What chemo's really like - one woman's story

Edd kept her sense of humour through the treatment, losing her hair, even wearing a prosthetic breast

• Fast-tracked at the doctor's
• The hole under my boob
• A shaved head, the wig and chemo
• Getting the rads

Fast-tracked at the doctor's
In February of 2003 I went for a medical for my thyroid and the doctor said as I was over 50 (barely!), she would like me to have a mammogram. The week after I had one, I got a letter from another hospital to go for a scan, which I thought it was unusual. They gave me a scan and then they did a needle biopsy. Again, the next week I got another letter from the same hospital - this time to see a consultant. Oh dear. I expected some bad news this time, as I had this gut feeling!

Two lumps. They were cancerous. The consultant advised that I should have a lumpectomy and I would be having it done in three weeks time - the 4th of April. After the op was done, I was kept in for a couple of days then I came home. The following week the consultant told me that I needed a further op, as the surrounding tissue was still affected. My operation, scheduled for the 5th of May, went fine and was not too painful. I did find it a bit wierd only having one boob. To compensate, I rolled up an old pair of tights and shaped them - they made a perfect filling for my bra on top of the dressings.

The hole under my boob
Nurses called on me every day because the way the surgeon had done my op there was no scar. He had left a hole under my boob which the nurses would stuff cotton wool like string into the hole and the same with the hole under the armpit, where the nodes were removed. As the time went on the amount of cotton was less and less and around June the wound healed. My dear friendly nurses stopped coming to me. I sure did miss their visits.

A shaved head, the wig and chemo
In July I got an appointment to see about chemo. I was dreading it - only natural, I think. I was talking to the consultant and he described everything that would be happening but I'm not sure if I took it all in! It's a lot to remember.

So, in July I started my chemo; I was to have two seperate types. Ten days after my first treatment I lost my hair. It was a shock but I got my hubby to shave my head and borrowed one of his baseball caps. LOL! The wig lady gave me my wig the same day and had matched it with my hair colour, which is red. I was given a choice of three styles and lengths. She even gave me highlights!

I was very sick with my chemo and they gave me anti-emetics to stop the sickness. If you get the right one you are fine, but I had to try many cocktails until we got it right. I'm not saying it was plain sailing having chemo, you have good and bad days, but you learn how to cope and what to expect. You also pick up some good hints along the way, such as what you can and can't eat or drink. My next chemo was a cocktail of three drugs. This was a much easier one for me and I was not as sick with this one. Another problem with chemo is that you can have mouth ulcers and it can hurt to brush your teeth. I used a baby toothbrush and got a great antiseptic mouthwash with an anasthetic included, called Difflam.

I got past chemo and had a few weeks break before I had to have 15 sessions of radiotherapy, another thing I knew nothing about! I didn't know what to expect. They marked me up, putting tiny little dots on the sides of boobs and one in the middle, to help them get the machine spot on. Clever, eh?