We connote the word Chemotherapy with the loss of hair, nausea, pain and cancer. It can be extremely daunting, you see it on the TV and on the news everywhere. You try to gear yourself up for the loss of hair, and the nausea and the pain, but really you probably haven't experienced anything like it in your life; so how do you know what to expect?
That's the thing, you don't know what to expect. I most certainly didn't, but you just have to be strong and be prepared to fight whatever comes your way.
Preparing for chemotherapy
Come a few hours early to chemotherapy so you can get your bloods done. Or if you are like me and have blood done the day before, arrive when they recommend you to. They tend to check your vitals and weight/height when you arrive also.
I for one know how hard it is to go into the hospital to receive drugs which make you feel so ill, so take your time to relax before your chemotherapy appointment, try to stay calm and take your mind off of it. It's great to have a friend or family member come with you, as they can be great support to you and take your mind off of the chemotherapy.
When you are able to get your bed/chair, make yourself as comfortable as possible. Also, make yourself at home, most hospitals provide you with TV access, and food service if you are peckish!
Starting your chemotherapy
The nurse will have ordered your medications and chemotherapy drugs at the pharmacy, and that usually takes up to an hour to arrive. I would recommend starting mouth washes just before you start chemotherapy to prevent mouth sores.
The chemotherapy is administered through your vein so the nurse will need to access the cannula in your arm, your port a cath or Hickman line. If you have a port a cath or cannula, they access with a needle - to avoid the pain I would recommend using numbing cream or cold spray to numb the area. The nurse will give your pre-chemotherapy medications, and then set up your chemotherapy infusion on an IV stand.
During chemotherapy
A chemotherapy infusion can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 8 hours, so you need to make sure you are comfortable and have entertainment. During chemotherapy you can relax, socialise with the other patients, watch TV etc. The nurses will have to keep checking your vitals to ensure that you are not having reactions to the medications or chemotherapy.
You can go outside, however you can only go outside with the flush on your IV stand, not chemotherapy.
During chemotherapy I recommend doing mouthwashes every couple of hours, if your are susceptible to mouth sores, it really helped prevent my mouth sores.
During chemotherapy keep a sick bowl close, as a main side effect of chemotherapy is nausea, and you don't want to throw up everywhere! I am not certain whether adults have to do this, but the kids & teens have to wee and poo in a carboard container called a bed pan, so the nurses can keep an eye on whether we are flushing out all the chemotherapy and fluids given to us. If that is the same with adults, remember to take a bed pan with you to the toilet.
When the chemotherapy is finished the nurse will flush your IV with saline and deaccess you Portacath or take out your cannula. Then you will have to wait 30mins to an hour before being discharged, so the nurses can ensure you are well enough to go home.
After chemotherapy
After chemotherapy go straight home and rest. My chemotherapy made every bit of energy come out of my body, I felt like I had just been hit by a truck, so rest is definitely important. Try and drink lots of fluids, a lot of my cancer friends recommend drinking energy drinks. Eat whatever you crave, I used to crave potatoes after Chemotherapy!
Also, continue mouthwashes at home every few hours until the mouth sores are completely gone. Sometimes the nurses give you anti-sickness to take for a day or so after chemotherapy, taking them is important so you don't get nausea.
To those of you who are reading this that are about to endure your first chemotherapy treatment: Stay strong, I know how hard chemotherapy is, there is times when you just want to give up. The end may feel so far, but you just have to look at the light at the end of the tunnel. Show cancer what you are made of!!!
Come a few hours early to chemotherapy so you can get your bloods done. Or if you are like me and have blood done the day before, arrive when they recommend you to. They tend to check your vitals and weight/height when you arrive also.
I for one know how hard it is to go into the hospital to receive drugs which make you feel so ill, so take your time to relax before your chemotherapy appointment, try to stay calm and take your mind off of it. It's great to have a friend or family member come with you, as they can be great support to you and take your mind off of the chemotherapy.
When you are able to get your bed/chair, make yourself as comfortable as possible. Also, make yourself at home, most hospitals provide you with TV access, and food service if you are peckish!
Starting your chemotherapy
The nurse will have ordered your medications and chemotherapy drugs at the pharmacy, and that usually takes up to an hour to arrive. I would recommend starting mouth washes just before you start chemotherapy to prevent mouth sores.
The chemotherapy is administered through your vein so the nurse will need to access the cannula in your arm, your port a cath or Hickman line. If you have a port a cath or cannula, they access with a needle - to avoid the pain I would recommend using numbing cream or cold spray to numb the area. The nurse will give your pre-chemotherapy medications, and then set up your chemotherapy infusion on an IV stand.
During chemotherapy
A chemotherapy infusion can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 8 hours, so you need to make sure you are comfortable and have entertainment. During chemotherapy you can relax, socialise with the other patients, watch TV etc. The nurses will have to keep checking your vitals to ensure that you are not having reactions to the medications or chemotherapy.
You can go outside, however you can only go outside with the flush on your IV stand, not chemotherapy.
During chemotherapy I recommend doing mouthwashes every couple of hours, if your are susceptible to mouth sores, it really helped prevent my mouth sores.
During chemotherapy keep a sick bowl close, as a main side effect of chemotherapy is nausea, and you don't want to throw up everywhere! I am not certain whether adults have to do this, but the kids & teens have to wee and poo in a carboard container called a bed pan, so the nurses can keep an eye on whether we are flushing out all the chemotherapy and fluids given to us. If that is the same with adults, remember to take a bed pan with you to the toilet.
When the chemotherapy is finished the nurse will flush your IV with saline and deaccess you Portacath or take out your cannula. Then you will have to wait 30mins to an hour before being discharged, so the nurses can ensure you are well enough to go home.
After chemotherapy
After chemotherapy go straight home and rest. My chemotherapy made every bit of energy come out of my body, I felt like I had just been hit by a truck, so rest is definitely important. Try and drink lots of fluids, a lot of my cancer friends recommend drinking energy drinks. Eat whatever you crave, I used to crave potatoes after Chemotherapy!
Also, continue mouthwashes at home every few hours until the mouth sores are completely gone. Sometimes the nurses give you anti-sickness to take for a day or so after chemotherapy, taking them is important so you don't get nausea.
To those of you who are reading this that are about to endure your first chemotherapy treatment: Stay strong, I know how hard chemotherapy is, there is times when you just want to give up. The end may feel so far, but you just have to look at the light at the end of the tunnel. Show cancer what you are made of!!!
Thank you for reading,
Ellie xxx
