how soon after first appointment does chemo start

[shaun67]

my mom has her first appt on sept 3rd to see the chemo doc her biopsy is the friday before,any ideas how long usually is it before they give her any treatmen,

[Cinderella]

Hi Shaun

The oncologist your mum sees on the 3rd will decide how soon she should start her chemotherapy based on the scan and blood tests. I started chemo 2 weeks after I saw the oncologist.

Good luck to your mum and all the best to you.

[shaun67 in reply to Cinderella]

thanks,just seems so long,its been 3 weeks today since she was told she had OC and besides a paracentisis she has had no treatment,and only anti sick tabs from her gp,by the time she has her appt with the chemo doc it will have been 27 days and then the time before chemo starts....just all seems so drawn out,

[iamstillme]

Hi Shaun

I agree with Cinderella that it is the ocologist who decides but a lot of time it is fairly quickly . Can feel like a roller coaster

Hope all goes well

Ally

[shaun67 in reply to iamstillme]

thank you so much for the response,

[charlie12]

Hi Shaun

I am so sorry that you and your Mum are in this situation. Waiting for things to happen is terrible, especially at the beginning when you have had the shock of the diagnosis etc.

and you are new to the system.

I didn't have chemo but am in healthcare in my job. It usually takes a little while to make all of the arrangements, meet the oncology team , arrange appointments etc. Chemotherapy is usually made up in the hospital pharmacy sterile manufacturing unit on the day of the treatment and all of this takes time to arrange.

Once the treatment starts I'm sure your Mum will feel alot more comfortable.

Take care of yourselves

Charlie xxx

[SueLR]

Hi Shaun,

I'm so sorry you are both in this situation, I know how rough it feels before starting treatment.

I was booked in for chemo the week after I finally saw the oncologist, but the govt target is 62 days from referral from the GP. It was getting very close to this for me, and felt like an eternity of feeling more and more ill.

If it helps, though, I felt so much better after my first chemo: it's amazing stuff. I was pain free for the first time in months and didn't feel nauseas anymore. (The nausea from the chemo was well controlled and only lasted a week). If fact the first day afterwards I was so pumped with steroids I felt like superwoman, although that didn't happen again!

The side effects do build up as you go on, though, and I wouldn't want to give the impression it's a picnic, but it really is effective.

If you search chemo on this site, there is a lot of advice about dealing with side effects, such as finding foods and drinks people feel like eating and drinking, because your taste is affected, and advice about hair loss. Myself, I completely went off white wine but red was still okay, so all was not lost!

I hope it goes well for her.

Warmest wishes

Sue

[shaun67]

god bless and thanks xx

[Archiebanana]

Hi Shaun

I had to wait 2 weeks after I saw my oncologist for chemo to start. Strangely, I felt fine until I started the chemo, didn't have a very good reaction to it. Here I am 8 months later in remission and feeling well.

Love Linda xx

[shaun67]

thankyou and long may it last.....xx