[Marlene]

He had high dose cytoxan over 4 days which wiped out his bone marrow. He was already transfusion dependent prior to treatment. So the chemo was just 4 days but it was intense and he was on multiple drugs afterwards which can effect blood production. There was a period when he was getting red cells and platelets daily. His bone marrow was not producing anything for quite some time. That was not what anyone expected so I guess he would be considered an outlier in the clinical trial.

I'm not sure how to answer your question about he managed all if it. I guess it wasn't really an option. He needed supportive transfusion therapy to stay alive so he just pushed through everything. The red cells actually made him feel better. No headaches, better energy and more strength. Having a central line in for the transfusions helped. He did have to take benedryl because he would get hives and that would wipe him out for a day. It also takes up a lot of your time. You just can't pop in get transfused.

I understand being scared. Sometimes the best you can do is to understand your options, weigh the risks, make your decision and don't look back. Take the word "should" out of your vocabulary. Make sure they explain all the treatment options available to you and get at least one additional opinion. I understand that depending on the stage of your breast cancer, chemo may be optional and whether you do it or not, it's up to the patient. I've had friends with breast cancer and they each took different treatment paths. From the minimal to the extreme so I can't image that this is an easy decision for you.