Post-operative treatment
I chose the stronger 4-dose AC chemo regimen.
I was prepared for my periods to stop, they didn't!
Dianne had chemo at 38 after a mastectomy. This followed a recurrence of cancer after 4 years.
I had to wait extra time between each dose and self-inject neupogen growth factor after the second, third and fourth doses to stimulate blood cell growth. This I took in my stride and I have just finished the last series. Yes, it was a pain that I lost my breast and hair, the good side was that I have learnt to rest and have made some significant changes to my life.
After the first dose of chemo, I lost my desire to drink coffee. I had been cutting back in the time between the operation and the start of the chemo, the chemo made that decision for me! I am a social drinker, but have cut back a lot there too, which according to the literature is a very good thing to do.
While I have always been known for having a healthy diet, there were improvements to be made. I have stopped eating some foods eg. chicken and try to eat organic meat. I have always eaten a lot of vegies and fruit and have increased the servings. I'm also not fond of a lot of sweet foods any more. The chemo is pretty revolting at the time of the doses, but there is a bright side to everything and some positive benefits to your health.
Wearing a wig is heaps of fun, no more bad hair days and they're so simple to maintain. I have been complimented over and over about how lovely the wig looks. I attended a 'Look good, feel great' workshop prior to starting chemo and would recommend it highly to anyone who is going through chemo. I took an old friend wig shopping with me, and she greatly assisted me with the final decision. It's also a good time to try a new style as I did. I have wavy hair that I cannot straighten out, the wig is dead straight and makes a nice change.
I maintained excellent health, despite very low blood cell counts
Living in the country, I found the treatment a strain
Doreen had both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She is now recovered and enjoying life.
Unfortunately, vascular spread was found and so I had to go through chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This was a tough time especially as, living in the country, radiotherapy demanded daily attendance at a hospital in the city – 2 hours by train each way. Chemotherapy had left me weak and with no stamina. It was a struggle to change from train to tram and then make the return journey following my 10 minute treatment. For the last 2 weeks of treatment I stayed in one of the hospital apartments, making the whole thing much easier to cope with. During this time my skin broke down from treatment and was dressed 3 times a day by a nurse and healed quickly once the radiotherapy was completed.
After breezing through radiotherapy, chemo knocked me flat. But I feel great now.
Lyn, aged 53, had both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She used a lot of alternative preparations and juices to help her get through.
The surgeon entered. Well, he said, the good news is we got all of the tumour with clear margins, so there is no need of more surgery. I had had a lumpectomy two days before (August 19th, 2000) and had been waiting for the pathology results. But, he continued , the bad news is, it is a grade 3 tumour and there is a spread to one node so you will need chemotherapy, for 6 months sandwiched around your 6 weeks of radiotherapy.
It was then that I really fell apart for the first time since discovering the lump I had found was breast cancer. With two young children then aged eight and eleven, and five grown up children,I had tried to maintain a positive outlook despite the loss of my mother to breast cancer in 1991. I was very frightened.
I read everything I could lay my hands on about breast cancer, it's treatments and the side effects of them, and the latest research. For me knowledge was power.
I sought and found doctors with whom I felt comfortable and in whom I had great trust, to manage my treatment. They had to be people who would answer my many, many questions and were prepared to spend their time (often quite long) and their expertise with me in a shared communication, rather thanfeeling I was being told what to do or managed without my input. I also read many books on complementary therapies and found a very good naturopath and homeopath.
Although I breezed through radiotherapy with only minor burning and fatigue towards the end, chemotherapy knocked me flat. Unable to take the steroids given to relieve some of the side effects, I suffered constant feelings of nausea and bouts of diarrhea. However I did not lose all of my very thick hair although it became very thin and patchy. I believe it was due to the probiotic powders and other naturopathic and homeopathic preparations that I took, as well as vegetable juices, that I made it through this time, and without any infections.
Now six months down the track from the end of my treatment, despite some ongoing fatigue, I am feeling wonderful, my hair has grown back with a vengeance, thicker and curlier than ever. I have learnt the importance of savouring every day, of spending time with my wonderful and supportive family, of stopping and resting when I need to, and above all not worrying about the small things.
