Welcome SuePer,
Didn't catch the SUPER till Marie pointed it out. Great name, indeed. And your choice of hitting this site is a big step toward HEALING and being heard by those who stand with you and have been through much of what you face. Read my signature and you'll see our commonalities.
So sorry you must go through the whole thing, but you're well on the road. I had my mastec and tram flap reconst at the same time in '95. I agree with you on that decision. Tx were different back then, but I am now on Herceptin ev 3 wks, as I have been since '98. Been STABLE, NED since '99!
Herceptin is a picnic compared to the harder chemo. It's a *monoclonal antibody*, after all... Fatigue, thin, splitting nails for me. Runny nose slight but enough to be annoying. Vaseline at night avoids the crusty pain.
REREAD ALL THE ABOVE POSTS. These ladies have covered everything I would want to tell you and more. DRINK 10 glasses of water a day, every day, like it's been prescribed for you. Flushes toxins, gives you good skin, keeps you hydrated. ESSENTIAL to wellness. Keep a written list of questions. Take your meds. Find which meds work for you. Compazine and Kytril do not work for me. Phenergan is good for queasy vs major nausea when the big guns (Zofran) did the job for me. These drugs make you feel drugged but not sick. A blessing. Prilosec was necessary for me and my doc told me to take 2 at a time, so I didn't feel like I was having a heart attack. Scary.
THE FIRST ANYTHING IS SCARY. So, naturally, the first mysterious CHEMO experience is intimidating. But, like everything else, the anticipation is worse than the reality. My husband and one daughter accompanied me for moral support. I felt the love down to my toes! The nurses watched me like hawks. Very caring, on top of everything. No problems. For me, the nausea came 5 hrs later vs the next day. I learned that you must be your own nurse in watching what your body is telling you and responding immediately with the meds that are wondrous in combating nasty side effects. Some have major issues, others seem to sail through. I pray for the latter for you.
Any questions, any time, contact me on this board or privately! You're in a process. This is not your life. When you get through the tx, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. You are in a spiritual unfolding. Life won't look like it did. It will glow more. You'll find more beauty and love than you ever knew before. That's the good news! BE WELL. Hoping you'll sail, but -- we're all here with you, watching your back, just in case...
Sending loving, healing energy to you, wherever you are. When you get a chance (it took me yrs to figure out how to add my signature and profile!) let us know more about you. We are newfound Sisters, after all.
Andi 
How Super To Meet You!
Hybrid Mode
