I Almost Broke Down After My First Chemotherapy Session

Before my surgery, I was told I would need to undergo chemotherapy.

My breast cancer was Luminal B.

While it was difficult to determine the type at the first hospital, I had a re-examination at the hospital where I work, and it was found that the hormone receptors were faintly positive, which finally allowed us to decide on a treatment plan.

While I felt a little relieved, I also had mixed feelings about the term "faintly positive."

Since the tumor was right under the nipple, the plan was to shrink it with chemotherapy before surgery.

From that time on, I was told that I would likely need a total mastectomy.

There was no option for a partial resection.

The treatment was ddEC therapy.

It was chemotherapy every two weeks.

I still remember clearly what it was like after the first session.

Fatigue.

Loss of appetite.

And the Neulasta injection I received the next day.

My father had said he experienced severe bone pain with the same medication, and I was no exception.

It was different from muscle pain.

It felt like my bones were creaking from the inside.

I had to rely on Loxonin early on.

And above all, I thought to myself,

"Am I really going to do this seven more times?"

At that moment, I truly felt that way.

I was terrified of undergoing the second treatment.

At that time, I vented my weakness to a cancer friend.

"It's going to get even harder from here, isn't it?"

The response I got was,

"It's okay. For me, the first time was the hardest."

Honestly, I couldn't believe it.

Since chemotherapy accumulates, I thought it would just keep getting more painful.

In fact, I had seen patients who were troubled by side effects more and more with each session.

However, I trusted those words and faced the second session.

Applying lessons from the previous time,

Loxonin for scalp cooling,

Novamin for nausea,

Warm tea,

And a heating pad.

In any case, after the chemotherapy infusion, I drank plenty of water for hydration and made sure to urinate frequently.

I did all the preparation I could.

Furthermore, this time, I knew from a PET-CT scan that there was no metastasis.

It wasn't just my body.

Perhaps being mentally prepared also played a big part.

There was one other thing I changed.

Instead of going to the hospital the next day for the Neulasta injection, I chose the Onpro body pod.

If you attach it on the day of chemotherapy, the medication is automatically administered about 27 hours later.

When you are feeling terrible from treatment, not having to go to the hospital just for an injection is a huge relief.

This was truly helpful.

Of course, the cost is a bit higher.

But for me, it was worth it.

In that way, while making adjustments one by one,

Before I knew it, I had finished 4 cycles of ddEC.

Next, **Paclitaxel (PTX)** would begin.

From there, a different kind of hardship was waiting.