Starting Chemo Tomorrow

All the very best for tomorrow Lays88.

You can get white cotton gloves especially at this time of year you might want lighter ones . I noticed them in my local chemist but I am sure Amazon etc will deliver them . Another member put socks over cold door handles as they can cause a reaction . The fridge is one to wear the gloves with and for handling cold cutlery .

A scarf for leaving the chemotherapy suit to wrap around your mouth , particularly as it get colder but the face mask may well do the job . A lot of people here report to taking small bites of your food to begin with .Kareno62 I think recommended that .

I added a drop of warm water to my mum’s drinks to take the chill off them , room temp was better . We also took a tepid flask of warm water for her to drink after chemotherapy on the way home .

Watch going to the toilet in through the night with bare feet !

It is amazing how quickly you will get organised around this . My mum stayed with me during chemo and initially we were all a bit nervous but it became second nature .

My mum’s original Oncologists said there is actually a third of patients who get very little side effects at all . You might fall into that category .

A lot of people get surges of anger that they never experienced before . Lots of frustration in the mix too . But they also report it passing . Macmillan has teamed up with Bupa to give six free counselling sessions as it knows it affects all aspects of life and everyone needs a little help at times . If your at all interested you can phone 0808 808 0000 to get more information. They give advise also on every other aspect from emotional through to benefits etc . Always handy to keep a hold of their number .

Hope it goes smoothly tomorrow. All the very best .

Court 

Hi Lays88. Yes cancer throws up a lot of emotions but perhaps you could channel your anger into kicking cancers butt? Everyone goes through the why me and trying to find a reason but there is no logic to cancer unfortunately and the figures of 1/2 people getting cancer at some point in their lives shows just that. 

Chemo has a lot of side effects and they tell you about all of them which can be a bit over whelming but sometimes the reputation of chemo is worse than the actual experience. Hopefully the link I sent you previously will have given you an idea of some of the side effects but it’s unlikely that you’ll get all of them. 

The cold sensitivity can be a bit weird. My chemo was late spring/early summer and I could sometimes feel my lips twitching when I went out for a walk and my thighs tingled like it was freezing. I got some gloves with little rubber nobbly bits on the palm which gave extra grip - they were less than a fiver in the local market - and they were good for driving and getting things out of the fridge - I got a jar of jam out of the fridge once without the gloves and got a tingle!

The throat spasm can be a bit scary although I didn’t really get those too bad. Maybe have a warm drink to have on the way home and keep your mouth covered with a scarf or mask when leaving the chemo unit. The nurses will look after you so tell them if you’re struggling and they can help - there are different antisickness tablets to try if one doesn’t work for example or they can reduce your dosage. 

After your first lot of capecitabine ends you’ll be a quarter of the way through and after your second lot ends you’ll be on the home straight - plan something nice for your week off the tablets and lots of cuddles with your family 

Hope it goes well and we’re here for you if you need a bit of reassurance or a virtual hug

Take care

Karen x

Hi Court,

Thank you so much for these tips. The session went really well and the feelings of anger dissipated as the reactions to the chemo were not as overwhelming as I'd imagined. All those possible side-effects can be pretty scary when dealing with the unknown! I definitely have tingly arm and intense reactions to cold touch so already putting many of your suggestions in place. This also meant I could go to the session much more prepared today - i had a jumper and scarf. I did get a bit of a shock when I touched the bathroom door handle so using my gloves at home now.

I really appreciate your response. It helped me greatly to prepare myself a little better and I will continue to use your suggestions as I get into a new routine at home. 

Thank you also for providing the number for counselling - this is something I have been considering and didn't even know where to start.

Thank you - you are truly wonderful,

xx

Karen, I can't thank you enough for your words. They were very reassuring in my time of despair. I really had to compose myself before going into the hospital this morning but I really used your image of channeling my anger into kicking cancer's butt (I had all sorts of interesting images of this going on in my head!) and it helped.

I'm feeling tired, got a cold sensitivity and a short sharp pain in my jaw when I first bite into something, but that's it for now and I can definitely manage these. Not as awful as I thought it would be.

I did reach for something from the fridge when I got home but the slightest touch gave me pins and needles and I quickly learnt! Luckily I have a pair of gloves that will do for now. Hopefully it will only last a few days as preparing food is going to be tricky!

Thank you again - I will continue to use your suggestions as I progress through. Day one done and I am feeling a lot more positive.

xx

So pleased the first one seemed to go ok .

You have done incredibly well and I know you have a lot of responsibility. 
Take special care ,

Court 

Thank you.

So I am getting quite tired and feelings of nausea now. Is there any advice anywhere for single parents going through chemo? 

xx

You should maybe give our helpline a call as they would be able to give you advice on how to access support from your local authority and see what other support Macmillan can offer .

They offer advise from grants , benefits , treatment and the emotional and practical implications . 
0808 808 0000. 

I will also check with the admin support to see if they have any further input . 

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/childcare

This gives a rough overview of some of the support you might be able to access .

Take care ,

Court 

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/emotionally/children-resources
This one has the a list of charities that might be a starting point .

Take care ,

Court