Chemo apprehension

Good luck, if that's the right word. I had a rectal tumour removed on 4 March, and started 30 weeks chemo on 1 may. It will be no 26 tomorrow. My regime is completely different to yours so cannot comment on that, but I have struggled with the long duration of going every week. My advise would be to take each cycle as it comes and not think too far forward, this evolved for me, and means I am likely to now finish the course. Yes you can eat and drink, if you feel like it. All the very best.

Yeah, first one worries me but it is the duration that took me aback.

Thanks for reply, advice and good luck with your treatment also.

Hi . I had chemo for a different cancer, so I hope you don't mind me jumping in with a few tips. It can be a long day, so wear loose and comfy clothes. Take lots of snacks and drinks. They do provide food, but it is not very appetising. Something to keep you occupied such as iPhone, book etc. Ear plugs come in handy as you may feel like a snooze, but the continuous bleeping of machines keep you awake. Although you are in there for a long time, you are not being pumped full of drugs all that time. Most of the time it is just a saline solution to keep your kidneys clear. You can get up and have a walk about, just taking your drip stand with you. It is unusual to have any bad effects on the day of treatment. It is usually the day after if anything is going to happen. Take your anti sickness tablets as prescribed as these are designed to prevent  any nausea. Afterwards, make sure you drink water regularly to keep hydrated. Finally, these chemo lounges are usually friendly and upbeat places and not all doom and gloom as you may expect. Once you get the first one out of the way, you will be fine. Best wishes.

Hi , I had infusion only, 3 hours Oxilaplatin then home with a pump attached for 48 hours at home. I found it best to drink room temperature water during the infusion. If my treatment was over lunchtime I ate soup & a sandwich. Wear loose clothing & take a blanket as I found the Oncology ward quite chilly. Take something to distract you - a good book, laptop with some good downloads on, a crossword. Oxilaplatin can give you side effects, these should be explained to you before the infusion starts. Good luck! Keep us posted. x

Hi . You’ve had some great advice so far and, as others have said, the actual main infusion is probably about 1.5 hours - the rest is having the line flushed, saline put through, antisickness and just waiting your turn sometimes as there will be several chairs on the go at once. The nurses will be keeping a close eye on you at all times and there are usually other people around you also having chemo.

By all means take some food  and drink with you but I would stay away from cold drinks especially anything colder than room temperature. One of the side effects of oxaliplatin is that it can make your throat feel a bit constricted when drinking anything cold -I had a soda and lime (no ice) after one of my sessions and it was like drinking broken glass. When taking your tablets take them with a warm drink if you can or add a splash of hot water to a cold drink to try and prevent this. Your body in general will react more sensitively to the cold and you might find your face and lips twitching so wrap up warm today and take a scarf to put over your mouth when you leave the unit and some gloves. You may not get any of these side effects but it’s beter to be pre-warned and prepared just in case. It’s handy to keep a pair of gloves near the fridge and freezer too for when you’re getting things out - I bought a cheap stretchy pair with knobbly grips on the hands for a few pounds at the local market. 

Let us know how you get on

Karen x