Chemotherapy

I have no personal experience Dinahmo but I wish you the best for your treatment 💐

I can't add any experience Dinahmo but I do wish you all the very best as your treatment progresses.

I think you might be grateful for the ‘ port’ you have had implanted. It will really help save the veins which can be damaged. Good luck. Try not to worry.

Hello.
My sister coped well with her chemo for breast cancer. It was commenced a few weeks post mastectomy. She had some sickness, and feeling crap the day following chemo, and then settled until the next dose. We followed the guidance on checking her temp if feeling unwell, hot, cold etc, and what to do if her temp was raised. Lost her hair around the ?second dose, and then I cut it off for her to stop the soul destroying shedding of her hair.
She has been fine since - 12 years since.

No experience myself of chemo but just spent this year having my own cancer treatment via radiotherapy. However, I have numerous friends who have had chemo and shared their experiences with me, and it seems that there is not much between the two therapies in terms of side-effects and ability to cope. Positivity definitely helps. The possible side-effects of either treatment are pretty scary but not everyone gets them all, some get very few (I feel I was about average in that). Mine was all bearable with pain relief and reassurance along the way - make use of all the contacts at the hospital that you are given, they are all brilliant.

It is not likely to be a fun 2025 for you but if it works it will be worth it.

Guesswork from me but I imagine that nausea will be greater with chemo than with radio, but mine was oral cancer and my main issue was with eating - my mouth and throat were very sore, my tastebuds died, my swallow was affected badly, the skin on my face and neck crusted and fell off (but was quickly treated, was not painful, and recovery was good such that I now look ten years younger!).

Do also access the Macmillan cancer forum which is full of people with experience of every cancer and treatment all at your finger tips.

community.macmillan.org.uk/?_gl=1*1jyr7d8*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzI1NjE2NDEuQ2p3S0NBaUEzWkM2QmhCYUVpd0FlcWZ2eXBBT3VlZHM1d0d4YWRkcTlrX2lpY0VIbVQ4T3dILXJQSkh0OXgwa3JHY3dzUXdlZ1Y0S09Cb0N6SVlRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE3MzI1NjE2NDEuQ2p3S0NBaUEzWkM2QmhCYUVpd0FlcWZ2eXBBT3VlZHM1d0d4YWRkcTlrX2lpY0VIbVQ4T3dILXJQSkh0OXgwa3JHY3dzUXdlZ1Y0S09Cb0N6SVlRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*NDIzOTM3NzU1LjE3MzA0NTg0MTM.*_ga*NTI3ZjgwYTEtOGRlZS00NDk1LTk1NTctMzQ2NWY3Y2Q1OWJm*_ga_2J203BPENT*MTczMjU2MTYzMC42LjEuMTczMjU2MTY0MS40OS4wLjA.*_fplc*MHFBN0dNQjVNVXdYQUNVNVFmTTJZMTFFWG55OFBSU2hBU0ttU3hOczJpdTVFV3Jmd25zamM3MXJGV2hNT3J0Sm9ERmN5YVdqNW9CdTcxSVBVTXlLbllCc2lEUnowYVQwdjZxJTJCdEozMkFvTkhnbVIySFRXR3BWTlFrZWVzbFElM0QlM0Q.&_ga=2.53179432.1275373424.1732561630-527f80a1-8dee-4495-9557-3465f7cd59bf&_gac=1.58303064.1732561640.CjwKCAiA3ZC6BhBaEiwAeqfvypAOueds5wGxaddq9k_iicEHmT8OwH-rPJHt9x0krGcwsQwegV4KOBoCzIYQAvD_BwE

Good luck and fingers crossed for you.

Wishing you well, Dinahmo.

Wish you well Dinahmo - fingers crossed for you

Best wishes 🌺🙏🏾

My dd was strongly advised to see the dentist and get any necessary dental treatment before chemo.

Dh is stage 4 incurable bowel cancer. He has 2wks on chemo and one week off chemo which he has for 6 cycles at a time usually. He then has a break if he is lucky for a few months. He has just lost all his hair again after 2nd infusion. Sickness is very well controlled. It is the brain fog/tiredness he complains about. Best wishes with your chemo journey.

Yes agree about visiting dentist before starting chemo. Dentist said he wouldnt be able to do treatment when on chemo. Likewise he was advised to covid and flu. Also the vet wouldnt give our dogs kennel cough as it is a live vaccine.

I don't have experience of chemo, but sending you lots of good wishes Dinahmo.

Thank you all for your kind and helpful messages.

We all react to chemo differently, and it also depends on the chemo combination prescribed. That's good you have the port in place, it will help save your veins. My biggest problem was the almost immediate altered taste that occurred. Almost nothing tasted as it should, just tasted vile or of nothing at all. I found just a few foods I could taste normally so my diet was very limited for months. You'll be prescribed anti-sickness drugs. Take them exactly as instructed and they will help. I lost my hair 8 days after the initial treatment, it has never come back properly but I am unusual in having that side effect. Yes definitely get any dental treatment done before you start, and I was advised to only use gentle brushing with a soft toothbrush during chemo. You'll be given lots of information about your healthcare needs and also what precautions you need to take. If like me, you are given radiotherapy after finishing chemo, I can't stress enough the need to keep the area well moisturised with an approved lotion. I found radiotherapy very tiring, going to the daily sessions for 7 weeks on public transport probably didn't help. The thing to try and hold on to is this time will end and you'll be free of cancer. Listen to your body, it will tell you when you need to rest. Good luck and I hope you will have as stress free as possible experience.

Thaank you Rosie51

No experience I’m afraid, but wish you the very best of luck

Very best wishes, Dinahmo .

My hirl had very bad mouth ulcers as a result of chemo; rhe hospital prescribed gel for them, and she found sucking on ice helpful, too.

Thinking of you, Dinahmo and wishing you the very best.
Nothing practical to offer but warmest best wishes 🌺

I found chemo manageable I was lucky I didn't have nausea ,you will come home with tablets for nausea if they don't work mention it to nurses there are different drugs. I didn't have a line in had a cannula each session.
My started coming out after second dose scalp was very itchy so I got my hubby to shave it off.
I listed to my body tested when I felt I needed but tried to get out for short walks when I could.
I had two different types off chemo 2 nd lot did cause joint pain for me but doesn't for everyone.Contact breast nurses or chemo unit if something doesn't feel right.
Check temp has told that is important .
You can email me if you have any questions I will try to help.Take care be positive you will get through this.

Should have checked post, sorry about spelling ,one thing I forgot I used to suck frozen pineapple .

Good luck Dinahmo. I had chemotherapy and immunotherapy for non hodgkins lymphoma. Didnt lose my hair but it went like a brillo pad. I used E45 shampoo.
The antisick tablets made me v v v constipated very quickly. I used glycerine suppositories and Lactulose. But I read on the lympoma website that Movicol and Laxido are good.
The whole chemo 6 month treatment was not quite as bad as thought it would be. If you have steroids they will keep you awake at night.
You can get to feel quite sorry for yourself, but rest a lot and get a walk in when you can. Dont try to do too much. Get plenty of ready meals for thr freezer for days when you are tired. Housework can wait.
I set up a group whatsapp so you can tell people you want to tell how you are getting on all in one go. It gets very tiring to keep repeating yourself.

Forgive people who say the wrong thing.

I'd forgotten about the mouth ulcers, fresh pineapple was a great help. I was prescribed some gel too.

HelterSkelter1 I was told to make sure I took my steroids before 1pm so as not to interfere with sleep. I was lucky, I didn't experience sleep problems other than needing lots more.
That's a good idea about the whatsapp group.

Sending lots of good wishes to all those going through this