I was diagnosed with Her2 positive breast cancer. The receptors /negative estrogen/ progesterone. It’s early stage 2 and grade 3. My treatment plan was started seven weeks ago, I have had five treatments, two treatments delayed due to low white cells / anaemia. My treatments are weekly Taxol, and Hercepen I/ perjita every three weeks. They also started administering globulin injections to boost my blood counts and have less delays between treatments.
I had my fifth treatment on Tuesday. It’s the third day after and I feel terrible! Severe headache, burning feet, numbness creeping into my feet and right hand. I play piano so this is particularly concerning for me…
Today is third day after my last treatment where I had all three drugs at same time. ( I feel terrible today, could not get out of bed, due to fatigue, flu feeling. Severe headache and waves of nausea.
Neuropathy has set in and my right foot is numb.
My right hand too has been affected. I cannot settle at night due to intense burning pain in my feet. Nothing eases the pain. Today I honestly felt the reality of this illness as the chemo effects are awful. Diarrhea alternating with constipation, bone ache, brain fog. I have a low appetite, and seem to manage small amounts. I take meds for nausea and pain pills four hourly, but truth is nothing really helps with the pain and headache.
I was told that I would be having twelve weeks of chemo weekly and three weekly infusions of hercepen and perjita.
Then surgery, then immunotherapy for 52 weeks and depending on results of surgery, another drug may be added to the Hercepen .
I feel alone and as if I am on a free fall, my entire life has changed with my diagnosis. I have a strong faith, but I am feeling a sense of the unknown and fear. I go between feelings of unbelief and shock. It all seems surreal.
Very concerned about the neuropathy development despite doing the cold capping and hands and feet icing weekly! My hair has not started to fall out which is one comfort.
Any one else experiencing these side effects?
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