Just diagnosed and scared.

Hi Love, I had one sided mastectomy and tissue expander placement same time. I was in the hospital overnight and all the next day. My surgery went long because my surgeons were digging out all my lymph nodes, and encountered a lot more muscle or fascia they call it than they expected 😂 I'm into weight training. I did have a breathing tube, but didn't know it.I won't lie, it was painful, but the medication does the job. My prescription said take the pain meds every 6 hours but they only worked for 4 hours. I was scared to take them sooner! Suffered needlessly because the Dr's said I could've taken them after 4 hours!So clarify that with your team.after 4 days I only needed them at night. Otc meds ok for daytime after 4 days. The tissue expander is to make a space for the implant which for me came after radiation. Also be sure to take the stool softeners. The pain medication will cause constipation!😜When are you getting surgery?

had pre op ct scans, bone scan, heart muga test,chest xray, phew, I think that's all🤔😊

yes, ct scan and bone scan before chemo. Maybe most people do it before mx but I couldn’t bc of the pregnancy.

I had one Mx first. Then when I found out I was brca2+ I chose to have the other breast removed to prevent future breast cancer. I did the second surgery after chemo. You can see the details of my process below.

tamoxifen is probably the pill you’ll take for five years (it’s a form of hormone therapy, which means it blocks estrogen from finding stray cancer cells).

If the pill you're referring to is tamoxifen, it doesn't have anything to do with reconstruction, as far as I know.

If your cancer is hormone receptor positive, it basically means it likes estrogen and progesterone and those hormones make it grow faster. While the mastectomy should remove all the local cancer cells and chemo should get any cells that may have scattered in the rest of the body, there is a small chance that some cells will be missed, or, I suppose, that a new breast cancer could occur. Therefore most women are prescribed tamoxifen (or another form of hormone therapy) to help prevent stray cancer cells from finding estrogen.

Did I answer your question?

Yes, my chemo was very similar to yours. Mine was the "dose dense version". I had 4 rounds of AC and 4 rounds of Taxol, so an infusion every two weeks.

With AC, my main symptom was fatigue. I was very rarely nauseous. The doctors gave me anti-nausea meds in my infusion and also some steroids for the few days after which made me feel pretty good. If I felt even the slightest bit of nausea, I took Zofran, but I think that was only twice or three times during the whole time I was on AC. I was also given Neulasta to help keep my white blood cell counts up. I was pretty tired during the AC treatments, and napped whenever I could, but I was able to be up and about too. The first week is tough, and then you start to feel normal. Then it's time for the next infusion.

My hair started shedding about two weeks in, and fell dramatically three weeks after my first chemo. When it first started to shed, I had my husband give me a buzz cut. That's when I started wearing the chemo beanies (I had a cute wig, but didn't wear it that often).

After my second AC infusion, I developed a fever. It was cold and flu season. My kids were sick, and I caught something from them. But bloodwork revealed my white blood cell count was also very low at the same time, so as a precaution, the doctors checked me in to the hospital. I had to have lots of tests, and was hospitalized for four days. It probably would have been more, but I was feeling better and all the tests were clear, and the doctor was sympathetic to the fact that I had a newborn plus two other kids at home, so I was out after four days. Thankfully, that was the only time my white blood cell count dropped like that and the only time I got sick and needed to be hospitalized. Due to the hospitalization, I had to delay my infusion. Then a couple weeks later, I developed a mild case of shingles, and so we delayed it again, to make sure I was strong enough for infusion #3.

The four rounds of Taxol were easier in some ways and harder in others. Taxol usually doesn't affect your immune system the way AC does. I did not have quite as much fatigue, but I was very achy in the 2-4 days after Taxol infusions. I learned to take pain meds (Aleve, Advil, or Tylenol) regularly those first few days, until the aches wore off.

Though I lost my hair in the first 2-3 weeks of chemo, I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes about 2 months in. That was a bit of a shock because suddenly I felt like I looked sick in a way I did not feel with just the hair loss. I started chemo November 29, 2017 and completed it March 21, 2018. I've got my brows and lashes. My hair is about pixie length. Most people say it looks like a hairstyle a flapper from the 1920s would have.

How are you feeling about chemo? I hope the details I provided help ease your concerns. You can get through it. Drink water, rest, eat lots of fruits, and accept help.

My chemo was 6 cycles TAC all 3 given together every 3 weeks. Also gave myself Neulasta injection each cycle. Same deal with hair -day 13 after 1st cycle started to fall out, had already cut it super short. After that shaved my head. Mainly wore scarves with fake bangs, or "halo" like a wig but topless😂 meant to be worn with hats, scarves etc. Had a cute wig too, wore it out socially, uncomfortable though for extended wear. Like Star said the zofran controlled nausea, She's right too, when the eyelashes and brows go,not fun, but I learned to fake it with makeup Do avoid germs! Hand sanitizer a must. Have to keep those blood counts up! I went to the gym as usual during chemo except first week after infusion, but was very aware of germs! I hope you do well with your chemo, and don't have any problems, get this crap over with, and back to life!😚💖

Yeah it's an organization that runs programs for cancer patients, to help them feel healthy and beautiful. They do make up instruction and give you lots of products. It's all free. It's definitely worth checking out if they have something nearby.

YES! the journal of symptoms, side effects, sleep patterns etc. I kept notes on what foods didn't bother me, what activities I did, how I felt after, Not only for Dr visit, but for me to help with the next cycle. I hope it goes smoothly for you, it did for me. Not fun, but you'll get through it😚💖💖💖