"There is nothing colder than Chemistry" Anita Loos

Strapped up with a cannular in a vein in my hand, feeling the cold drugs going up my arm and around my body was a terrifying experience. You can feel completely out of control - something is being done to you that you know is going to damage and hurt you. I took great comfort from advice given to me by Janet. She helped me to see that I needed to embrace it, clear the mind and focus on letting the drugs do their work....more>>>

'Chemo' means chemical or drug and 'therapy' means treatment. It is systemic in that it affects the whole body, but fast growing cancer cells absorb more of the toxic drugs that normal cells. I was given AC chemotherapy in four cycles, once every three weeks. AC is the initials of the drugs used, Adriamycin (now known as Doxorubicin) and Cyclophosphamide. The doxorubicin is a red fluid and is given first and the cyclophosphamide a clear liquid. These are both given alongside a drip of saline.

You are warned about the side effects, but as everyone is different you can never quite be sure which ones are going to hit you. You are given anti-sickness drugs and steroids with the treatment and take these in tablet form for three days following the treatment. I believe that I suffered minimal sickness and diarrhoea because of this.

As the doxorubicin was given, I had burning and a rash around the vein that it went into, but this faded soon after the treatment ended.

The nurses at the centre, especially the wonderful Claire, were superb. They listened, were sensitive and took the time and trouble to explain the drugs and their effects as we went along.

"There must be acceptance and the knowledge that sorrow fully acepted brings its own gifts.....It can be transmitted into wisdom" - Pearl S. Buck

What should I do with my bald head?!!