[Becky]

Sue should be fine and I like that she is getting her treatments on Tuesdays. I got mine on Mondays even though I worked (yes, I did) because my girlfriend (who had been through it 3 yrs before me – she is at 5 yrs now and is absolutely fine) said – “do it Monday so you feel sh-tty at work and by the weekend, you’ll be feeling fine and have quality time with your family. This was great advice. Later, I was able to successfully negotiate with work to work from home on Wed – Fri of chemo week so I could lay in bed with my computer (I will always love my boss at the time for this – and allowing me to work from home when the colds and flus were raging through the office (working during this was my choice not their demand)).

Mouth sores will come but they will be worse the first cycle than any other. The digestive tract can get on track easier if Sue can tolerate yogurt. It helps with the mouth sores and it helps restore the normal flora of the digestive tract (get the kinds with active cultures). She should try to eat normally although she will probably not be able to eat as much. Remember that protein is important so the body can repair normal tissues that have been damaged by the chemo.

Now – I hate to remind you of this but around January 15 or so, Sue will start to lose her hair. The mess of this is depressing – far more depressing than shaving it off and being done with it. This is just a hint. If Sue is getting a wig, now is the time if she wants to be ready. After all the hair is gone, its much better than during the time it is falling out. Secondly, the rest of the body hair does not tend to fall out during AC – the rest of it tends to go during Taxol (sometime in the middle of it). So – I don’t know how Sue is but I am a BIG makeup person (always was). So I went to Merle Norman and got a makeover and bought $300 of makeup and skin care products. Even if Sue isn’t into makeup, she should get a good daily moisturizer and night cream. AC is really drying to the skin (and eyes – they can water a lot because of dryness. I found it hard to read).

<O

I thought the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> and 3<SUP>rd</SUP> treatments to be more tiring than the first but the mouth sores weren’t as bad. The 4<SUP>th</SUP> treatment wasn’t as bad as the 3<SUP>rd</SUP>. Taxol is not as bad but different and Herceptin alone is a breeze. I am thinking about you.