Diagnosed on Wednesday and very very scared!

FunclassygaIl, I'm glad you posted.  It gives me the chance to post to you and others starting this journey that I found chemo to be very doable and did not suffer bad side effects.  I remember reading posts from women who had terrible side effects with round 2 (or maybe it was round 3).  I was so scared.  But then for me, that round was no different than the other rounds.  I had wasted my time worring about it.  I know that it is easy to say in hindsight.  My advice is to carry all of the "no problems with chemo" posts with you in your mind and expect  the same for you.

You asked what the steriods are for.  I believe they are anti-nausea.  Yes, you must take all of the pills that are prescribed and you should take them at the same time each day.  For me, most of the time on chemo I felt like I had morning sickness.  I wasn't really sick but I also didn't feel really well. 

Best of luck to you.  You can't imagine how much you will learn as you go through this journey and how many wonderful people you will meet.  

Funclassygal - no chemo was really pushed hard for me, both oncologists I consulted as well as the breast surgeon pushed chemo very hard for me but the benefit was only 8 to 13% whilst the significantly higher risk of serious life changing side effects for me, combined with my intuition and the fact I cannot tolerate most drugs used to alleviate side effects of chemo (like anti nausea medications) meant I decided not to do chemo. I took weeks to make my decision as I had surgery first but I know without any doubt I made the right decision for me. 

What no one tells you is that chemo cannot kill cancer stem cells and it is these that create all metastases.............what chemo does is kill all cells in your body, healthy and cancer ones but not the stem cells.   That is why there are hormone treatments and Herceptin over long periods of time, that changed survivabiloity. There are also proven natural compounds that help (like sulfurophanes from broccoli, turmeric, arteminisin,  etc) prevent stem cells from getting their own blood supply as well as boosting your own immune function.  

We have more power over cancer than we believe - go to Youtube and look at the very powerful  video of our own immune cells killing cervical cancer cells, we do this to all types of cancer cells if we have the resources to do so, and often a mixture of conventional and naturopathic treatment  provide us with the strongest resources. 

I dont think I said it would work for everyone anywhere on this board!!!  

But I do strongly believe that oncologists should explain about cancer stem cells as so many people have chemo believing it will kill all cancer and this is not true

I thought the whole point of the discussion boards was to allow us to share our experiences and encourage one another---And not put disclaimers on the bottom of our posts.

Funclassygal - you will make the right decision for you and your specific situation. There is a wealth on information on these boards.  It has been a lifeline for me.   I agree with Lily55 in that cancer stem cells aren't explained enough.  I asked after the fact but it didn't change my mind about receiving neoadjuvant chemo.  

Readheaded - We are here to support and give our experiences.  However, stating "It takes 2 - 3 weeks after you finish for everything to heal/fade, etc." is not fact for all.  It may have taken you 2 - 3 weeks to heal but that is not what all experience.  You did not say that was your experience but rather it takes 2 -  3 weeks to heal. If it took YOU that long to heal then you should have said tnat - I stated how long it took me to heal.  Did not state "takes more than 3 months to heal".

We are each who we are and there is no way that anyone else can tell someone else what they will experience.  Giving our experiences is what we can do - telling someone our experiences IS what we should do but not say what will happen.  Our experiences are that - our experiences which no one else may ever experience.

Some do not burn, some do burn and heal quickly ('2 - 3 weeks') and some of  us take a lot longer to heal.

Just as every one of us has a slightly different form of this beast of a cancer, we each have a different response and outcome to treatment.  For example, I had 35 radiation treatments - every day for 7 weeks - and never once had any breakdown in my skin.  Not even a small burn.  My radiation oncologist said she'd only ever seen that a handful of times before - but it IS possible to get through rads without horrible SEs (granted, my nipple did turn dark brown/almost black about a month later and then peel for a couple of months - but that was the extent of anything visible.  My breast does now feel lumpy, as radiation will tighten/shrink muscle and areas, but in general Lucy looks and feels fairly "normal").

Some of us choose conventional treatments, some alternatives, and some a combination of both.  Not enough can be said about the benefits of exercise and diet - fat stores estrogen so we want to be as fat-free as possible (when possible).  Steroids are given during chemo to help combat SEs, reduce inflammation, and prevent reactions to the meds - but they can also cause weight gain.  I had AC/T and participated in a clinical trial that randomized me into dose-dense treatment - once every two weeks, even with Taxol, instead of the oft-given every three weeks.  AC made me feel like I had a case of the flu (and goodness, my taste buds and sense of smell were awful!), and I was very tired.  No nausea whatsoever, but I did have meds in case I needed them.  Taxol was tougher on me; my bones and joints hurt alot, and two years PFC i still have mild neuropathy in my feet and hands.  

I tried Tamoxifen (twice) and Aromasin (once) and gave up on them because I had such horrible SEs.  That was a personal choice not necessarily supported by my oncologist, but I am very aware of the risks.  

I thought I would get through treatment and go "back to normal" as it was before dx - but that hasn't really happened.  My body is a little stiffer and slower, and some parts hurt a little more - but in general, I actually feel *better* than before.  I work out more frequently to keep my weight down; I run and do yoga (did both during every phase of my treatment, in fact) and am feeling better every day.  Treatment is a process; it takes a while to get through it, but it's do-able and manageable, albeit not a lot of fun.

Good luck to you as you start this journey.  My hope for you is empowerment, education, and making decisions that are best for YOU.  Take care and let us know how you're doing.

Nancy

I remember going to the MO's office for the first time and that was when it really hit me that I have cancer!! I'm slow to process though, I'm usually just one to go thru the steps and the the feelings hit me later. It helped me to write down questions and take them with me when seeing all these docs. It is overwhelming and hard to remember everything that is being said. I don't know if I'd say things get easier....I think we just adapt to what is happening and our coping skills kick in at some point.

Glad you found a surgeon you are comfortable with ((hugs))

Funclassy---before you were told anything was wrong, didn't you feel great? You sound a lot like me, and the  fears and tears do get ahold of you, but listen, the tears are good ways to cleanse yourself of stress. Just let them out and know that tomorrow is another day.    The fears, now that we both  need to conquer. What helped me was to think about the things that I had feared and crossed off my list as being behind me.  None of what I feared was as bad as I thought it would be.  My hope is that you will feel the same way as each milestone is reached.   I did not have an MRI or a Pet scan--although I have had the MRI, three times for another medical issue and I had them give me a little Xanax or Ativan to relax me.  It is noisy and my best advice is to close your eyes before they slide you in and don't open them up until they pull you out.  They can talk to you while they do it.  They even told me I could bring a CD and they would play it for me to listen to in the machine, however, when they started it is sounded loud and I had them turn it down, then when the noise started, it was too low.   I didn't ask them to turn it up.  A friend went with me wearing nothing metal, and they let him stand there and hold onto my ankle while I was getting mine.  Strangely enough, it helped.

I am sending you my guardian angel to keep yours company tomorrow.  Sometimes, she gives you a warm tingle when she arrives and leaves.  She'll stay until she's no longer needed, and she can find her way home to me just fine.  On one of the other threads I follow, everyone says they will be in your pockets, having a party----I'm a little to clausterphobic to be there.  LOL.

funclassygal-I know this is an amazingly stressful time. I found that the initial time between dx and treatment/surgery began to be the most stressful time of the whole thing. Waiting on results, anticipating outcomes, reading too much...I did have MRI and PET prior to surgery so i know what you are talking about when you say you feel like a pin cushion. Hang in there. You will find your strength. You have to allow yourself to walk through the emotions, have a grumpy cat kind of day and them move on to the next hurdle. I am glad to see that you are here. You will get great advice here from oldies and newbies alike.  I found chemo to be quite doable and never got sick and worked throughout the process. That doesn't mean there were not tough days, but you seem to be able to move forward and go on to the next hurdle. I had read all about the side effects of chemo and was also terrified. I guess i had made is seem so horrible that is wasn't as bad a i anticipated. rads were not too bad for me either. I had no fatigue, went everyday at 4 and did not have a breakdown of skin until the last two weeks. I found a great chemo group here on BCO and we have been close ever since. I do not come here as often as i used to but i pop in from time to time. Know that you are on our hearts and minds and in our prayers. You will sail through this and have a story to share. I wish you all the best in the road that is ahead for you.

Love and hugs