I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer, specifically invasive ductal carcinoma. Before my diagnosis, I didn't even know what that meant. Now I have been forced into a reality where I not only know what it means but my doctors appointments and daily thoughts are filled with other previously unfamiliar words like neoadjuvant therapy, metastases, HER2 and triple negative.

I started this blog in hopes that some of the information I share may be helpful to other young women in a similar situation. Rather than posting my day to day experiences, feelings and progress, I plan to share some of the things I have learned along the way. Being dealt this hand in life at 30 years old brings with it some unique issues and questions. Will I ever have kids? How will this affect my relationships with my husband and friends? What is my long term prognosis?

Through this site you may find that my way of dealing with things is a bit different. I want to be educated about my disease and take an active role in my treatment and recovery. I want to understand every part of my pathology report, what it means, and feel confident that my doctors are recommending the best course of action. At each stage in my journey, I have experienced challenges with finding answers to my questions and ensuring that the medical professionals treating me really understand who I am and why my way of dealing with this disease may be unlike other women. My hope is that people will be able to relate to my experiences, learn from them and find some comfort that they are not alone.

Wednesday, 2 September 2015

The Red Devil

Of course when I started chemo, the doctors and nurses told me all about the side effects of adriamycin and cytoxan (a.k.a the red devil). Some of these include:
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Appetite changes
  • Painful mouth sores
  • Hair loss
  • Constipation
There is a lot of talk about how horrible these drugs make you feel but through this post, I want to tell you that not everyone is bedridden for days or not able to eat because of a metallic taste in your mouth or sores. I did have mouth sores but found that gargling with salt water helped them go away before they got so bad that they could prevent me from eating. I love food so I think that side effect more than anything would have been devastating. In fact, whoever accompanied me to my chemo sessions always brought food and I ate while the drugs were being pumped into me. I actually think that helped limit the side effects that I experienced as I was never nauseous. I'm sure my age also had something to do with it...I guess that is one good thing about having to go through this when you are only 30 years old. 

In case anyone is interested, I used the mouth wash after every meal and also sometimes in between. It consisted of:

1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Put the mixture beside your sink in a glass bottle so you remember to use it often. If I did see a mouth sore, I soaked a Q-Tip in the mouthwash and applied it to the area. After doing this for 1-2 days, it went away. There is also the "magic mouthwash" that can be prescribed but I never needed it.

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