Oncology 1st Appointment

Hi Cat. I’ve answered a similar post of yours in another thread but I hope others join in here. 

Good evening Cat, this is so hard to answer, maybe its worth having a good chat with your dad's consultant about his quality of life during and after the treatment. I personally would most probably give anything a try if there was a glimmer of hope,  you can always stop the treatment if he does not feel comfortable, we all react differently to the treatments and recovery varies from person to person also age can have a factor in the recovery period but on the whole most people do get through the treatment. As i mentioned maybe a chat with family and his medical team will help sort out any issues or concerns. There is no right or wrong choice its just a case of choosing which is best , i wish you all the very best , take care. 

                                                                                Chris x

It’s a worrying time and you’ll likely forget to ask some of what you planned to, and also some of what you’re told by your team, so my very simple tip would be to take a pen and notebook, write down the questions you want to ask beforehand and write down what they tell you during the meeting. I bought an A4 notebook at the outset and still use it for my meetings nearly 3 years on. I hope it goes well for you. 

Yes got it thanks

Hi Chris, thank you for your thoughts on this... I have had a good think about you've said and feel differently now in a positive way. I will ask the questions. I hope you have a lovely day x

Hi MarKel, thank you for your wonderful advice and I'll make sure I do this. Have a lovely day x

Hi Beesuit, 

Following the 1st Oncology meeting, we were informed that the Chemo drugs are....

Day 1 Cisplatin & 5FU
Day 2 Docetaxel

Dad will be an inpatient. He is having the full chemo dose as they say he is healthy enough....They were sitting on the fence with this but decided on higher dose. They aim to do 3 cycles, each cycle lasting 3 weeks.

Anu2 thoughts or advice prior to chemo starting would be great. Thanks everyone x

Hi Cat. Thanks for the update

Your dad will be well looked after. It’s good that he’s an inpatient as these chemo drugs are pretty ghastly. Hospital would be the best place where he can have the best care. 
Just be there for him. Make sure he has a phone with a long charging lead, a tablet and maybe some audible books, something light and refreshing to drink and some lip salve to keep his lips moist. 
im sure others will come up with more useful things. 

Give him a hug from me and The Community xx

Thank you Beesuit. Some lovely advice there x

This i lovely to hear Cat that he is healthy enough and will be an in-patient as it will benefit everyone, just make sure he has his basic needs and things that will keep him occupied, i used to enjoy crosswords, and listening to music through headphones as they are easier to keep on rather than earpieces. Maybe a small tablet and a phone so he can stay in touch plus maybe reading the daily newspaper. Starting with a higher dose is better as they can always reduce it if it causes any problems. Also, tell him to grab as much sleep as he can as it can be noisy at night time with the snoring choir coming into force . Wishing you all well, take care.

                                                                 Chris x