[Laurel]

Loricar3,

Welcome. Scans are a bit taxing if you are the least bit claustrophobic, which if you are like me you will not discover you are until you are in the tube! I strongly suggest for the scans and MRI's, especially the brain MRI, that you close your eyes as you are slid into the apparatus and KEEP them CLOSED until they bring you out. Then it is not really so bad. You will be given head phones that play music to drown out the magnetic "thumping" and a button to push if you need to speak with the technician. That button gives you a feeling of control/escape.

As for Chemo, well it isn't a walk in the park, but look at all of us who have been through it. You will get to the other side of this disease, too. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and walk out this journey. Do not hesitate to ask us questions as you go along. We are a support group and we will have your back.

I suggest getting a quality wig. My insurance covered mine. For the most part I went bald at home and wore caps, but when I went out in public I donned the wig! No one was the wiser!

I know it was a shock to find yourself in an early stage of cancer only to be told you will be doing chemo, and in my case a mastectomy. This cancer train moves fast, but believe it or not the treatment goes by fast, too! It is one heck of a year, that's for sure, but it does end.

All the best and please stay in touch as you go along.