I'm scared.

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rowmyboat
rowmyboat Member Posts: 4
edited June 2014 in DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)

Hello, I was diagnosed with breast cancer early this year and will undergo treatment for both chemo and radiation starting in early April. I had 2 surgeries in the past month and been to the hospital too many times from mammo, blood samples to bone scanned. I had a meeting with the chemo cancer group on what to expect while on chemo, it was very informative but at the same time too much info to take in. I find it that I'm getting more nervous, scared and emotionally wreck, closer to the start of the treatment. Is this normal?  

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  • marjie
    marjie Member Posts: 1,134
    edited March 2012

    Hi there -

    Ofcourse it's normal!  Everything just moves so quickly sometimes and it's easy to get so overwhelmed. 

    You have found the best place to be.  Lots of good advice, and always someone to lift you up when you need it.

    Where are you from?

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  • rowmyboat
    rowmyboat Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2012

    I'm from Vancouver.

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  • marjie
    marjie Member Posts: 1,134
    edited March 2012

    I'm in Ontario. There is a thread on here of all Canadian women - definitely post on there.  Our treatment regimes are usually a bit different that in the States although all the advice you get on here is usually good.

    Do you know what kind of chemo you are getting?  Mine was FEC-D

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  • rowmyboat
    rowmyboat Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2012

    Yes, I'll be getting ACT-G (every 2 weeks). How was your treatment? Any advise you can give me? I was told to cut my hair short (hair loss),did you? Never use wig and I hate hats, (lol) which one did you use?

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  • marjie
    marjie Member Posts: 1,134
    edited March 2012

    I got my hair cut to a shorter style before chemo - it makes it easier when it starts to fall out, and when it's time, believe me, you'll be happy to buzz it off....your scalp and follicles get a little uncomfortable....like when you've been wearing a pony tail too tight all day. 

    I was dead against wigs - got one anyway, but never wore it - some women swear by them...NOT ME! I was bald as an egg over the winter, if I was cold I would wear little toques around the house, but I used scarves usually.  You can really have fun with the look. 

    My sister sent me a bunch of BeauBeau scarves - they're the best.  A little pricy, but it you have one or two basic colour ones they are worth it!  Google them and check it out.  Get lots of cool earrings lol!

    Chemo isn't pleasant, but it's very doable.  I had a hard time with mine because of my blood counts, but still managed just fine. Very important that we give up the "supermom" routine - rest when you need to and let others do for you!  I hated it when people would say "it'll be over before you know it" but looking back, they were right.

    Radiation is easy - painless and quick, but it will cause some heavy fatigue which sure surprised me when it hit.  Just be ready to nap, LOL!

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2012

    rowmyboat, I'm so sorry that you've had to join us here but I know you will find a lot of support from the great women on this board. In addition to the Canadian forum (I'm Canadian too), there is also a Chemo forum on this discussion board, and a Radiation forum. You'll find lots of women who've undergone these treatments, or who are undergoing them now, on those two forums. I'm sure that if you read those forums and/or post your questions and concerns there, you'll get lots of good information and advice.  

    Most of us who hang out here in the DCIS Forum didn't require chemo, since chemo is never prescribed for pure DCIS. Pure DCIS - a diagnosis that is only DCIS, with no invasive cancer and therefore no nodal involvement - is always Stage 0 breast cancer and there are some differences vs. invasive cancer.  In your case, even though you had some DCIS, you also had nodal involvement, which means that you must also have had some invasive cancer (also called IDC). Pure DCIS cannot result in nodal involvement.  Your diagnosis, staging and treatment is based on the invasive cancer and the positive node (it's always the more serious condition that's considered), which means that you will undergo different treatment than the women here who have pure DCIS. Hope that all makes sense.

    Good luck with chemo and radiation! 

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  • rowmyboat
    rowmyboat Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2012

    Sorry, yes they found more invasive cancer after my first surgery that's why lymph nodes was removed.

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2012

    Nothing to be sorry about!  When we are diagnosed we get thrown into a world that we know nothing about.... there's a very steep learning curve for all of us.  I mentioned it mostly to help you find the forums where you are more likely to find other women going through the same treatments and type of diagnosis as you. I hope that all the treatments go smoothly for you! 

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