Chemo Regimen FAQs: CAF or FAC Chemotherapy

• Fatigue: As you advance through treatment, you'll probably find yourself feeling more and more tired. This fatigue can range from mild (increased difficulty climbing stairs) to major (staying in bed all day). Try some gentle exercise, no matter how bad you feel; even walking helps. And eat enough to keep your strength up. Not eating and not exercising make you feel tired even when you're not undergoing chemo, so going hungry and being inactive exacerbate chemo's fatigue even more.

• Eye irritation: You may find you can't wear contacts during chemo. Or you may find your eyes are sore and watery. Wear sunglasses if you'll be outdoors in bright weather; and try "artificial tears" eye drops to reduce the soreness.

• Heart damage: In rare cases, "A" may temporarily damage the muscles of your heart, and thus interfere with its pumping action. But doctors know this, and they're very, very careful to keep a good eye on you, and to give you a heart test before starting chemo. There's a maximum amount of "A" you can receive in your lifetime, before it does permanent heart damage; the docs will be sure you don't approach that limit.

• Bladder irritation: "C" will possibly cause some bladder irritation, which may feel like a mild bladder infection. Drink plenty of fluids; this will help allay the discomfort. And mention to your doctor that you're feeling uncomfortable; he or she may want to check to make sure you don't in fact have a bladder infection.

• Loss of fertility: Your ovaries will stop releasing eggs while you're having treatment. Whether or not you get your period back once you're done depends a lot on age: the closer you are to natural menopause, the more likely you are to be permanently infertile (menopausal). "Chemical menopause" caused by chemotherapy has all the possible range of symptoms of normal menopause, but condensed into a smaller timeframe. The bad news is, it's more intense. The good news is, you get through it faster!

• Susceptibility to sunburn: This is a special side effect of "F." You'll be more likely than usual to get a sunburn, so wear a hat, slather on the sunblock, and just plain stay out of the sun as much as possible.

• Bruising or bleeding more easily: You may notice you bruise more easily. Or maybe your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, your nose bleeds when you blow it, you see some spotting in your underwear... your bone marrow is producing fewer platelets, which is what helps your blood clot. This isn't a serious problem-it's not like having hemophilia-it's more an annoyance, something to be aware of. And, along these same lines, don't panic when your urine suddenly turns reddish-pink directly after your treatment: it's not blood, it's from the drugs. This particular side effect should go away in about 24 hours.

• Chemo brain: This rather disheartening side effect is experienced by many women as they go through chemo. In about 15 percent of women, chemo brain lingers for years. Imagine your brain is a blackboard: chemo brain is the eraser. Short-term memory loss and difficulty concentrating are its main characteristics. You may forget your best friend's name, your own phone number, or which way to turn a doorknob... any number of heretofore simple tasks are made more difficult, simply because you've (temporarily, hopefully) lost some short-term memory. Until very recently, this side effect wasn't officially recognized, nor taken seriously. But now, as more and more women experience it, researchers are trying to figure out just what's going on, and how to provide relief. If you do run up against chemo brain, try not to stress; if it doesn't disappear pretty quickly once you finish chemo, it should lessen over time.

That wraps up the main possibilities. Remember: you'll follow your own path. You may experience none of this (other than the hair loss); you may have some personal side effects of your very own, ones not listed here. The most important things to remember: let your doctor or chemo nurse know how and what you're feeling. They want you to feel better, and they'll work with you towards that goal. Repeat after me: I will not suffer in silence! Best of luck.