Surgery done--Chemo next--Scared

lch, there are many, many of us here that have done chemo. I just finished, and am here to say, it is not pleasant but doable. Shortly your doc will give you specifics on which protocol is for you...they all have possible side effects and benefits.

You can do it! I know it is scary. You already are so far along. The key to chemo is prep in my opinion. Good advice is here, and ask any questions, help is always available. Ladies here get it and will guide you through. The next phase is another whirlwind. I have no doubts that you can make it

lch033, so sorry that you found yourself here. It is so frightening. For me, once I had my TX plan in place, I felt better knowing that I was fighting back. I had chemo and as Bippy said, prep is crucial. Drink plenty of water, before, during and after chemo, call your MO at the first sign of any SE, no matter how minor you think it is; be good to yourself, rest and let others pamper you; take walks when you can and BREATHE! You can do this. I was lucky and had minor SE's, worked PT and never had any complications. For me, it was manageable and much easier than I thought it would be. Wishing you the best! If you are inclined, there is another thread called "Hill Country Warriors" that you might want to check out. Most of us are from the Central TX area and we get together now and then. All ages and all stages! You are welcome to join us.

So sorry you have to go through all of this too.  You don't have to lose your hair.  Many women here have saved their hair with cold caps.  I used them and they worked for me. 

I don't know anything about cold caps; but either way I would say yes, get a shorter hair cut now. I wore a wig (which looked very, very cute). I went to a salon that specialized in that sort of thing before I started chemo and they helped me pick one out that would match my color/style etc. that way it was ready when I needed it. Two weeks after my first chemo, just like they said, it started to shed. I went in, had them buzz my hair, and came out wearing the wig. Even my husband couldn't tell the difference. What you do about 'hair' is really a personal preference. I know other people who wore caps, turbans, or went commando and were very comfortable with their decisions too. (That route was not for me, because without hair I looked like an escaped convict! )

Frankenboob was exactly how I felt at that point. I briefly wondered why I was bothering with reconstruction, when that was the result. It fades. It gets much better. Getting the drains out helps a lot!

Most people are afraid of chemo. You are not alone. The thought of putting something that toxic through your body is scarey. And not knowing exactly what to expect before the first time is torture. I sat in my MO's office balling my eyes out telling him that I couldn't do it, just before we did it. You can do it. When I had bad SEs, I kept imagining that is was because the chemo was looking for cancer to attack but couldn't find any. Agreed that you should tell your MO even about the smallest SE, and do not hesitate to do so during an infusion or calling them at 2am if you need to. Sometimes a SE means more than you realize. Plus, they usually can do something to make it better. Losing your hair is a huge deal at first, but even that fades. I invested in a bunch of hats and wigs to feel in control before I lost my hair, and found that headcovers.com had a great assortment. I didn't want to cut my long hair short for the "cancer hair cut" so instead waited until it began coming out in the shower and had my brother shave my head. My MO asked me if I was trying to make a statement when he saw me, as he thought that I wouldn't lose my hair for awhile yet. Maybe I did it before I needed to, but the important part was that I waited until I was ready. Then I found myself going bald many days, after swearing I'd never do so. Chemo is not easy, but you will be amazed at how strong you are. Your mindset is important.

But I agree, even though this is life saving stuff, it still seems unfair that they cut off your boobs, then you lose your hair, and with my chemo steroids I gained weight. Cancer sure felt ugly. But it does get better. You will make it to the other side and learn new things about your inner strength. Last word of advice - pamper yourself whenever given the opportunity. A hand rub, a new lotion, a bath, marathons on Netflix, someone offering to make dinner for your family... Take the opportunities without guilt, as you will need them and can pay it forward in the future. Our support will be with you the whole way.

Lara, I did the same thing with my long hair and donated it. Kind of selfish in a way, I guess, but it made me feel better about losing it. I never lost all of my hair; just couldn't shave it completely. We are all different and there is no right or wrong way...

You can ask American Cancer Society to get you a free wig if you want one and there are a couple of sites online that offer a free hat/scarf also.

ACS also has a program called "look good, feel better" that you might be interested in.

I hope your treatments go well!