Being prepared for the realities of chemotherapy

I have always thought being proactive was a good thing. Planning ahead is good, not bad. I try to do this whenever possible - occasionally my husband has accused me of hoarding because I stock up when things are on sale.Sometimes this is not possible. An example of this is when a cancer diagnosis turns your life upside down. You hop on the cancer roller coaster and are sent to surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and more. You are told it will be stressful but nothing prepares you for the realities of chemo.In chemo, you go from feeling normal to feeling like you are run over but a bus and a herd of elephants, several times. You lose your hear, your brain, your fingernails, your appetite, and sometimes question your own sanity. You go from being able to get through your day to day life to gasping for breath as you walk up a short flight of stairs. Go read about Jamil and what chemo did to him - going from triathlete to chemo patient.Its like there is this big secret world of the chemotherapy patient. Nurses and doctors can't tell you exactly what it will be like because every cancer is different and every patient is different. And because as medical professionals and HIPAA, they can't tell you all the nitty gritty details. Its just not possible for them.But along comes Chemoflage where they help prepare women for chemotherapy - a bit of proactivity. Its a standalone educational program for women undergoing chemotherapy according to their website. Unfortunatel...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - Category: Cancer Tags: chemotherapy side effects Source Type: blogs