Hi Juli, I am really glad it all went well. I found the second chemo was the most scary: I had real trouble getting myself there because my body knew what I was about to put it through.
My oncology nurses said that they worry that people don't ask the questions because they don't want to be a nuisance, but they really would rather be rung about silly stuff than have us getting stressed.
You didn't mis-lead me, I just misunderstood your post. I had a real stress-out one Sunday night before my Monday morning chemo, when I discovered at 9.30 bedtime that I did not have my Sunday night Dex pill.
I rang the oncology nurse. The oncology nurse rang my oncologist. My oncologist said that if I could get to the hospital they would give me the pills to get me through. My husband said he didn't want to drive me the hour's drive to the hospital coz he had a 6am start the next morning, and I could not contact my daughter and I felt too sick to drive myself.
I got really upset but finally got hold of my daughter, arrived home about midnight with enough Dex pills for Sunday night and Monday morning. But I was scared stiff what would happen if they gave me my chemo without me having had the Dex to reduce the chance of bad allergic response. So that's why I answered you as I did.
Sorry, you are a lot more on top of it all than I was at that point: well done
best wishes
Hi Juli,
What sort of chemo are you on? On TCH (Docetaxel, Carboplatin and Herceptin) I was given little white Dex tabs for three days: I had to take one the day before my chemo and one the morning of my chemo, and one the evening after my chemo. And the following day too. They gave me an infusion of more Dex at the start of the chemo infusion process.
But they have different Dexmethesone regimes at different places for different chemos
I also had the phone number of the oncology ward, and if I was in doubt on anything I rang and spoke to the best-informed nurse, with a number for day and another for after-hours cos they worked 24hrs.
It sounds to me as if they have either not given you these contact details or not encouraged you to use them to check on anything you are not sure of.
I would suggest you get them at your chemo today, and write them somewhere you won't lose them, and even at the risk of feeling you are making a nuicance of yourself, ask when anything concerns you. Talk to all the nurses, find out who are the senior ones with most experience who can answer your questions well.
But for now, can you ring the ward and speak to the senior charge nurse about your dex and when it is given and what to expect? then you know and don't need to be concerned.
best wishes.
