Experience with Quitting Chemo?

Each_day_2018

My current treatment plan (after total mastectomy) is 4 AC treatments followed by 12 Taxol treatments and 30 radiation treatments. My cancer is 100% hormone driven and there has been talk of hormone therapy, but that is so far away.

I have completed the 4 AC treatments and they were miserable; I wanted to quit after 2. The side effects left me bedridden for days after each treatment. I am to start the taxol in January, which I know is a lot easier... and 12 weeks later start the radiation.

For those of you who have turned down or stopped chemo, what was your experience? Did you do something else? How easy was it to move on to the next phase of treatment? (for me that would be radiation). I plan to have a total mastectomy on the right (prophylactic), after radiation and then start reconstruction of both.

I am 31 years old, have 3 kids (8,7&4) and work full time (when I'm not sick from chemo).

Looking for any advice!

mittmott

I can't help you, but I see you didn['t get any response. Please try reposting on the stage III message board. You will probably get much more of a response. best to you

romashka

Hi. I stopped chemo after one dose dense round of AC. Not an easy decision. No AC and no Taxol. No treatment aside from surgery.

L-O-R-I

I too only had 1 surgery, which was to remove a simple ductal pappaloma. It was sent away for testing and everyone was surprised that it came back cancer positive. The biopsy had come back negative for cancer a few weeks prior. I was shocked. I was told to have another surgery, as the margined were not clean, and then they would follow that up with possibly more surgery, hormone blockers, radiation, and possibly chemo. I refused all of that and for the last 9 months I’ve been on a health kick, doing numerous natural remedies.I feel great and believe that is what was best for me.

Lori

NoWhyToIt

Hi, I had a similar diagnosis to you and also had a hard time with chemo so I do understand. I feel very strongly though that you really are not a candidate to stop chemo. I'm sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear. I know it's hard but you have a lot of reasons for needing it. Lymph nodes positive, size of tumor, etc. You are young and you will make it through. It can be brutal but once done it is over and normal life can begin. Just take care of yourself and keep going and you will come out the other end. You don't want to look back and regret anything.What chemo is preventing ultimately is metastasis. Metastasis is incurable. Right now you are curable. Chemo can actually cure you. Don't skip Taxol. As a stage 3 survivor I have to say, where chemo may be a maybe in some cases, it really isn't for us.

santabarbarian

If you have not tried fasting briefly, it can definitely blunt the side effects of chemo. There was a woman in my August 2018 chemo group who did it for the taxol and said it made a huge difference...

Each_day_2018

Luckily, I have found the taxol to be bearable. I think I was so traumatized by the AC, that I couldn't bear the thought of any more chemo. I am 2 for 12 of Taxol and I do feel like I will be able to finish it!

Denise-G

EachDay - this is great news. So happy to hear Taxol is kinder to you.