Hello Emma1,
I haven’t had your cancer, but I recently finished chemotherapy for my cancer. I can offer some practical advice.
If you have kind people around you who can offer you support then take it up now. Let them know what things you’d like help with and see if you can organise a schedule. If you have a pet, get help for them too. You don’t need to be very ill to have help. Everyone copes with chemotherapy differently and everyday you can feel different. If you can have people help you as you begin, if you do get sicker, these people are already in place.
Think about all the things you do now and recognise that there maybe times where you might not feel like you can actually do them. See the important things and prioritise them for help or assistance.
Fatigue and brain fog are 100% real. Writing lists can help you stay on track if you are having a hard day. Post-it’s and mini whiteboards can help you remember things. I would recommend writing down anything as soon as you think of it, as you can forget pretty quickly and not recall it again. Have a diary or calendar and add entries immediately. Use alarms or reminders on your phone. I also have 2 small notebooks. 1 for any side effects I felt everyday. And the other one is the most important. You will need to take your temperature every day and may also take medications, so I write them down immediately after I have taken them, so I know what I have taken and what times, so there is no chance of taking too much medication. And I know my temperature for that day. There may be times where a doctor or nurse will ask something and I have my notebook to refer too. Otherwise I would have no idea.
If you don’t have anyone to help you, consider signing up for apps that can. Like shopping for groceries and having a transportation app. I would also look at your finances and make sure you have available funds to use. (Like pay off your credit card before you begin treatment,so if you need to use it, it will be available for use.) Try to get things delivered if you can. Exposing yourself to lots of people can increase infection risks.
When you start chemotherapy and the nurses or staff offer to refer you to services, if they are free or you can afford them, take them up on the offer too. Don’t wait until you are sick to then be referred to a service. The wait times can be long when you are unwell. Especially a dietitian. 5 days for example, can be extremely long if you are unable to eat or drink well.
If there are legitimate organisations related to your cancer, try to connect with them too. They can tell you of services they can provide to you or refer you too. At the least, they maybe able to provide emotional support during your chemotherapy. There are some great nurses out there.
Chemotherapy can sometimes make it hard to regulate your body temperature. Knowing how to cool yourself down or warm yourself up can be helpful now. My electric handheld fans, I have 4 right now. So I never go anywhere without one.
And if you are looking at any type of hair loss, I have found bamboo seamfree caps to be the most comfortable and soft and breathable.
But please don’t panic that you have to have all things figured out before you begin. You will figure things out as you need it or can ask others to help you find a solution.
My absolute must haves are a walking stick when I felt physically weak, travel sized hand held fans to help with cooling me down and travel sickness I felt, travel vomit bags, a box of tissues, my lists and post-it’s and notebooks, my smart watch and lip balm. My absolute no-no’s are anything with a fragrance, humidity and really loud noises.
If I could do anything differently, I would have got more exercise. Even if it meant just up and down my street. But the hot weather has stopped me from even being able to achieve that everyday. And my stamina is deeply reduced.
Depending on what chemotherapy you are getting and at what frequency, your experience maybe very different to alot of people, including myself. You really just need to take it a day at a time.
You are also not alone here.
I hope this helped somewhat.
Milo01
