Oh yeah, definately load up the ipod - when my Mums partner was having chemo last year for bladder cancer he said most of the time it was "boring as batsh it" and some people were too consumed in their misery to chat to pass the time (he said there were a few who saw chemo as the closest thing to death itself, so they were pretty negative people to be around from what he said about them, not that there is anything wrong with that, but you kwim), so he spoke with the staff or took a few books to read.