Chemo

[polo2014]

Morning ladies feel a bit thick asking this but how do they administer chemo and are you at hospital all day

[Newbie_2020]

Good Morning!

Chemo is given directly into a vein. It is administered slowly over a period of hours. Before they start, they'll inject you with some steroids and anti-histamine.

Carbo/Taxol could take a 5-6 hrs. The nurses that administer the chemo are highly trained and nice, too. They'll look after you.

Some hospitals offer sandwiches, tea and coffee.

Keep asking. Everyone in here is helpful and we'll share our experiences with you.

[polo2014 in reply to Newbie_2020]

Thank you xx

[Heart12345]

Hiya polo20144 I had my first chemo ever yesterday for Ovarian C it was Taxol and Carboplatin. The nurse was so lovely and guided me through every step of the way mine took from entering the ward to leaving the ward about 7 ish hours but it depends on your chemo. They very gently fit a cannula int your lower arm and give you medicines to cope with nausea which worked brilliantly and some steroids and possibly an antihistamine. They then let that kick in for 30 minutes. Then by drip they give you the medicine to kick that cancers butt. The infusion for me took 4 hours. You can go to the toilet if you need to and the nurses will keep an eye on you and you have a button if you need them. When it’s finished they may give you medicines to take home that they will explain to you and you must follow and help lines to call if you need to. Take drink and snacks, at mine they offered tea and coffee and sandwiches but not sure elsewhere.

But It was all very good and I felt so relaxed getting the treatment started ❤️. So glad you’ve joined this community too xxx

[LesleyGB]

Not as thick as me! I thought they would mix my taxol, carbo and avastin onto one big 'soup' and whack it in! 7 hours later I knew better! Good luck - hope it goes well.

[SUE7777 in reply to LesleyGB]

I thought exactly the same we are not thick it's just no one explained. Take care Sue xx

[LesleyGB in reply to SUE7777]

That's true. I always tell people who preface a question with "I know this is a stupid question but.." that no question is stupid if you don't know the answer. I work in a uni and our Manager's response to any question however obvious the answer and however many times you may have asked before is "Always learning!" She's used that a lot with me since chemo brain hit! Take care!

[AlaNtO]

The only way to learn is to ask questions. The disease can affect different people in different ways. Chemo may be administered intravenously which seems to be preferred or sometimes orally. Depending on what drugs you are being treated with and various factors such as your weight, blood pressure and blood results and size the Oncologist works out how much you should get. Please ensure your Onc practice does bloods, BP, and your weight every time you visit as these factors influence your dosage. It is easy to overdose and get serious side effects if they are not followed. Side effects are common but fortunately not everybody gets all of them. Follow this site and ask questions about even the most difficult questions. We all have paths to follow and we wish you success in your walk down this path.

[SUE7777]

Don't forget to ask for a cold cap if you want to try and save your hair. All the best, you'll be fine. Sue xx

[Natsmb]

Everyone here seems to be giving great information on the process. Thought I would share a bit with my post chemo experiences that could give you a heads up. I had quite a bit of preparation and still wasn't aware of some of this so it may help you- even with the pre chemo consultations there's so much thrown at you it's hard to recall all of it and process it properly.First, absolutely be vigilant in keeping up with your nausea meds following that first treatment. The nausea is like nothing else if you let get ahead of you and just about 48 hours after treatment the steroid they had given me wore off leaving me to think I was safe. But that nausea was like no other experience on Earth and it took a lot to bring it back down.

The nausea medication they give you can stop you up so have the synilax or whatever they give you at the ready but also be ready with over the counter constipation meds so if you have the slightest hint of constipation you are ready to go. That will make your life much simpler. Fighting chemo side effects and constipation at the same time is no bueno!

I had a laxative, miralax which worked softer and smoother, and magnesium citrate which works swiftly and dramatically but is not quite as pleasant.

A couple weeks into the first round treatment, I noticed the hair follicles on my head started to feel as if I'd had them in a tight ponytail all day. For me, this was quite distracting and even kept me from sleeping at night. It ended up being my hair follicles. I lost my hair of course but hopefully with a cold cap you won't have to or it will be minimum. It was something I wish I'd known about. I don't know if that would happen to you but now you know!

I felt fairly normal after that first week but from then I got more and more sluggish, as if it was waiting through thick muddy water or something every time I wanted to go somewhere. I personally found that drinking and electrolyte drink and hydrating massively before during and after the chemo did have a direct result on this and that's what I did. I drank plenty of water and electrolytes. Of course TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THIS-always. You don't want to overdose or do anything that will damage your kidneys.

I did find it helpful to have someone drive me home after the chemo. It was exhausting!

[Leniko in reply to Natsmb]

I took ondansetron at the slightest hint of nausea. It helped so much. Stay ahead of it.

[Riverflo]

Thick? ha! Our life post diagnosis is like stepping into an alternate universe! One we had never actually planned on visiting. There is no such thing as a stupid question in this new world. Good luck with your chemo sessions. Mine were three weekly, hooked up to an intravenous drip for 5 hours. Good time for chilling, snoozing, reading, making new friends, whatever. xxx

[Leniko]

Via IV. Some are tablet form. I’ve had some Trtmnts that ran 6 hours. Some run 30 mins. It varies that much!