pookie's Journey with Invasive (Infiltrating) Ductal Carcin...

Like everyone, this diagnose was a surprise, a shock and a worry. Thankfully I had had my mammograms every year, so when the last mammogram showed something suspicious, the doctors went right to work determining exactly what it was.

The strong chemo drugs did a number on my fingernails, but left my toenails alone. The tips of my fingers were very tender and sore, and I was not able to even pull apart a ziploc bag without extreme pain.

I think in my case the fatigue was mostly due to the drugs given to prevent nausea. I was most tired after have the first four treatments which involved the strongest of the chemotherapy drugs. I would sleep most of the day and night for three days after the treatment. Once those first four treatments were finished, the next nine treatments weren't as bad. I would only be fatigued for a day or so.

My oncologist explained at our first meeting that within 14 days of the first chemo treatment, that I would lose my hair. Although losing one's hair is not the most wonderful thing to happen in the world, it isn't the worst thing that can happen. After all, hair grows back! Accept it, deal with it and get some really cute and warm (in my case it was during the winter) caps.

I had prepared myself for the radiation by applying a sking moisturizing cream to the radiation area as often throughout the day as I thought of it. Even the doctors and the radiologists were amazed at how well my skin held up to the 33 radiation treatments I received. I had redness, but none of the blisters, peeling and rawness I had heard other patients were going through.

In my case the drug Herceptin which I was to have once every three weeks for a year didn't play nice with my heart function. It caused the the left ventricle of my heart to weaken. Luckly if this happens because of this drug, once the drug is stopped, the problem is reversable.