) so am a little nervous how Christmas will look this year.
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Hi @scaredmum1 it’s crap being part of this club and I am sorry you are having to go through this too. I can completely understand how you are feeling , I’m a good few years older than you just having turned 49 ( mindset of a 21 year old with the body of a 81 year old 
) and have two older kids and sometimes that’s the harder part - as a mum we are always thinking of our kids . I’m trying to look at it that this is one Christmas out of hopefully many many more and whilst we may feel a bit crap it’s not our fault and the kids will still enjoy Xmas. I start on the 10th so Xmas week should be the better week for us - I think it’s the unknown as to how it’s going to be that makes us scared , once we have the first one under our belt I think it wont be as bad . But if it is there are loads of lovely people on here to support us who know exactly what we are going through . I wish you all the best with your first one and I will do an update on here after mine on the 10th xx
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@mumto2 , that’s my exact regimen as well! I should be hearing back from my oncologist today about getting things scheduled for me in the upcoming weeks. My husband and I will need to drive 10 hours (or a 2 hr flight) to get to my new cancer center so have to work out a lot of logistics for travelling, lodging etc.
I’m so glad we have this forum and can support and encourage one another. 
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Wow that’s a journey ! I thought mine was bad at 1 1/2hours away ! Let us know when you have your date xx
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Hi there, @scaredmum1, wanted to hop on here as well and say hi…
I know it is so scary with so many unknowns and just makes it really tough to try to sort through and process and just gets overwhelming. That’s some of the hardest bits with all of this. Please let us know how it goes after your first treatment, will sure be thinking of you next week
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@mumto2 that’s such a good positive way to look at it, I need to think like that.
Best of luck with your treatment 
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Hi @scaredmum1 , I have my bad days too and we can only do what we can do - sometimes we forget all we are going through and expect too much of ourselves. I have been absolutely knackered today, so wanted to go out and do something before chemo but today was not the day so tv and a pizza tonight x
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