Hi Emma, I’m 55 and was diagnosed in May. I had my chemo on 16 Oct, stem cell on 17 Oct and I came home 15 days later (last Friday).
My harvest went well and I got it all done in 4 hours, it doesn’t hurt, I just felt a bit sick during it but the nurses sorted me out as soon as I told them. I have to admit That when I started to feel off I decided I could handle it but it got worse until they gave me the antiemetic and it cleared up miraculously. So, first thing is don’t hide it if you start to feel different, tell them and they will help.
When as I was told about the chemo, I had my hair cut short to get everyone used to me without long hair. The day before the chemo I had a buzz cut (number one all over), because I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing clumps all over my pillow. I felt it gave me some control. My hair fell out at day 10, and although still not nice, nowhere near as traumatic as it might have been (my husband thinks I look like a rock chick,lol).
My hospital didn’t have a policy of chewing ice during the chemo but I made a special request. I didn’t get the dreaded mucositus for which I was incredibly grateful. There may or may not be a connection, but I decided it was worth a go. So, always ask would be my advice. It is you, not them who’s going through this and anything that makes you feel better then insist.
To get through the hospital stay, I took lots of books, audio books, my iPad, papers and magazines and I taught myself to knit and crochet. These were really important because you are a long time alone in your room. I struggled to take all the tablets (gagging reflex I’ve always had), so I asked to have them with my breakfast. It took a few days but the nursing teams soon learnt what I needed. Again, you need to tell them, possibly more than once, and get your care geared to you, rather than standard. You are not being demanding, you are trying to get better as soon as you are able.
I got showered and dressed every day, and tried to sit in my chair rather than on/in my bed. This made me feel more normal. Psychologically it made me feel more positive.
At no point did the chemo or transplant give me pain but everyone’s journey is different. Be fully aware of what might happen, but don’t dwell on it and deal with what happens to YOU. No two are the same, and nothing is inevitable. I’m not trying to say it’s all easy btw (S&D sap your spirit), but it is very manageable. And once you’re in it, it so much better than living with the dread, because you can look forward to better times.
I’ve now been home 4 days and being wrapped up in cotton wool to try to avoid the dreaded infections! I made the mistake of doing no exercise for a long time before and after diagnosis but now, for some reason I’m keen to get fit. Maybe because I have cancer but it’s not terminal I want to enjoy the rest of my life to the full? Who knows, and I haven’t done any exercise yet, but I might pull on a woolly cap later today and go for a 10 minute walk round the block. Got to start somewhere!
Take care, and don’t fear this. It is there to make your life better so embrace that fact, rather than the dread.
deniseb451.
Thanks annlynn. I was planning to not have wigs – not sure why I’ve just taken against them. I’ll see how I go.
I am though, really heartened by the fact that you went to tenerife so soon. I had just started to feel like me again after finishing the VDT cycles a couple of weeks ago then I started my jabs for the harvest and am feeling off colour again. Nothing major, I’m just fed up of feeling under the weather (especially since I had no symptoms so felt perfectly healthy before the treatment!).
You’ve cheered me up xxx
deniseb451.
