I had chemo in 2002 following my dx with right breast hormonal cancer. I am unsure what chemo I had. It was a trial. Had 1 one 1 week, another a week later and then missed a week. Had 6 sessions like this so 12 lots altogether. And I must admit I was okay throught the whole of it. Was never sick, was only constipated once, wasn’t particularly tired, and only lost about 70% of my hair. I have to have chemo again. Not sure which programme as only see oncologist on Thursday this week. I know I can’t have the trial again. But for those of you who had chemo twice. Did you react the same as the first time or not. My only reason for asking is last time I could have worked through it. But didn’t cos was on full pay. But now am in a new job and don’t get sick pay from them and we really need the money so want to work as much as I can.
Mandy,
I can’t comment on having chemo twice, but I’ve had 4 x FEC & 4 x Taxotere, and I worked all the way through, taking just three or four days off each cycle. I also know several ladies where I live who’ve gone through various different chemo regimes for BC and they have all worked too, with the worst one having to take off one week in three.
Your main problem might be the danger of catching infections - it depends on where you work and how many people you come into contact with. I work in a very small office, so was not meeting many people on a daily basis.
Another factor is how physical your job is. I have a desk job, so was able to come to work when I didn’t have too much energy. I wouldn’t have been able to work so much if I had been on my feet all day.
Mandy - so sorry to hear of your new recurrence/secondaries and the need for more chemo.
I think it is highly unlikely you will be given the same chemo as last time as they don’t usually give you one you’ve had before as usually cancer becomes resistant to a drug after a certain amount of time.
Everybody reacts differently to each chemo so it is impossible to say how you will feel on a specific chemo.
I had FEC initially X 6 and had about 3-5 days off each cycle.
Taxotere x 4 - was a complete nightmare for me and i only managed to work about 5 days out of 3 weeks for the first 2 weeks and then couldn’t work at all for the last 2 cycles.
Vineralbine and capectabine/xeloda - could work through all the time.
Now on carboplatin/gencitabine and don’t really notice the side effects but can’t work at all due to my how ill my secondaries have made me.
The main worry as Road runner pointed out is how much risk of infection is there to you in your current job and how physical is your work. Although I worked throughout treatment, my employers were very understanding and effectively redeployed me to a desk job so I could cope and wasn’t at so much risk of infection. At times I also did reduced hours as I got very tired towards the end of the cycles.
I needed to work for my own sanity as well as the money although I would have got 6 months full pay off sick.
hope it all goes well for you.
Kate
Thanks folks. I work in an office with 4 others. I am the supervisor. We are a company that manufacture disinfectants and cleaning products for hospitals, nursing homes, farms, vets, which protect against MRSA, foot and mouth, bird flu. You name it. loads of freebies aswell!!!. I have decided that I am going to work about half an hour to an hour overtime when I feel up to it and use this overtime to pay back the times when I feel crap!!! If I am able to do this. The cancer I have now is a new primary and not related at all to the first one. So insn’t a reoccurance or a secondary. I see the oncologist on Thurs regarding my chemo so will find out more then. Thanks again.
Hi Mandy
I have had chemo twice. First time round it was FEC I was fine and was able to work through the treatment. I am just about to have my last Tax, This time things were no so smooth. The first dose floored me so the dosage was lowered and I coped better and round 3 was even better returning to work after three days.
However Mandy, I don’t need to say this but we all react differently. Take it as it comes, work will still be there (Says she who is a workaholic) I did feel better when I excepted that I can’t fire on all cylinders so work gets me as an when I can get there.
I hope it all goes well for you though
Take care
Carol
Hi Mandy, I had 3 fec and 3 taxotere. I was floored after every one and was very lucky I got 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay. I have asked myself if I was in your position, Could I have worked and the answer is probably one week out of three. Fec tired me so much I couldn’t climb the stairs without collapsing on the bed and taxotere is the pits in my opinion. I am one of those though I was expecting to feel ill so I was, because everyone knows that chemo makes you ill !! Like the guy in three men in a boat who read a medical book and decided that the only thing he didn’t have was housemaids knee. I hope that whatever treatment you have you cope and can do at least some hours at work love Eileen