I was on the same exact chemotherapy treatment as @A MyBCTeam Member.

I did 4 bi-weekly rounds of AC then 12 weekly rounds of Taxol. Altogether, it lasted 20 weeks consisting of 16 cycles.

I remained a graduate student full-time throughout chemotherapy so it is definitely possible to work (at least part-time) throughout it. I go to school in RI but my treatments were in CT. I would commute back to CT either Thursday afternoons or Friday mornings then have my treatments middday (usually around 1pm) on Fridays.

By Friday evenings, I would be exhausted and just sleep. In the middle of the night or by the next morning the nausea would hit (I learned that the first/second cycle badly). After that, I became better about taking my anti-nausea meds beforehand.

Saturday and Sunday I would just sleep. Since I had to take Neulasta (to boost white blood cell counts) on Saturday mornings, I had a lot of bone pain from that. The bone pain for me was the worst part of the AC...it would last from Saturday until Tuesday. I would usually feel tired until Monday then start to feel better by Tuesday.

However, every person is different and you will find what your cycle consists of after you go through it the first time.

The Taxol rounds honestly were like a breeze to me. The worst side effects I had were hot flashes/night sweats and blackened nails. I didn't really feel too tired and otherwise was okay. The AC was the worst though.

Hope that helps.

Mentioned Users

A MyBCTea...

I did 4 rounds of AC, one every 2 weeks followed by 12 weeks of Taxol.

I worked through the whole thing.

I took Friday off to go get my infusion (you're usually at the doctors for 4-5 hours that day). Fri thru Saturday at lunchtime I'd feel OK, then Saturday afternoon through Monday I'd feel exhausted and totally disconnected (aka chemobrain, it's like your brain is operating under water).

Monday was the hardest because I always went to work (in part because I wanted my mom to go home).

Tuesdays I'd start to bounce back. And by the following Friday I'd feel pretty OK. Then you get a week (or two, depending on your infusion schedule) of feeling semi-normal, maybe just fatigued before starting it all over again.

Taxol was mostly annoying. Lots of little annoying side effects like bone pain, bloody noses, and sometimes neuropathy (numbness/tingling of hands and feet).

The negative about taking the longer treatment is that it feels like a marathon. I remember just so badly wanting to be DONE with it already. I started my chemo on January 26th and didn't finish until June 10. That's a LONG 5 months of doctor appointments and just generally feeling not like yourself.

Chemo is unique to each of us. So honestly, you won't know how you'll handle it until you are getting it. I can say I worked the whole way through it, but I work a desk job where I'm not active and could shut my office door when needed. If your job requires you to be active... it would be harder to do.

And some women really have no issues/side effects at all except being tired. There are a ton of great side effect drugs so it's not what chemo used to be and most women handle it better than they expect they will.

All I will say is that I'm happy I worked through it. It gave me something to focus on aside from cancer and treatment and everything else that was crazy in my life at that time. It gave my life some sense of normalcy, which I very much needed. Otherwise I'm afraid I would've been a total wreck.

Good luck as you make your decision.

I had FAC or CAF. 5FU (last part of the name was appropriate!), Doxyrubicin or Red Devil which is the A and then Cytoxan. 6 sessions, every 21 days. Neupegon (neulasta) for white blood count for five days afterward. Red Devil was two huge vials which were shot in before the blood thinner as a push. Took 24 hour Claritan (no D) for the bone pain--ONLY thing that helped and it wiped it out completely. I had a port, which is still in and which I hate--but I love how it delivers the product.First two sessions I was awake for three days after the session because of steroids. No nausea (I was on Emend which is wonderful!). I would get it Tuesday, by Friday I felt like just sleeping all the time. Third session, came home and slept for 17 hours as soon as my butt hit the sofa. Appetite was nil. Lost twenty five pounds. Trouble with urination and defecation (but I think that was the Neupegon). Fourth and fifth session were not bad at all. Hair fell out after second session. When they tell you it will fall out, cut your hair short because you will not want to deal with the clumps in the shower and on your pillow or try to catch the cat running away with a clump . . .Six session was back to feeling yuck. Then it was done.

Whichever you have--drink water, water water. Flush it out of your system. If you have to do the Red Devil, you will pee sherbet colored for a few days. You can find no normal in what this does to you. Relax as much as you can. Talk showers if you feel like it. STAY OFF THE internet. Much of what you read is not necessary and will scare you right now. Our mileage all varies. I got a good visualization tape and went with it.

This is all doable. I have been told if you can weather CAF that Taxol is a walk in the park. I am not sure I believe that one. Maybe Central Park. . .at night. . .in Hell. . .hang tough! YOU CAN DO THIS! You are a warrior and a fighter!

I believe it is the TAC.

Looks like its 4 rounds of TC and then radiation and hormone tx