Well saw the oncologist yesterday hes a very nice man he said its stage 3 but what's left cant be seen with the eye so chemo then radiotherapy and now I'm terrified as I have my first session of chemo on the 21st.. my oldest daughter who is going to be my support leaves on the 21 for her long over due honeymoon .it was bought and paid for before we even knew I had cancer. So I'll have to take a taxi and go on my own. Anyone know what to expect? He said its gonna be strong chemo.. sorry am just a bit nervous about it..
Hi Frazzled,
Do you know what chemo drugs you are having and what cycle you are having? For example I had carboplatin/paclitaxel on a 21 day cycles for 4 cycles.
You may be able to arrange hospital transport for your first chemotherapy. My CNS was able to sort this for me during my radiotherapy. Volunteer drivers from the red cross would pick me up and collect me. Might be worth asking.
I had lots of worries before chemotherapy but on the day it was very different to what I had expected and I tried to view it as something I knew I had to do to get better. There are side effects and I did get some (but not all) but most of the side effects can be managed with medication.
Good Luck
Jane
I dont know I once again couldnt stop.crying so I could hear what he was saying like. 
Looks like carboplatin and vinorelbine. Doctors handwriting is often hard to read!
Carboplatin is one of the ones I had-mine was done via a canula into the back of my hand and infused over about an hour. I used the cooling cap to prevent hair loss so my day was arrive about 8. Blood tests. Cooling cap put on. Then the pre meds. (I was given something to stop you feeling sick and something to help protect against an allergic reaction plus steroids) After that I had paclitaxel. That was a 3 hour infusion. Carboplatin always came last. I would finish about 5 ish. I had one day at hospital then 20 days at home and then back in. Volunteers bought round cups of tea and sandwiches during the day. The ward was divided into bays of around 4-6 people and there were recliner chairs which were quite comfy. I found the day quite long but did snooze a lot on and off. I was well looked after as I am sure you will be. The first one was the worst but after that it was ok as I knew what to expect.
But your chemo regime may be different and its good that you are in on the 20th and they can go through your particular regime. The different drugs have different timings and effects.
Good Luck
Jane
The cooling cap is something that some people can use to prevent losing their hair due to the chemotherapy drugs. Without it I would have lost all my hair in the first couple of weeks of chemo. Instead I kept a fair amount and it only thinned. I still lost all body hair as it does not stop that. Hair loss depends on chemo drugs and regimes. Only your CNS/Doctor would be able to tell you if it may happen with your treatment.
I'll pop a link. But bear in mind that it is not suitable for everyone so if you are interested you need to bring it up with your CNS before the chemo starts. They would be able to tell if it might be effective for you.
