Met my Oncologist for 1st time, she talked me through what I'd got again.

Chemo is to shrink the tumour and Herceptin is to attack the protien tatis clinging to it.

I am going to be on Taxotere & Cyclophosamide for my Chemo, This will be intravenously through a canular, itv will take about an hour. I will havethis every 3 weeks or 6 sessions.I need to have ablood test the day before each cycle to check my blood count is ok. I also have to take some steroid tablets staring the day before for 3 days to prevent allergic reactions.

The Herceptin will be given seperately the 1st time them alongside the chemo after that. This is to ensure no reaction to either drug.

(I'm on a trial so I will have Herceptin via an injection instead of through canular as is standard at the momet.) Herceptin  will be given for 12months.

At this point she asked had I had a 'marker' put into my breast? Apparently this is so the surgeon can see where the lump is when she operates as it may have shrunk so much she can't find it. Apparently 40% of tumours shrink to nothing before surgery.

In hind site I wish I'd known this sooner as I could have got it in sooner I now have to fit it in between chemo sessions. Ask your consultant about this.

We talked about hair loss and other side effects I may or may not get.

• Hair loss is different for everyone but it seems like most people will loss some if not all. I have opted for the'cold cap' which is like a swimming cap with cold solution pumped round it to cool the hir follicles some drugs don't get in so much. also wash your hair less, be gentle with it use ph neutral shampoo if you can find one ( still reseaching this)

• Nail probs- she suggested I wore dark nail polish on toes and fingers to stop light reacting with drugs and leading to exessive drying and peeling again I'm still researching this.

• nausea- they give you tablets to help this.

• possible flue like aches- take paracetamol as soon as you feel achy.

I then made an appointment o see Chemo nurse  on Friday to have blood test and chat with someone about all sorts of help available - car park pass, hairdressers, wigs, massages, makeup advise, counselling.

On Friday the Chemo nurse talked me through the actual chemo day which would be the following Tuesday, this took longer than I thought, about 1 hour. She showed me the 'cold cap' and also offered cold gloves for hands and feet. She gave me phone numbers to ring if I felt unwell after the session and so much information I came away with my mind buzzing, again I wish I'd taken someone with me to listen to it all with me.