Chemo or No Chemo?

LuvR, that is a good point about there being meds for almost all the SEs, except fatigue. But even the fatigue can be alleviated somewhat with regular exercise, according to one study. I walked daily through chemo, for at least 45 minutes, but often much longer. I also had some tiny free weights that I did a little upper body work with every day. It helped the fatigue some and it definitely helped my mental state. My mother started going to the gym during chemo, at 67 years old, and ended chemo in the best shape of her life.

I took an iron and vitamin syrup and that also helped some in keeping my red blood counts close to normal range. I got neulasta all the way through for the white blood counts, and although my blood counts over all were low, they were usually only slightly below normal range or else on the low end of normal.

Kathy - I know you are scared of chemo, but please listen to your doctors not others promoting alternatives - there is no proof they work and in your situation with so many positive nodes, you really need professional advice. There's no reason why you can't do complementary things and chemo and be healthy through out your journey.

Ritalin works for fatigue!  I was sleeping 12-14 hours a day until the doctor gave me some ritalin.  Didn't mean I got anything done - just that I started to sleep only 8 hours a day.

Thanks!

Of course I am always impressed by the knowlegde that these topics amass. It's like all Drs. talking.  But I'm going to put my 2cents in anyway--but like I say talk to me like i'm a 4 yr. old and that's how I explain things.

OK I had chemo 4 months before surgery and then picked up again after for almost 2 yrs, rads and herceptin--I would definitely go the chemo route--It has SE but nausea was not one, like it used to be and it all very doable--and I'm in my 60's so I would without a doubt do the chemo route. (with a port) LOL I would rather have the port wine but whatever.

I had a LOT of node involvement and I am also stage IIIc.   Chemo is never a walk in the park but I found it manageable.  I had 4 DD A/C and 4 DD Taxotere infusions.  I never looked at it as to how it'd affect me.  Instead I concentrated on getting thru it. The A/C took my hair and caused nausea but when I called the doctor I was prescribed Zofran and Decadron which helped tremendously.  Taxotere was much rougher IMO.  I had been given a pretty high dosage and after my first infusion my hands swelled twice their size, and cracked and bled.   The doctor cancelled and rescheduled the next infusion for a week later and dropped down the dosage slightly.  I lost all my fingernails from taxotere but gee, the nails grew back much faster than the hair!.  Even as bad as the taxotere was, decadron took care of most of the side effects from it for the last 3 chemo sessions.  

I am now on Arimidex which causes bone/joint pain.   I choose to look at it as the side effects mean the drugs/pill are working.  I am in the testing phase to see if it all worked and so far so good.  I had bone scan and colonoscopy and both came back clean.  The mammo/ultrasound are scheduled for the end of this month. 

Hoping you find the answers you are looking for. 

It looks like she changed her screen name and deleted her posts.  Nothing more we can do.  I do think it was real but we'll never know for sure.