Chemotherapy

Hi Knittynanna

I was thinking of you yesterday and hoping you got on ok.

First one is the worst and now that's done you know what to expect. 

Lots of rest and just go with the flow. If you do get any side effects, suggest noting them down as it helps when you have your review in a couple of weeks. And don't hesitate in calling the hospital 24 hour line- mine was great and would be straight through to one of the nurses who could give advice and support. 

Glad it's gone ok. Well done- the first one isn't easy

Jane

Hi Jane,aww thats nice thank you!support &encouragement  are important towards recovery arnt they..I am going to my hospital  tomorrow to see  the wig lady,&drop by the patrick room for advice on getting all the info etc condensed  into one page as I have numbers and info forms leaflets etc all over the place,my head is spinning..ivecalso joined my local St Giles too..yes yesterday went OK got to have a pic line put in next time as my veins are hard to find I'm a useless bleeder lol..x

I remember being given so many leaflets, forms and numbers- you don't know where to start sometimes! My wig lady was lovely and had a hairdresser who came at the same time and would trim the wig to look how you would like it to. It does help to feel prepared. At my hospital there was a volunteer from Macmillan who would come round with lots of scarves and hats to try on as well. I kept a lot of hair as used scalp cooling but it was good to have the options there if I needed them. 

One thing I found that helped with the hair loss was getting a silky pillowcase. My scalp became quite tender at around 14 days from the first chemo- and this was a sign that shedding was starting. 

Even when you are prepared, it can still be quite upsetting, so if you need anything, please reach out. 

Jane

Brilliant  thank you!I'll have a look for the silk pillowcases..I've bought alcohol free mouthwash got face masks hand gel..Will I be ok to go out and have visitors?

• Had a look on amazon and bought a sleep hat in pure mulberry sik lined,as I like the feel of my cotton pillowcases on my face,not sure if I  allowed to put a pic on here or how

Face masks and hand gel are good. I treated it like covid times- so reduced the amount of people I saw, tried to do things like meet and go for a walk, sit in garden etc. One or 2 at a time and made sure they didn't have colds etc. Your CNS is a good person to get advice from as they will have access to your blood results. I became neutropenic for a while so I did stay in then and avoided visitors but once my bloods picked up again I did see people again. Its balance really, reduce the risks but get the benefits from having things to look forward to and support from others. I recommend a thermometer and to take your temp regularly and if it changes then to check with the hospital as infections can take hold quickly and be more serious. 

Jane

I bought an ear thermometer, what is a cns?did your visitors wear face masks do they need to?

CNS is the cancer nurse specialist. They are your first point of call. You should have a phone number where you can call them for advice. I only wore face masks when I was neutropenic or if I was around bigger groups of people. But my chemo was 2022 and still had to use masks in hospital at that time as covid precautions. 

Jane