Had first chemo yesterday...

Longtail

It was great! No problems whatsoever...taking nausea meds, lots of water, walking, eating....so far so good......hope the rest go as well, but the next five may not....hoping for the best. The infusion place & nurses were great! Even had nice hand massages Still shell-shocked, but taking it day by day....

DivineMrsM

Longtail, I looked at your first post on the forum to get some background on you, I hadn't seen it.

You have had quite the year. My condolences on your husband's passing. That is traumatic enough, and dealing with his illness for four years had its own difficulty.

Then you are more or less handed a stage iv diagnosis. It is good to hear the first chemo session went well.

I was diagnosed stage iv from the start in early 2011 after finding a lump in December 2010, a week after my annual mammo. Mets to the bones, patholgy is estrogen+, Her2 - , different type bc from what you are dealing with, but if you do the math, you will see I am almost seven years into this. I have remained stable with no progression after chemo, lumpectomy, radiation and daily anti-estrogen meds.

I spent about a year dealing with treatment, and then I started doing new things, traveling a bit more, going to concerts, doing less "work" and allowing for more fun and doing what I really wanted and less of what I felt obligated to do.

So I advise you to continue to make future plans. They can be short term, like making plans to do something fun by the end of the month, and make further plans for around the holiday season. It does a person good to have something to look forward to. Continue to think about and plan that next chapter of your life closer to your son.

In the midst of it all, stay present minded. Best wishes.

Longtail

Hey, Miss D, thank you for your post! Lovely words. Mine wouldn't have been so bad, even though metastatic, if the last test hadn't come back HER2+. They originally were only going to give me Tamoxifen. The HER2+ makes it more difficult to treat, hence the chemo. I can deal with nausea, but hopefully the mouth sores, if & when they come, won't be too horrible, or the fatigue. I'm such a healthy person (other than THIS) that I will make myself exercise, rest, & all the rest of it. Hopefully I can have 3-6 decent years....as long as no brain, liver or lung mets, it's at least thinkable.....my doc swears by the perjeta with herceptin & the taxotere. Seems to be the gold standard for the triple x gang. Moving in with my son & family on the 4th, as they insisted, for the rest of the treatments, while I look for a place of my own again. Trying to think of the future and care about me, quit work last week, and looking forward to moving....can't wait til all this crud is over with & I'm just on maintenance & scans.....thanks again & so happy you're past the five year mark!! Stay well!!

Kandy

Longtail, so sorry that your husband passed away. That’s a lot to go through and then a few months later to be told your cancer is spreading. I hope your treatments goes well and kick it back to the curb. Lifting you and others up in prayer.