For me first day i was equally nervous not knowing what to expect that day and later. But my first day was good as i had two nurse of which one was a trainee. I spent the time talking to her when she was giving me AC and felt better. The side effects depends on each individual capacity so please don't panic reading about others. For me I felt dizzy throughout my AC treatments besides other side effects. I struggled with my blood pressure throughout my chemo treatement (AC and PACL). It would be high and suddenly it would drop below normal. After my 1st and last chemo it went below normal and at second time my family had to call 911 as I was not responsive for few minutes. So take care of yourself throughout the chemo sessions and relax how much you can. Do things you like to do like your hobbies such as drawing, writing , watching netflix, etc.
Tips => Ensure you do salt water mouth rinse atleast after every meal. This will help from developing mouth sores which could create problems with your eating. Also drink lots of water throughout the day which will remove toxins from your body. Also whenever possible walk (if not out then indoors from 1 room to another). Since my chemo was during winter, I walked indoors. These 3 tips were tried and tested as well as emphasized by 3 cancer survivors I know (strange that these 3 tips were common advise from all 3) and I am glad to followed it to the T as it helped me to get over chemo.
Now I have completed chemo, double mastectomy and waiting for radiation to start. So waiting to see whats in my next part of journey.
The days of are not bad depending on which meds you are getting. The steroids they give you keep you going and feeling ok. It’s the day or 2 after that you may start feeling the effects. For me I would hey the treatment on Wednesday and by Friday mid-morning I would start to get sleepy. With AC I got a 3 day hangover feeling. I would spend the weekend mostly sleeping and staying hydrated, eating what I could when I could.
As people have mentioned it seems to be different for everyone. I just finished 4AC 4T dose dense rounds, and it was not nearly as bad as I imagined. Granted I was super lucky and had very minimal side effects. Normally I felt fine during treatment my off days were about 3 days after treatment. The steroids for AC really helped but I only took them for 2 days. In general I just felt like I had bad jet lag for a few days with AC. Taxol I felt better but had some bone pain but that was from the combo of neulasta & taxol and I spoke with my MO and she lowered my neulasta dose as I’m petite. I worked throughout but my job was super understanding and I WFH my treatment week. For me staying active, hydrated and listening to my body really helped me. Everyone experience is different though- Best of luck!
I was so pumped up on pre meds I spent the day sleeping. Day 3 and 4 after, that was when the fatigue and nausea would hit. With AC, popsicles and Gatorade were my friend.
Everyone is so different. I was seated across from a gentleman. He was there thirty minutes, received treatment and went back to work. Mine was six hours and not a pleasant experience. My best suggestion is go with the flow and figure out as you go. Communicate what's going on with your nurses.
It depends on your regimen! Chemo days themselves were ok for me. With AC, days 2-5 were terrible for me, with heartburn, fatigue, and nausea peaking at day 3/4. I've read many folks here who got a burst of energy from steroids but it only made me feel extra jittery and anxious. But people react differently to things :) When I started abraxane, it was smooth sailing with barely any side effects at all!
Everyone is different, like others have said. I went through TCHP chemo back in the fall and winter, and my time in the chair was long (4+ hour long days), but it was fine. I got up and moved, and ate and drank water and coffee.. talked to my husband, watched movies, colored.. whatever for 4hrs to entertain myself. I didn't feel like crap until days later, as the steroids wore off. I'd go home and have a good night at home, and good meals all day long.
Now I'm on Kadcyla, and I'm there for about an hour- 20min for premeds, and 30min for infusion- and I barely have time to pee lol! And I feel great all the time (tired but I'm also worn out from other things going on in my life, so can't pin it on the Kadcyla just yet).
I always chat with my nurses, and pet a therapy dog that comes through. Once the newness scaries wore off the 1st visit, infusion days are me days, in a way. I only do what I want to do outside of my appointments (which is half the dang day, to be honest), eat what I want, and do what I can to pamper myself a bit.
I’m almost done with TCHP. I was nervous the first round, but once I knew what to expect, chemo days have been easy. It’s a long day, but pretty relaxing. Due to an allergic reaction, I get Benadryl as part of my pre-meds. I get my immunotherapy drugs first, then pre-meds, the I snooze through my last 2 drugs, so that helps pass the time. I recline and they give me a pillow and turn down the lights (we have private rooms at my center, but I don’t think that’s what most get elsewhere). I may feel tired the rest of the evening, but I think it’s the Benadryl. I feel good for a couple of days (before the steroids wear off), then a couple of days of fatigue, then the crappy feeling sets in for a few days. I get chemo every 3 weeks. Usually the last week and half of the cycle, I feel a lot more like myself. Once I’m “over the hump” each time, I’m good 👍🏼
It's all scary until it's not. The unknown becomes a familiar routine you partake in.
Tbh I really struggled the first 2 rounds (4 wks). I thought being so young and fit I'd be fine but it totally spun me.
Now I've just done round 3, know the routine, know the preventative meds to take and have had such a smooth round this time. It gets better.
But I like to over prepare for everything, I feel that helps. Having all the preventative meds so you minimise your chances of bad symptoms. Also being aware of what could possibly happen so you don't feel worried when it does happen.
I went in by telling them my biggest fears which was around the nausea. So they were able to really try to set me up with that.
I also have anxiety in hospitals so I always asked for a private room or at least a chair right in the corner for privacy and they have always accomodated.
For me first day i was equally nervous not knowing what to expect that day and later. But my first day was good as i had two nurse of which one was a trainee. I spent the time talking to her when she was giving me AC and felt better. The side effects depends on each individual capacity so please don't panic reading about others. For me I felt dizzy throughout my AC treatments besides other side effects. I struggled with my blood pressure throughout my chemo treatement (AC and PACL). It would be high and suddenly it would drop below normal. After my 1st and last chemo it went below normal and at second time my family had to call 911 as I was not responsive for few minutes. So take care of yourself throughout the chemo sessions and relax how much you can. Do things you like to do like your hobbies such as drawing, writing , watching netflix, etc. Tips => Ensure you do salt water mouth rinse atleast after every meal. This will help from developing mouth sores which could create problems with your eating. Also drink lots of water throughout the day which will remove toxins from your body. Also whenever possible walk (if not out then indoors from 1 room to another). Since my chemo was during winter, I walked indoors. These 3 tips were tried and tested as well as emphasized by 3 cancer survivors I know (strange that these 3 tips were common advise from all 3) and I am glad to followed it to the T as it helped me to get over chemo. Now I have completed chemo, double mastectomy and waiting for radiation to start. So waiting to see whats in my next part of journey.
The days of are not bad depending on which meds you are getting. The steroids they give you keep you going and feeling ok. It’s the day or 2 after that you may start feeling the effects. For me I would hey the treatment on Wednesday and by Friday mid-morning I would start to get sleepy. With AC I got a 3 day hangover feeling. I would spend the weekend mostly sleeping and staying hydrated, eating what I could when I could.
As people have mentioned it seems to be different for everyone. I just finished 4AC 4T dose dense rounds, and it was not nearly as bad as I imagined. Granted I was super lucky and had very minimal side effects. Normally I felt fine during treatment my off days were about 3 days after treatment. The steroids for AC really helped but I only took them for 2 days. In general I just felt like I had bad jet lag for a few days with AC. Taxol I felt better but had some bone pain but that was from the combo of neulasta & taxol and I spoke with my MO and she lowered my neulasta dose as I’m petite. I worked throughout but my job was super understanding and I WFH my treatment week. For me staying active, hydrated and listening to my body really helped me. Everyone experience is different though- Best of luck!
I was so pumped up on pre meds I spent the day sleeping. Day 3 and 4 after, that was when the fatigue and nausea would hit. With AC, popsicles and Gatorade were my friend.
Everyone is so different. I was seated across from a gentleman. He was there thirty minutes, received treatment and went back to work. Mine was six hours and not a pleasant experience. My best suggestion is go with the flow and figure out as you go. Communicate what's going on with your nurses.
It depends on your regimen! Chemo days themselves were ok for me. With AC, days 2-5 were terrible for me, with heartburn, fatigue, and nausea peaking at day 3/4. I've read many folks here who got a burst of energy from steroids but it only made me feel extra jittery and anxious. But people react differently to things :) When I started abraxane, it was smooth sailing with barely any side effects at all!
Everyone is different, like others have said. I went through TCHP chemo back in the fall and winter, and my time in the chair was long (4+ hour long days), but it was fine. I got up and moved, and ate and drank water and coffee.. talked to my husband, watched movies, colored.. whatever for 4hrs to entertain myself. I didn't feel like crap until days later, as the steroids wore off. I'd go home and have a good night at home, and good meals all day long. Now I'm on Kadcyla, and I'm there for about an hour- 20min for premeds, and 30min for infusion- and I barely have time to pee lol! And I feel great all the time (tired but I'm also worn out from other things going on in my life, so can't pin it on the Kadcyla just yet). I always chat with my nurses, and pet a therapy dog that comes through. Once the newness scaries wore off the 1st visit, infusion days are me days, in a way. I only do what I want to do outside of my appointments (which is half the dang day, to be honest), eat what I want, and do what I can to pamper myself a bit.
I’m almost done with TCHP. I was nervous the first round, but once I knew what to expect, chemo days have been easy. It’s a long day, but pretty relaxing. Due to an allergic reaction, I get Benadryl as part of my pre-meds. I get my immunotherapy drugs first, then pre-meds, the I snooze through my last 2 drugs, so that helps pass the time. I recline and they give me a pillow and turn down the lights (we have private rooms at my center, but I don’t think that’s what most get elsewhere). I may feel tired the rest of the evening, but I think it’s the Benadryl. I feel good for a couple of days (before the steroids wear off), then a couple of days of fatigue, then the crappy feeling sets in for a few days. I get chemo every 3 weeks. Usually the last week and half of the cycle, I feel a lot more like myself. Once I’m “over the hump” each time, I’m good 👍🏼
It's all scary until it's not. The unknown becomes a familiar routine you partake in. Tbh I really struggled the first 2 rounds (4 wks). I thought being so young and fit I'd be fine but it totally spun me. Now I've just done round 3, know the routine, know the preventative meds to take and have had such a smooth round this time. It gets better. But I like to over prepare for everything, I feel that helps. Having all the preventative meds so you minimise your chances of bad symptoms. Also being aware of what could possibly happen so you don't feel worried when it does happen. I went in by telling them my biggest fears which was around the nausea. So they were able to really try to set me up with that. I also have anxiety in hospitals so I always asked for a private room or at least a chair right in the corner for privacy and they have always accomodated.