Your oncologist should be able to tell you if your type of chemo is likely to cause hair loss. Mine was going to, so I shave it right before I started, thinking it gave me a measure of control as opposed to finding strands/clumps on my pillow, in the shower, etc. I bought a wig but rarely wore it. I preferred caps and headwraps.

To my surprise, I gained weight with chemo. The anti-nausea meds were very effective and the steroids combined with lots of rest added on a few pounds. (I've since lost it again.)

Radiation was relatively easy for me. I have pale skin and began to show a sunburn-like color after about the 10th or so treatment. That was the only side effect I noticed until now when I am having skin issues on the irradiated breast.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Hi I saw that there was a new response to my post I made over a year and a half ago about "getting ready for chemo".
I am glad that you have great communication btwn you & your oncologist. That is very impt.
I saw w/in your profile information that it stated that you have stage 1 BC. That's a good thing. :) That appears that they/or you caught it fairly early :)
If you read through all of the comments that people posted you will have a bunch of info.
But yes, each individual is difft. & no two people experience the same things.
I had 5 surgeries, 5 months of chemo, 6 wks of radiation w/ a 6th surgery thrown in there during that time.

I gained weight (and continue to gain weight as I was put on Tamoxifen after radiation because of the 4 difft types of cancer they found in the one breast feeding on my hormones (highly ER+ and PR+). I just got switched over to Femara because the Tamoxifen has my hormone levels down well.

I know some people lose weight. But in my "experiences" it seems that most people I've seen lose weight w/ cancer have been people who ended up w/ real bad times w/ the chemo dragging their white cell counts down OR people who had lots of spread throughout their bodies. Make sick people stay away as much as possible or cover coughs & keep hands clean, doorknobs etc disinfected well.

Depending on the type of chemo and your personal body will determine whether or not you react in any certain way. Not all chemo makes you lose your hair. Not all chemo makes you sick. Discuss that with your oncologist, or you can look up on here under treatments the chemo meds they're going to use and see what most people have for side effects with it.

I had adrymiacin & cytoxan (and no I can't spell well since chemo so I guess a lot) for 2 months. Those 4 tx were every 2 wks. Those ones were worse than the following 4 treatments, which were every 3 wks.
I was told to take my meds the night b4 and the morning of, and then took compazine for 3 days straight afterwards to help ensure less nausea, as directed by my chemo nurses. Plus they give you meds at the time of your tx that help for about 3 days w/ nausea.
It was difft when I had the last 4 treatments as the nausea was less regardless w/ that one. I was on taxotere. (the oncologists normally go btwn taxotere and taxol for the second half. some prefer one over the other.)
Drink LOTS of water... b4 and after treatment. The more water you drink the quicker it flushes out of your system and the less you're sick. If you have to do the Adrymiacin & Cytoxan be prepared for everything either tasting like metal or like nothing at all. but keep drinking anyways! (unless you start retaining fluids and then they'll cut you back.. )
USE PLASTIC UTENSILS... it helps cut down on the metal taste. also helped w/ the feeling of gagging w/ food in general.

You will have to figure out what foods do good by you and what ones don't and that can and will change from moment to moment.

I'm hoping that you have a support system .... a good one. By the sounds of what you have posted on your info that I could see, you are like me.. everyone's rock and sounding board and you're there for everyone else but there's not much reciprocation. I hope that you can find at least a couple of people who will be there for you.

I had long blonde hair. Had same style/length generally for about 15 years or so. I was told up front, "You will lose your hair". SO I had it cut in a short cute style, but not til after the lady who was doing it colored it hot purple and pink. Chemo was NOT going to take away my hair. I took away my hair. What chemo took away was "not me". I was told I'd lose it 2 wks after treatments started.
I had a "chat" w/ my oncologist and told him I got jipped because it started falling out day 12 not day 14. got jipped of 2 days. I also had a chat w/ him a lil further into treatments, because while every other imaginable hair on my body fell out, I still had hair on my legs that needed shaved. I mean some of it fell out, but not all. I asked him while pulling up my pant leg, "What's the deal w/ this? I have no hair on my head, my pits, my arms, half of my eyelashes are gone, my eyebrows have disappeared, there's no worries about any bikini line shaving needed in that entire area, and yet I still have hairy legs??? Please? tell me what's w/ this? LOL)
So yes, if they say you will lose your hair, expect that it will be wide spread, not just the hair on your head.
I walked around bald, yes having had a wig but it felt fake. Others don't wear one a lot because they're too hot, itchy, etc.
Chemo tends to let you have some nice hot flashes from time to time, and yes that is putting it mildly. It also quickly ended periods. I never had another one after I started chemo.
Sleep when you can. I averaged about 2-4 hours of staggered sleep every 24 hr hour period, because I just couldn't sleep!.
I was given a book from the chemo suite by the nurses that had a list of foods to eat for different "side effects" and recipes that included those foods. I never used it but you might ask if they have something like that.. Eat what you can eat that stays down if you have issue w/ nausea. and remember they can and will give you more/difft meds for nausea but you have to let them know you need something more or different.
If you're feeling like uhm this just isn't working, tell them that. and they can try to change things. I was going to tell them they could keep their "Rat poison" after my second treatment. I had a rough time w/ it. BUT I told them that and they gave me difft meds to take.

I finished chemo one year and 2 1/2 months ago. I'm coming up on one year since my last radiation treatment this friday. (radiation went relatively smooth. Some slight burning towards the end. just have to remember to use the creams/lotions they give you!) I'm coming up on 2 years since I found the cancer June 1st. I have long term side effects that will probably be with me the rest of my life, others I'm still praying change soon for the better. BUT I'm here. I'm alive. I'm taking on the world! You can too!

It's overwhelming.. seems that way.. but also when you get that diagnosis you just fly into motion, everything becomes fast paced trying to get things all done to "get this cancer all out of my body" so that I can live life again.

I don't know about your views on religion (I've forgotten most of what I read on your profile since I read it and other than typing this I"ve done nothing - chemo side effect for me, not everyone) but, personally, I was anointed at church between my second and third surgeries & have had a prayer chain literally world wide since I found the lump. I've always been a negative person who's been very positive ever since. it's doable. We can win over all of this. Stay positive and believe that you will rise above all of this.
This coming from a Stage 3B survivor of almost 2 years.
I will add you to my prayers. I pray for all of my sister warriors in the battles against this awful disease!

Are you sure you will be on Herceptin for that long. A year yes but longer is not recommended. Checking might be a good idea. Hugs Cathy

thanks you guys I will check with doc about the hercept(what ever) at our meeting in about 2 weeks.
Ya'll are truly a good source of feel good!

I went through breast cancer in 2008 and 2009 and went to chmeo. I was put on the hercetin and went through for 6 months it didnt make me sick but I was off that and was put in to radaution. and got through that ok. I went back to my doctor and she did a cat screan and saw that was ok it was good. now i at face brain cancer and i was going to radaution for 3 weeks and then for a born screan and then for a M.RI. after all that I got good new my doctor said the cancer is not in me borns and the M.R.I was good I bleaver god is looking over the people and to pray. and he was looking over me . so peay

well my never ending quest for attention has led to an mri scan today for brain cancer.
i was requesting a good chiropractor and the team want to be sure it would do me no harm so checking things out.
will update later.
Keep the faith even if you can't keep your hair. lol.
i am african american mixed with other groups and had my hair in braids for a week before first treatment.
mom took hair down on like day 12 and i declare there was more hair on the bed than on my head (had long thick, thick hair) so the next day i let my kids and husband cut it and since my husband and mom dread (let their hair lock in thick like hair theirs is nice and clean) i let them take some of my hair and wrap it around their dreads. so i'm always with them.
cool huh?
well i'm tired talk as it's feasable.