I was diagnosed in July of2021 with IDC and only found out i had Her2+ in my tumor at surgery. I also found out i had Brca2, and since I am at City of Hope, they believe in the genetics of cancer, so I was given 12 rounds of Taxol/Carboplatin every week for 12 weeks. Something i did to walk through each week, was to put on a stretchy bracelet every week till week 6, I then took one off for every week until there were none. I was supposed to have Adriamycin every three weeks after my 12 rounds, but i only made it one round. I was hospitalized for next to zero white, red, and platelets. I was instead given a pill called an Olaparib. My first one caused the same with my blood. They scheduled me for surgery. Scans showed my tumor shrunk 1/2 with chemo. It was 5 cm. Surgery in Feb then in April I started Lynparza. A cousin they said i took in December. Less of a dosage too so I would have less problems with my blood.
All in all, your stage adds to what treatment you will have and the tumor size. I want you to know that when you get your chemo infusions ask the nurse assisting you to answer a few questions. In my 3rd week I lost my hair, but i had it cut short then to three inches around so i did not have clumps fall out.
In that week my infusion nurse said usually the 2nd day after the chemo infusion you may feel nausea. She said the day after you get home start one Zofran then one Compazine every 5 hours. You will not have nausea at all. I did have constipation, so take a laxative as you take nausea pills. Keep those bowels moving.
Above all else i took it at one day at a time. I woke up and ask myself how i felt. I drank only water, which for me was crystal geyser. I drank and drink half my bodyweight. I did not find May Clinic till I was diagnosed with MDS. I had been on breastcancer.org.
This board has been my lifeline though a transplant. Keep posting, as the people will share and that is helpful and so heartwarming to hear you are not alone and share a similar journey with many others.