It can seem like a stressful time as you prepare for chemotherapy, and you may even have fears of not knowing what you need to be doing during your initial treatment. The good thing is that your assigned oncologist will be able to discuss what medications will be used, side effects (if any), as well as the length of time you will be required to be under treatment.
Although these tips are important to have, there are many more that are just as important but don’t seem to get brought up. Below, we have seven that should be considered when undergoing your first chemo treatment.
Eating a Healthy Diet and Staying Hydrated
Before going in for your initial infusion, it is recommended that you eat a light meal that includes a high amount of fiber. This is because the medications used for chemo decrease peristalsis, so everything that you have eaten will be making a slow process, so you need to stay hydrated so that it doesn’t get dry. When you take the medications for preventing vomiting or nausea, you could also become constipated. This is why you need to ensure that you remain hydrated throughout your treatment.
By adding a high amount of fiber to your diet will ensure that moisture gets retained.
CBC Blood Test
Before each chemotherapy treatment you receive, you will have a CBC blood test drawn to determine the types of cells that are in your blood which your bone marrow produces so that chemo effectiveness can be determined.
The hemoglobin and RBCs and checked for anemia which can cause lightheadedness and body fatigue.
Checking the number of white blood cells will let your oncologist know if neutropenia is a problem. This is a deficiency in the number of neutrophil cells found in your WBC. If a low amount of neutrophil exists, then an infection may be going on. When your oncologist gets your blood test results, he will then be able to decide on the right course of chemotherapy to start including Neupogen or Neulasta. Both of these are able to improve your WBC count.
Enquire About the Drugs Used
With chemotherapy, there will always be many drugs in the mix. Although the majority of them are for killing cancer, there are also medications that can decrease any side effects that you may experience. Make sure that you enquire about the drugs you are prescribed.
Medications for Post-chemotherapy
Sometimes a post-chemotherapy prescription is given to patients. Ensure that you understand the instructions thoroughly before starting any.
These medications include those used for vomiting and nausea and are used in completely different ways. You need to know that there are some that need to be used routinely in order to reduce nausea that has been induced by the chemotherapy.
Remain Hydrated Right from the Start
The drugs used for chemotherapy can dry out your entire body as well as important body tissues. As soon as your first infusion is administered, you need to drink at least one glass of water every hour up to bedtime. Do not consume any caffeine because of its diuretic effect, which can worsen the way you feel.
Obtain Support from Others
Although it is reasonable to arrive at your first chemo appointment alone, there is nothing wrong with having others tag along to provide support. Many incentives exist as far as having a support system is concerned. A few of these incentives include being able to help ask your doctor questions that you may not have thought of, being able to drive you to your appointment, and taking any notes that may seem necessary.
With so much information to take in, you would benefit greatly from having a buddy who can ensure that you receive all of the important and necessary information. Your buddy can also help notice any adverse reactions that the drugs may cause so that you can relay them to your oncologist.
Monitor any Adverse Reactions
It is essential to monitor for any adverse reactions after your initial treatment. Some of the adverse reactions to monitor for include pain, swelling, rash, vomiting, or nausea. You must ensure to let your doctor be aware of these so that they can be treated. Ensure that they know the severity and how well you have been tolerating them.
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