Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi all,   I can contribute to this as well, as I have just come through the other side, having finished treatment a month ago.   I was diagnosed at 39 with a 15mm grade 3 aggressive HER2+ tumour.   For all those who are on the start of your journey, please be assured that it is manageable and you do get there.  I worked all the way through my chemo and radiotherapy as I was determined not to let the side effects get the better of me.  Yes, the chemo is tough, but it is manageable and you do get through it.  I have to be honest and say that as tough as it was, it wasn't as tough as I thought it was going to be beforehand.  The first week was the worst, you pick up in week 2 and feel pretty good in week 3.  Everyone experiences treatment differently, maybe I was just one of the lucky ones, or maybe it was just sheer determination that got me though it all as I did.   Now that treatment is over I feel amazing and can't stop smiling.  Apart from some joint pain, I feel back to my old self and am ready to get out there and live the heck out of life!   Coping with a cancer diagnosis, and going through treatment, takes its toll on us mentally, emotionally, and physically, but, at the same time, it makes us stronger, more determined, and it makes us look at the world through a different pair of eyes.   I send my love to everyone who have either just been diagnosed, or are going through treatment.  Keep positive and stay strong - it's half the medicine!    Xx ... View more

Dear Takeadeepbreath   I completely sympathise with you, but please know that it is completely natural to feel like that, and it's something we all experience.  I have only just finished all my treatment (hooray), but I have never known fear like the fear I had when first diagnosed.  Like you, and others on this thread, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, lost loads of weight with the stress, and was completely terrified.  It's the fear of the unknown, the fear of what lies ahead, and the fear of being diagnosed with cancer.  I do completely echo what dizzydee said, in that the light that shines out of us all when treatment is over is worth its weight in gold.  Hang in there and stay strong, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are first diagnosed, but it is there, and you will reach it.  You will come out the other side a much stronger woman with so much more appreciation for life.  Lots of love to you xx ... View more

Hi everyone, This is my first post here.  I finished 6xFEC a couple of weeks ago and just want to give all you ladies who have just started/just about to start their chemotherapy journey a huge hug.  I was diagnosed last October aged 39.  I can't deny that chemo is really tough, but please be assured you do get through it and there is light at the end of the tunnel.  I was quite lucky, and managed to work all the way through my chemo (apart from 2-3 days after each infusion), because I categorically refused to give in to it.  There wasn't a day throughout the 4-5 months of treatment where I wasn't suffering from one side effect or another, but it was manageable.  For me, the worst side effects by far were the nausea, the terrible taste you had in your mouth for the first 10 or so days after treatment, and the mouth ulcers which lasted from around days 10-14. Jets - I noticed on one of your posts that you are going to get Emend for your next treatment.  For me, that drug was an absolute godsend!  I was violenty sick for 3 days after my first chemo, and was prescribed this for the following treatments to help combat the sickness.  I was never sick again throughout the rest of my chemo, athough I did have horrendous boughts of nausea thoughout. The worst thing for me to deal with at the time was losing my hair - I was completely distraught.  I shaved mine off completely before it started falling off as I wanted to save myself that trauma.  I refused the cold cap for 2 reasons, the first being that I didn't want to put myself through any more hell than I was already going through and, second, if I was going to do the chemo, I wanted it to blitz everything, including my scalp!  Although I lost a lot of eyelashes, I managed to hold on to about half of them (although I had to hide my mascara during chemo), and I managed to hold on to my eyebrows until just before number 6 when they started to fall out.  Although I still have a few noticeable eyebrow hairs, they have gone very, very thin and I can't wait for the re-growth to start. Although chemo is horrific, and really takes its toll on us both mentally and physically, just remember that it's not the enemy, it's your friend.  As hard as it is, it is doing it's job, as if that is how it attacks the healthy cells, then just think what it's doing to the bad ones. Much love to you all, stray strong, and focus on the finish line. xx ... View more