Tell me about Chemo... please

In a couple of weeks we are travelling to the east coast and staying with my God Parents. My God mother is undergoing Chemo and we arrive on the Friday afternoon and she is going to meet as when we get off the train or we will cab it up to the hospital and wait for her to finish a Chemo session. She has been undergoing treatment for about a year.

Even though I know quite a few family members and friends who have had cancer I haven't been in contact in the middle of undergoin Chemo.

Can any one answer any of these questions so that we can be a bit more prepared

How do you feel after a Chemo session, that day and the next couple of days, ie tired, sick etc.?

What does it involve, it is like an IV (I apologise for my complete ignorance here :redface:)?

Are there certain things you should avoid, I assume that being exposed to any kind of illness is a no no?

What about foods, drinks, alcohol etc ? (I was going to take up some lovely SA wines and Heighs chocolates :)

I may have some more questions, but I just want to have a better understanding of what she is going through. My God Parents are jsut so excited to be having us and we haven't spent a lot of time together for a few years, and I am really exicted as well, they are just lovely people, very special to me :)
TIA xxoo

I can answer some questions, but I don't have as much experience as others in this.

I'm not sure how you feel the day of a chemo session, I'd assume you'd feel quite nauseous and lethargic. But I also think after a year of chemo, that those feelings would regulate after a while?

It is an IV mostly, but some chemo drugs are capsules. It depends on the drugs used. When we do chemo on dogs, we take blood from them and then run the test (20 minutes) then we given them a drug to stop feeling nauseous. We then give the drug, now depending on the drug is how long it takes... some we give over 20 minutes in an iv bag, others take only 5 minutes to administer. So I suppose it depends on what cancer and what drug is used.

You need to be careful to avoid bacteria and viral infections during chemo treatments.

Chemicals in foods can cause issues as well, so often chemo patients go on a wholefoods diet, so most chocolates and wines use high levels of chemicals in their production, you can get preservative free wine, so maybe find one from SA? Also you can get organic dark chocolate which may actually be good for her.

I hope others have more answers for you! :hug:

When my mum was having chemo she felt fine straight after the IV drip but went downhill the next few days where she felt nauseus and tired. She went off food a fair bit cause the chemo gave her a metallic taste in her mouth which she couldn't get rid of.
I think maybe some magazines, books, bath oil more pampering things would be better than food/wine but you know her. Mum got a beautiful lavender heat pack and a really soft throw rug when she was sick and she loved them and used them a lot.

My experience with chemo is mostly from a palliative sense.
It is important to rememeber that there are different types of chemo, and applicaitons, it isn't just a one size fits all scenario.
But this is my experience.

How do you feel after a Chemo session, that day and the next couple of days, ie tired, sick etc.?
It varies from person to person and from session to session.
Generally though the affects can take as long as 7 days to kick in - so they may be fine for 5 days after then become violently ill, or develop other side effects like lethargy, ulcers, loss of taste and smell.

What does it involve, it is like an IV (I apologise for my complete ignorance here )?

A combination of pills and IV depending on the form of chemo. There is a form that is simply pills, others that involve being hooked up to the IV for some hours. It will depend on her type of cancer and the desired use and outcome for having the chemo. Also on her previous responses to the drugs.

Are there certain things you should avoid, I assume that being exposed to any kind of illness is a no no?
Any sort of illnesses are a MAJOR hazard. However, having said that, the imuno-suppressant affects of the chemo also vary from patient to patient and depend on the type of chemo administered.

Things like FLOWERS and PLANTS are also a HUGE no no in a imuno-suppressed state as they carry bugs and insects and other irritants which can be just as dangerous (hence why no flowers in the cancer ward ;))

Even a slight runny nose in a healthy person can cause a life threatening infection in an imuno-suppressed patient, so please take this very seriously.
(Perhaps you nd hubby can up your Vit C from now until you are there, get plenty of sleep and wash more than usual and make sure you don't pick anything up. It is heart breaking to travel all that way and not be able to see the person due to a snotty nose)

What about foods, drinks, alcohol etc ? (I was going to take up some lovely SA wines and Heighs chocolates
I would advise you to be prepared for the very real possibility that she will not be able to taste or eat or drink.
The side effects of the drugs she will be on are wide and varying, however one of the most common is the occurrence of ulcers in the mouth and on the tongue which not only effect taste but also the physical ability to eat - they are exceptionally painful and very difficult to manage.

Also, the nausea is not just a side effect of chemo but of the cancer itself and the other drugs patients are usually on. I would check with someone how she copes before rocking up with a bottle of wine and chocolates that simply taunt her iykwim.

Other side effects worth noting are dry thin skin, that becomes VERY sensitive and painful, constipation, lethargy and inability to concentrate, muscle aches and pains, vomiting nausea and ulcers, irritability and mood swings, fluid retention...
All of these things are usually treated with other drugs hich can have their own side effects also.

As I said though, every patients experience is different - my mother didn't suffer nausea and vomitting until her second treatment, and didn't set in until days after...

Some lovely things you can do for her are reading to her while she is in the chemo room (a very depressing place to be- prepare yourself for this if you are going to be there with her during treatment), moisturiser instead of chocolates - rubbing it in to their skin can help with the dry stretched feeling and also helps circulation while they are sitting so long.


Hope that helps....if you have any questions at all before or during or after you see her, feel free to PM me, it is a very confronting thing to witness, no matter the outcome of the treatment.
All the best to your godmother, I hope her treatment is successful :)

DH had chemo for 2 years and in his case he would often have different drugs different days. Mostly it is IV but sometimes tablets and injections. He pretty much felt blah most of the time. Some drugs would make him vomit straight away, some would make him constipated, sometimes he would feel ok.IT depends on what cancer the chemo is for too as to how it effects people. DH used to get insomnia from some drugs and really sensitive skin. He didn't really avoid any foods except when he jsut couldn't stomach them. He limited his alcohol also because he jsut couldn't handle it. He wasn't allowed to do any gardening. If anyone was sick with ANYTHING also they had to stay away.
Again I stress it really effects ppl differently. Maybe have a chat to the family and see how she is coping?

Beema - it probably depends entirely on what drugs she's having - also, although there are different types of side effects, each person experiences then differently. So it really is best to ring beforehand and ask.

When I had chemo I was on a very mild regimen, and I felt quite seedy and exhausted for a few days afterwards, but not sick enough to be vomiting, etc. I had an IV transfusion on the first day then pills for the next four days. Part of the treatment was steroids which made me ravenously hungry. So, everyone's different.

Can you ring your Godfather and explain that you'd like to bring something that she would really appreciate, and ask him what he thinks? I think Haighs chocolate is a nice idea, buy a small box so they're not too in her face if she's not feeling up to it - but go for soft centres with fruity flavours because the chemo can make your mouth/throat very sore & wreak havoc with your sense of taste so fresher cleaner flavours (like fruit, mints, etc) are better. Some nice mints might be welcome for the same reason - get rid of the yucky taste in your mouth, a book or book voucher, DVD, CD of uplifting music etc. Moisturiser is a nice idea too, or a really lovely smelly candle. But I think your Godmum will just be happy to see you and spend time, so taking something that is personally meaningful like a photo of you all in a beautiful frame or a bit of "artwork" (handprints or whatever) by your DD would be just as welcome as any chocolate or wine. Although your Godfather might appreciate a bottle or two :).

I'm also going to state the obvious and say if you are staying there try to be as helpful and hands on as you can. Our PILs stayed with us a few weeks after I finished chemo (I will still exhausted plus constantly sick with a chest infection) and yet we put on a meal for them most nights of the week :wall:. MIL only cooked a few times but I wish she had felt inclined to help out more because then DH was exhausted by the end of their stay (even though it was so good to have them here). So make sure you and your DH are both being helpful while you're there. :)

ETA - It's also helpful to remind yourself that often it's the treatment that's making the person look sick &/or tired and not necessarily the illness itself. :hug:

Thankyou all so very much for taking the time out to answer my questions, I sincerely appreciate every word :hug:

Thankyou all for explaining more about the treatment as I really didn't understand, I assumed there would be some variation as I had heard some drugs cause weight gain, others hair loss and so on, but not to the extent that you have all explained including the different proceedures etc.

I will speak with her daughter, as she will be able to let me know what both mum and dad would really appreciate, that way I can keep any extras a surprise from them :) I am really gglad I asked the question about foods and drinks as I thought it was going to be a silly question, but it is really clear that it wasn't and there is a lot to understand and take into consideration. The suggestions have been really useful and I would have ended up with an inappropriate gift if hadn't asked :redface: I will print out some photos of us as well, we has some lovely shots taken as Christmas time which would be perfect.

In relation to illness it is the same as catching up with our prem friends, any sniffle and it is a no go zone, we jsut can't take the risks and we have missed out on a lot of catchups for this very reason. So I will definitely boost the Vitamin C over the next couple of weeks and I pray that we are all well when we go over.

Is it worth using Aquim?

I am definitely hands on, I'm usually doing three or four thing as once, so I will be definitely helping out as much as I can, and I really enjoy doing it as it is a great time to chat, hopefully I can mkae her sit down and relax as well. We are all pretty chilled out, so it should be all good. We aren't fussy or picky or anything so that is going to make it a lot easier as well.

MD thankyou for that little bit of information at the end, it will become invaluable as it will make it easier to understand. Thankyou very much for sharing what you experienced, you are amazing!

Ezy thankyou so much for sharing your experience with your DH, it must have been such a difficult few years :hug:

LimeSlice, thankyou so much for sharing information from the pallative point of view, you have shared a wealth of information and I really appreciate it, I had no idea about gardening, flowers etc as well, I will definitely remember that, being a landscape architect.

Thankyou MrsMac, your suggestions are really lovely, and thankyou for sharing what your mum experienced :hug:

Thankyou Christy, you have given me some really useful information, I will definitely go on a hunt for some lovely organic chocolate and preservative free wine, surely there is some in SA :)

Thankyou all once again I really appreciate the time you all took to help me out, and sharing your own knowledge and experiences has been invaluable to me and subsequently my God Mother :grouphug:

That's great that you can ask their daughter - nice to keep it a surprise :).

Definitely use Aquium! I have two big pump packs at home and carry a small bottle with me every where I go and it's just habit now.

Most of all - enjoy your time together :hug:!

Thanks MD, I have a few bottles of it :redface:

I am really really excited about staying with them, as they are very special to my heart xxoo