Things to take to chemo and foods to have at home

I used to take a book, some sweeties - fruity ones, slices of apple or a banana. A few ginger biscuits, great for nausea. A drink. A chocolate snack.Oh and a wrap in case it got cold in the unit. A notebook for all those great ideas you’ll have for after.  The unit provided sandwiches if you were there at lunchtime and cups of tea, coffee, juice - assume they all do ?

They will supply meds for you to take home.

Foods for home - hard to say - everyone has different preferences- I was addicted to mango, strawberries and cornflakes ! Nice for refreshing the mouth.

You will soon find your routine and know what you want.

xx

Headphones, audiobooks, puzzle magazines.   In terms of food you might get bunged up so some dried apricots/prunes/all bran can help.  They should give you Lactulose- it’s worth having Imodium as well as the steroids with EC tend to bind you up but Paclitaxel can do the opposite….  Have paracetamol and Ibuprofen but listen to what the nurses advise.  You should also get a good thermometer as you’ll need to monitor your temperature.  And you might not have much energy so some healthy ready meals and easy to prep or frozen veg on the side.  Your favourite comfort foods/snacks and if you crave something just have it.  Your taste might change (mind did rapidly - tea was disgusting overnight and I’m still addicted to apples months later…). Don’t be surprised if the meal you looked forward to all day makes you heave when it’s in front of you.  Just go for what you can manage. Your mouth might get sore so if you eat citrus fruit get ready to set these aside temporarily.  Oh and ginger tea, ginger biscuits, all things ginger….

I had the same treatment and was “high” for a few days after EC as I don’t tolerate steroids well then had a little crash for a few days before re-emerging….  I hope it goes well for you.  

Thank you. I will definitely make a list. Getting nervous now. Port goes into tomorrow. Not sure what to expect and then chemo on Friday  

Quick thought- a diary or journal helps. You can record your twice daily temperature- what meds to take and tick them off. Also any side effects can be noted for reporting back. xx

Thank you I think a journal will be a good idea. I’m already forgetting things they’ve told me to do although I’ve written bits down on scraps of paper. My job today is to get organised   Had a wig fitting yesterday which was a little hard but I went with a friend and we laughed too so not so bad x

Best wishes for Friday- once you have done one treatment, you’ll be fine . You’ll know what to expect. x

Don’t panic if the port is sore for a while - my body couldn’t heal that and process chemo at the same time - it will get better.  You can ask for a gel to take home and put in the port when you come in next time - it numbs it a little bit takes an hour to work so you need to ask for it with your meds.  Hope it goes well. 

 Wonkey Donkey today for my 3rd weekly dose of Chemo (I’m using the cold cap) I took in a hot flask of boiled water and my empty hot water bottle which I filled shortly after staying cold cap. It kept me felling warmer and comforted