What do I do about work?

Hmm, everyone responds to chemo differently. I had the same chemo regimen as you, and I worked through it. I should note that I did ask for reduced responsibilities and I spent my Wednesdays at the infusion center. My job is such that I could also work at home a lot.

AC was worse for me than Taxol because it gave me more fatigue and made me spacey (chemo brain). I had to write everything down ahead of time so I wouldn't forget things. Taxol gave me mild diarrhea, starting on Day #3. I managed it with Imodium. However, I felt more mentally alert on Taxol, and that was a huge help.

Have you told your boss yet about chemo? Mine was really flexible and helped me to keep working during treatment.

Best wishes!

I wasn't on the same regimen as you since I took TCHP, but I worked a similar schedule to others here. I got the infusions on Thursday, back for Neulasta shot on Friday, then took the first three days off the following week using sick time. I was lucky enough to be able to work from home, too, for the next two days, then it was back in the office until it all started over again. I found that SEs didn't really set in until the Sunday after my infusion. I was very grateful that the leadership at my job were very flexible and understanding.

I did not work at a 'job' during chemo - I've been a 'stay-at-home wife' almost all the time we've been married (34 yrs at time of DX).

I did 4 DD A/C (Dense Dose Adriamycin/Cytoxan - every 2 weeks) neoadjuvant. It was not bad at all - did not slow me down at all. Of course, hair left, I lost all sense of taste and appetite. Just never thought about eating so Hubby called me every few hours to remind me to eat something/anything. My lack of eating was hard on him as my Mom had died 4 yrs after we married from her very long ongoing Aneroxia and had seen what her behavior had done to Daddy and me and was so scared. Not that I was fighting IBC but what the ravages of Aneroxia does to the body. I also had issues with my lowered temperature. But all in all, the 8 weeks of A/C was not bad at all.

The 12 weekly Taxol adjuvant were NASTY. I was completely and utterly EXHAUSTED the entire 12 weeks, basically existing laying in bed or on the couch in front of the TV. My temperature also plummeted, getting down to 94° at least once. The 'good' part though was a week after last Taxol I started feeling better daily throughout the Rads I started a week later after last Taxol.

We are each so unique that there is no way anyone can know, for an absolute fact, how we will each reach to any TX. For some, A/C (like me) is not bad at all but for others, it is NASTY. The same goes for Taxol, for some of us (like me) it is NASTY but for others it's not all that bad. For a very few, neither A/C nor Taxol are NASTY but for a few others, neither are NASTY.

Something else I just thought about - I was told by my Chemo RNs and Dr that though there is no documented research but that there seems to be a possible relationship with rather or not 'you' had Morning Sickness with pregnancy can sometimes preditict if 'you' will have issues with nausea during chemo. I had no Morning Sickness with either Son and had no nausea with Chemo even though I quite taking the anti-nausea meds (except the IV ones given before each infusion) 1/2 way through Taxol.

You are you and not anyone else so your experiences will not be exactly what anyone else has experienced. Learn from each individual's experiences but do not expect to necessarily have what others have had exactly.

I'm very interested in this question as well. My chemo is Taxol for 12 weeks weekly, followed by AC every other week for 8 weeks.

I decided to go back to work as soon as my treatment plan was set. I'm an information system consultant (sedentary job, but lots of stress and some demanding deadlines). I hear Taxol is easier than AC so will try to work as much as I can during Taxol and then see what happens. I'm going back next Monday, at 24hrs/week. I figured one day will be out the window for the treatment: blood work, then doctor's appointment an hour later, infusion at least an hour later, then infusion itself - so far it takes at least 3 hours with pre-meds and half speed on Taxol (I had a reaction my first time). I want to keep a buffer for feeling crummy or doing things I want to do for myself that I never done before, while working 40+ hour weeks, being a mom and running a household. I want to do yoga or other exercise, I think I want to see a therapist or participate in a support group. Therefore, I asked my doctor to release me to work with 24hrs/week restriction. I also preemptively asked my boss for work assignments without 24 hour turnaround requirement (happens a lot in my job). I am a little nervous about asking for special treatment, but I can't be missing deadlines, and it may happen with treatments/appointments/dealing with side effects.

With my company's extended FMLA policy, I'm covered for 16 full weeks, and with 2 days a week, I'm covered until mid-May. This should cover me through chemo, surgery and recovery. I'm well aware I can't plan this far ahead - the treatment plan may change depending on how I respond to chemo, for example.

Oh, also, I can work from home most of the time. I'm planning to go to the office one day a week at this point.

FarAwayToo - Read my post earlier in this Thread and you will see that A/C is not the worst (at least for me) and that Taxol was BAD (for me). There are others who have been at this site that have also found that Taxol was worse (for them) than A/C.

There is no way to know before starting a TX what you will experience - there is no "One Size Fits All" when it comes to our individual experiences will be. Learn all you can so you can be prepared with knowledge of the possibilities you might experience. That doesn't mean that you will experience all others have or even any of what you have read.

Kicks, thank you for your feedback. I completely agree that is impossible to predict how each of us reacts to chemo. I also understand that effects of chemo are cumulative. So, in your case you were getting Taxol after AC and after surgery, which might have contributed to how you tolerated Taxol.

I'm fully aware of not being able to plan, and am ready for it. So far I had 2 Taxols. First week was not bad at all - some muscle pain two days after treatment, which was almost completely gone after walking 12 thousand steps and planting spring bulbs (I was told to move as much as I could in order to battle post-treatment fatigue and it worked). Had another infusion yesterday. I already feel muscle pain coming on - almost 20 hours earlier than last week. Will see what happens.