When Chemo Day Arrives

When chemo day arrives.

Are you facing chemotherapy for the first time soon, or do you care about someone who is? Are you (or are they) feeling afraid? Are you wondering what to expect on that first infusion day?

Facing the unknown is always hard. When facing chemo there are a lot of unknowns. No wonder it’s so terrifying!

If you are facing chemo for the first time, I hope reading this excerpt from my book, Getting Past the Fear:  A Guide to Help You Mentally Prepare for1 Chemotherapy, helps just a bit.

When Chemo Day Arrives

When the day arrives marking the beginning of your chemo campaign, expect to feel many emotions, the greatest one more than likely being fear mixed with plenty of dread.

I remember that day well. I was terrified, but at the same time, outwardly quite calm.

Before getting started, the chemo nurse asked me, “Well, how do you feel, Nancy? Are you nervous?”

Dumb question.

It wasn’t possible for her, or anyone, to completely understand how fearful I was actually feeling. If truth be told, I felt like leaping out of the brown fake-leather recliner I had carefully chosen and running out the door as fast as possible.

This is why I wrote this book, to help alleviate some of your fear.

If you know what to expect, at least somewhat, hopefully some of the fear can be tamped down a bit. Sometimes getting rid of even a little bit of fear makes a difference.

Before you begin chemo, your doctor may or may not recommend a port. If you have a choice in the matter, in my opinion, a port is the way to go once you get over the shock of needing such a God–awful thing.

Generally, a port is surgically inserted on a day before chemo starts. It’s a fairly minor procedure, but many like to get it out of the way early. My surgeon wanted to put my port in place a week or so before chemo started, but I bawled like a baby when he told me this because Dear Hubby and I had a getaway planned and the thought of going on our mini-vacation with a port in, caused me considerable distress. Go figure.

I guess this was one of my breaking points. My tears and pleading quickly changed the surgeon’s mind, and my port was surgically put in place on the same day as my first chemo infusion. That worked out fine.

Who said tears can’t get you what you want?

Just kidding.

You might find it helpful to have your partner, another loved one, or a friend accompany you, especially for your first chemo infusion. Others prefer to go it alone. Decide before the day arrives. Certain drugs may make you too sleepy to drive safely, so find out beforehand if you’ll even be allowed to drive home.

It’s usually a good idea to eat something before your infusion if you can, although they usually have soup, crackers, juice, and the like available, so don’t worry if you can’t eat beforehand.

Don’t expect to sleep much the night before. Also, chemo takes several hours, so be sure to wear comfortable clothing.

When you arrive at the clinic or hospital for your first chemo infusion, generally speaking, here is what you can expect:

•  You will check in with the receptionist like usual at your cancer center.

• Your weight will be recorded as it will be closely monitored for fluctuations throughout your chemotherapy treatment.

• You will have an appointment with your oncologist either before or after your infusion to go over things and to have a quick physical exam.

• You will have blood taken to check and subsequently monitor your red and white blood cells, as well as other markers. If you have a port, blood can be drawn through that. I always liked to receive a copy of my blood work report. If you want one, ask for it.

• You will meet the chemo nurse who will be responsible for your infusion. He or she will double check your name and birthdate and help you get comfortable.

• Some cancer centers allow you to choose between a private room or a group setting. In a group setting, depending upon how busy your facility is, there may be just a couple of others receiving chemo or a dozen or more. If you’re put in a large group setting, there may be little privacy. This can vary quite a lot. Think about which you might prefer if you do get a choice. Be sure to ask about available options.

• You may very likely receive anti-nausea or pre-chemotherapy drugs first through an IV, again via your port if you have one. This usually takes about half an hour. In addition, you may also be given fluids to help drugs work more effectively and to keep you hydrated. Don’t be afraid to drink fluids as well. Don’t worry about bathroom breaks. You can easily use the restroom during infusions. Dragging the IV along with you is no big deal. Just be sure to ask the nurse the first time what you can and cannot disconnect.

• The infusion of your prescribed chemotherapy drug(s) will then begin. The process may take several hours to complete, so be sure to bring reading material or music to listen to. Some people sleep or watch TV. I could never do either.

• When the infusion is complete, your IV will be removed and your vitals may be checked again.

• Your oncology nurse should go over any possible side effects to expect and give you a chance to ask questions. If you have any, be sure to ask.

• You may receive prescriptions for anti-nausea drugs to take at home for a day or two. It’s even better if you get these filled before your first chemo day. Be sure to fill all prescriptions and start taking medication(s) as directed before you feel ill. You want to stay ahead of the game and prevent side effects from developing if at all possible.    

Yay! You’re done!

Next time should be a little easier.

Now, go home and try to get some rest, chemo is exhausting both physically and mentally.

Knowing what to expect on chemo day can help you feel more relaxed. I hope this post helps.

Are you facing chemo soon, or do you care about someone who is?

If you’ve had chemo, what did I miss?

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To purchase Getting Past the Fear on Amazon, click here.

 

To purchase directly from my website click here or on the image below. This will be a pdf version.

 

If you know someone beginning chemo for the first time, consider sending them a link to this post. Because again, sometimes tamping down even a little bit of fear makes a big difference.

NOTE FROM NANCY: I wrote about my chemotherapy experience candidly in my memoir, Cancer Was Not a Gift & It Didn’t Make Me a Better Person, should you be interested in reading more.