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WHAT IS CHEMOTHERAPY?
MY CHEMO DRUGS AND TIPS
I had three different types of chemotherapy drug in total. The first two drugs were given at the same treatment session, one after the other. They were administered every two weeks for a total of two months (4 x rounds). I had Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide, otherwise known as EC. It was given intravenously, but by a nurse, who sits with you and does what is known as an IV push, where the syringe of liquid is injected into your cannula, rather than it being drip fed. The third drug was given to me via a drip, every week for a total of 12 weeks. I had a drug called Paclitaxel. Paclitaxel was way better for me than EC. There is a general rule that if your chemo is weekly, it will be a lesser dose than if you are having it every two or three weeks. EC chemo made me feel nauseous for six out of every 14 days. I won't lie, it was grim. BUT I got through it. I slept when I needed to and took advantage of the anti-sickness tablets I was prescribed. The first ones I had didn't do much for me, so I asked for a different drug which did work. Always speak up if something isn't working for you. My appetite disappeared on EC. I knew I had to eat though, so I allowed myself whatever I fancied at the time. Crisps, chocolate, ice cream, ice lollies, chips, pasta and peanuts. It is important to get food in your stomach, otherwise the nausea gets worse. On the days I felt better, I could then be healthy. I increased my intake of good foods, by blending them in a smoothie along with Complan, which ensured that I was having vital nutrients and minerals, even when I didn't fancy solid food. I used Kool strips on my forehead when I felt hot (usually just the day after treatment). I also used a gel eye mask that I kept in the freezer. I cried when I felt like it. Please don't think you have to be a super-human when you are going through chemo. You need to lean into it and accept that you are going to feel tired and plain awful some days. Have baths. Daily if you can. I had a bath every day apart from treatment day (because I felt so utterly awful on that day) and always used epsom salts to relax me. Baths were my sanctuary. Meditate - carve out time every day to lie still and switch your mind off. Concentrate on your inner body and calm yourself down by breathing deeply or listening to a guided meditation. I listened to many free ones available on YouTube. Some were for anxiety, some were for anti-sickness and some were for visualising healing. They are very powerful. Talk to the people you meet at treatment. Ask your nurses and doctors questions and tell them when you have any side effects, BUT also try and talk to your fellow chemo patients. With the best will in the world, speaking to people who care for you is great, but it can never replace talking to someone who is going through the exact same thing as you. Only other patients can ever truly understand what you are going through and how you feel inside.
Chemotherapy sounds very scary doesn't it? I don't know about you, but before my diagnosis, if I ever heard the word chemotherapy, I visualised patients with no hair, sitting in a chair in a hospital, hooked up to machines, pumping drugs into them, somehow. I also thought they would probably be there all day. But I really didn't have a clue and never gave it much more thought until I was told I would have to have it as part of my treatment. There are two types of chemotherapy in terms of whether before surgery or after surgery, (which you can learn more about in the next section), but many different types of chemotherapy drugs. Some chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously and require you to attend hospital for a few hours, others require you to stay in overnight and some drugs you can have at home. Chemotherapy can also come in tablet form. Not all chemotherapy makes you lose your hair and depending on what type of breast cancer you have, you may have a different drug to another person. Chemotherapy drugs which are classed as 'cytotoxic' get into your bloodstream and start attacking all fast-dividing cells (cancer cells divide quickly). In the crossfire, any other healthy cells that are also fast-dividing, unfortunately get attacked too, which is why hair, skin, nails and your gut can sometimes suffer. Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Chemotherapy: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is when you have chemotherapy before you have surgery. Adjuvant, means you have it after surgery. When I was diagnosed, I knew I would have chemotherapy, but no one was sure until after all of my scans and tests had been completed, whether I would have it before or after surgery. The main reason for having it prior to surgery is to shrink a tumour so that it is easier to remove. Sometimes it can eradicate a tumour completely and if at the time of surgery, there are also no cancer cells left under a microscope, this is known as a pathologic complete response. In my case, I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. I had two tumours which were relatively small (less than 1cm each). However, I also had a large area of DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), so to try and make the tumours smaller or eradicate them completely with chemotherapy, was the goal. Generally only 5% of breast tissue can be removed at surgery, without the need for reconstruction, so the size of the breast in comparison to the tumour size, is what usually dictates what surgery you can have and as I had a breast on the smaller side, this is why I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is given once a patient has already had surgery to remove the tumour. It is given to sweep up any microscopic cancer cells that may have been left behind. Think of it as an 'insurance policy' to give you the best chance of not having a recurrence in the future. Breast cancers vary greatly and so do the treatments. Your consultant, oncologist and the team at the hospital treating you, meet to discuss all aspects of your particular cancer before making a decision on the right treatment plan for you.
CHEMOTHERAPY AND TIPS ON GETTING THROUGH IT
Hair Loss
Many chemotherapy drugs cause our hair to fall out - head, body and pubic. It can feel devastating when this happens. I started losing my hair 20 days after my first ever EC chemo treatment. I knew I would be having a wig fitted. Some people cannot afford an expensive wig, but still wish to wear one. I have set up 'WigBank London' to help you if you want a more affordable wig. The wigs for sale have been donated by the kindest people. They are washed before being put up for sale. Click the button to view the wigs.