I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday who has a friend recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Her friend has had surgery and then will begin a chemo regimen. I shared with my friend some things she could share with her friend prior to beginning chemo treatments.
1) Chemo is poison. So are lima beans. The proper administration of either is ultimately good for you. I do believe that since I had 10 total cycles of 3 different kinds of chemo, I am absolved from ever eating lima beans again in my life.
2) Chemo is like cake. There are different recipes for each type and the recipe for either is specific to the individual.
3) If anything feels abnormal (i.e. nausea, pain, etc.), it's OK to tell your doctor you are feeling discomfort. I felt there were more drugs by volume to keep me from having discomfort than there were actual chemo drugs that went in me.
4) In addition to seeing the chemo room, ask (and politely insist) that you meet the chemo nurses before you begin treatment. If possible, ask if there is a former patient who could introduce you or offer insight into their experience with your treatment team.
5) Ask a friend or family member to go along with you at least for your first chemo treatment. It's an overwhelming feeling to go to that first treatment. Having someone along spreads out the angst.
6) Challenge yourself to make the chemo experience a special one for yourself and the other patients. Pay close attention to the "personality temperature" of the room before you cut loose too much. Watch how the chemo nurses interact with others to help you gauge the "temperature."
7) Take snacks, food and drinks for yourself. The process takes a little while and you will get hungry and thirsty while you are there. Plus, hydrating yourself is something they want you to do to help protect your kidneys from some of the chemo drugs as they flush out of your system.
8) Have a good idea of how long each treatment will take to allow for scheduling of your day and the day of anyone who may come to be with you during treatment. Total treatment times may vary as you go through the process.
9) If you feel like it, take snack treats for the staff and other patients. You'll be a hit. It's especially cool if your treats coincide with a holiday. St. Patrick's Day was a day I focused on during my treatments. The other day, I saw a green wig I bought for St. Patrick's Day on one of the pumpkins on display in the clinic office. I consider it a bit of my legacy there.
10) Be prepared that you will connect with other patients in the room. You will find yourself drawn into conversations. You don't have to do it and you can bury your nose in a book or take a nap if you like. That's OK. But, it's OK if you want to talk. Someone WILL talk to you; be it another patient or one of the nurses.
11) Frankly, any book or article that is older than 2-3 years and describes an individual's chemo experience, should not be referenced. I read a book by someone who was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2000. The latest copyright on the book was 2008. The information should be pretty up to date, right? It wasn't. Specifically, his chemo administration and side effects were pretty dramatic and seemed ancient compared to the "modern" methods. I believe it's irresponsible of an author or publisher to keep a book on the shelves that is older than 2-3 years without updated information.
12) The chemo room is one of the times you will feel the safest and most cared for as you go through treatments. You will experience anxiety about side effects, etc. when you go home after your first chemo. It's normal. If you are feeling ill, you can call your doctor's office at any time. Knowing there is somebody who will respond to you immediately when you are feeling side effects, etc. while you are physically in the chemo room is a "peaceful, easy feeling."
"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." - W.T. Purkiser
2 comments:
Great list, Greg. Frankly, I learned not to put too much stock in anything written. It tends to be overly melodramatic. Best bet is just to talk to those who have been there. And follow Greg's blog. AND... I believe in YOU!
Lisa
What's the key lime pie for? Seriously, though, if it's in my cards to go through what you did. I'll remember this entry and come back to read it. Hope blogspot stays open long enough....
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