Advice and precautions before and after rituximab

Diet I asked for advice from the nurses and my team who gave advice, so ask them they know the routines,.

Side effects I was given a leaflet explaining the side effects (I was on R-CHOP 3 week cycles) again ask the nurses they we will know better than us

My treatment was all day and we were looked after very well they supplied drinks both hot and cold and that's one thing I can't stress enough drink plenty of water it really helped me and it helps to keep everything working 

As for keeping her comfortable I'm sure she will be well looked after, we took our Kindles and a sandwich, crisps etc to keep us going it was a long old day

Good luck and I hope all goes well, sorry I can't give anymore advice every hospital have different routines

Keep us posted as she goes along and it's not as bad as some of the stories you hear, but certainly not a walk in the park 

Hey bedrockfred

Thanks .. will update as we go along

Hi again Mayur,

There is an odd satisfaction in getting strayed on treatment.

What to take with you?..... book, some music on a phone and head phones. You should get some food but you may take some snacks - but you are not in that long......... my treatments were 120hrs at a time so you will get off light ;)

A couple of links about diet and things to look out for:

Fatigue

Avoiding Infections

Eating and Neutropenia

This link is about Rituximab

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/cancertreatment/treatmenttypes/biologicaltherapies/monoclonalantibodies/rituximab.aspx

Expect the unexpected or nothing at all- but make sure you have all the contact number for your team so you can call your thoughts in. Do not procrastinate about stuff - call it all in, especially temperatures.

Drink lots of water to protect your kidneys and flush out all the toxins - so aim for 3 litres a day and keep some regular activity going as this will help the fatigue a lot.

Hi the key point re rituximab is its not chemo and with the first infusion some people have a reaction and some don't its 50-50, the reactions can be feeling itchy, hives a sore throat or throat closing and low blood pressure, if any of these occur tell the nurse who is oversee treatment, they are used to reactions and know what to do, in the states they tend to go hard on the steroids to counter the reactions and sometimes they will slow the infusion down. Make sure they alternate from left to right so that all treatments are not given in the same hand or arm. It protects the veins for future treatments should they be needed.

after that its see what happens and do read the link Mike has provided as its all there.

good luck to your wife and hope she is one of the 50% that does not experience a reaction.

john

Wow thanks so much .. yeah fingers crossed! 

Thanks Johnr

Best 

Mayur

The Highlander

Thanks so much.. we r going into the treatment confident and in high spirits ..

Will keep u posted

Regards

Mayur