Just starting Chemo at the end of the month.
I am seeing my Oncologist for the first appointment on 20th Feb, and hope to start Chemo that week. I have a million questions to ask him, but hope to get a few things clear before I go in as I am ...
Forum Discussion
Slow down and take a breath. Truthfully chemo (the actual in the chair thing) isn't that bad as your mind congers it up to be. Mostly its pretty boring. Number one, if travelling home more than about 20mins, take a drink of water bottle with you for the home trip. My mouth used to suddenly get so dry on the way home I would start coughing with dry throat. I have no idea why, maybe I am quirky.
I found I couldn't concentrate on a book. I couldn't focus properly and just kept reading the same page over. Instead I took my whole lap top in, popped it on the food table which wheels in for you and plugged it in behind the chair. They had plenty of spare power points, just do it on the side you aren't having chemo on. Don't need nurses tripping over computer cords. I took a headset and listed to my favourite movies on dvd with the laptop. Fired up a wireless modem (no my chemo place didn't have free Wi-Fi) and chatted to my friends on face book. Tip here, get good at typing one handed lol.
Sometimes it was hard to find a vein as mine had a bad habit of moving away from the needle. They can bring in a portable ultrasound to help. In an emergency, the node cleared arm can be used but I don't think chemo nurses being lazy qualifies for that one and I absolutely refused one nurse who wanted to use that arm. They are also not supposed to use a vein in a joint as it can lead to all sorts of trouble should the vein rupture under the pressure of chemo. It was kind of odd to have the cannula in the back of the hand or the outside of the arm and it kind of made me feel a bit nauseous the first time but I coped ok.
Definitely take someone with you to sit with you. You don't have to be a great conversationalist and the person can read a book or something but that person is vital should you have a reaction to the chemo going in. I had a reaction during my second lot of chemo and there was no way I could have hit the emergency button they give you. I was too overcome and my hubby jumped up and grabbed a nurse who wasn't far away but who couldn't see I was turning like Dracula in eyes at the time. No harm done. They just halted chemo and put in a few different extra pre meds to fool my body and then slowly restarted the chemo. Which leads me to the next thing. The first dose of chemo is done very slowly over hours to see if you can take it ok. They prefer you not to nod off napping so use a phone or laptop or something to amuse yourself.
I found I couldn't concentrate on a book. I couldn't focus properly and just kept reading the same page over. Instead I took my whole lap top in, popped it on the food table which wheels in for you and plugged it in behind the chair. They had plenty of spare power points, just do it on the side you aren't having chemo on. Don't need nurses tripping over computer cords. I took a headset and listed to my favourite movies on dvd with the laptop. Fired up a wireless modem (no my chemo place didn't have free Wi-Fi) and chatted to my friends on face book. Tip here, get good at typing one handed lol.
Sometimes it was hard to find a vein as mine had a bad habit of moving away from the needle. They can bring in a portable ultrasound to help. In an emergency, the node cleared arm can be used but I don't think chemo nurses being lazy qualifies for that one and I absolutely refused one nurse who wanted to use that arm. They are also not supposed to use a vein in a joint as it can lead to all sorts of trouble should the vein rupture under the pressure of chemo. It was kind of odd to have the cannula in the back of the hand or the outside of the arm and it kind of made me feel a bit nauseous the first time but I coped ok.
Definitely take someone with you to sit with you. You don't have to be a great conversationalist and the person can read a book or something but that person is vital should you have a reaction to the chemo going in. I had a reaction during my second lot of chemo and there was no way I could have hit the emergency button they give you. I was too overcome and my hubby jumped up and grabbed a nurse who wasn't far away but who couldn't see I was turning like Dracula in eyes at the time. No harm done. They just halted chemo and put in a few different extra pre meds to fool my body and then slowly restarted the chemo. Which leads me to the next thing. The first dose of chemo is done very slowly over hours to see if you can take it ok. They prefer you not to nod off napping so use a phone or laptop or something to amuse yourself.