How are you preparing for it?
2007-10-09 18:34:13 · 2 answers · asked by moondrop000 5 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
By God's Grace none in our family is starting Chemo now. But we had enough and have the experience. To educate you I give below how to prepare for Chemotherapy -
Before You Begin Chemo for Breast Cancer-
Your life, with all its joy, complications, and small annoyances, will go on regardless of your chemotherapy treatments. But it's a good idea to take care of a few details—medical and personal—before you get started.
Get a complete dental checkup and cleaning. The risk of infection is greater during chemotherapy, so you'll want to take care of your teeth before you begin. If your doctor requests any heart studies (like an echocardiogram), get those, too.
Chemotherapy can also make your Pap smear (the screening test for cervical cancer) abnormal. See if your doctor will do your Pap smear before you start chemotherapy. The last thing you need when you've gone through treatment for breast cancer is another abnormal test result!
With few exceptions, chemotherapy will cause your hair to fall out, a condition called alopecia. Some medications cause partial hair loss, and some cause complete hair loss. To prepare for hair loss, read about wigs, turbans, hats, scarves, or just going bald in our Hair, Skin, and Nails section.
Make arrangements for extra help around the house—cleaning, car pooling, and grocery shopping can be delegated to others for a while.
Talk to your family and friends, and help prepare them for your treatment.
Find a support group. Your oncology nurse can help you. Be sure to check out the Community Knowledge Exchange on breastcancer.org to connect with others dealing with the same issues. It's been shown that support groups (either in person or online) boost quality of life and may ease anxiety and depression.
Review with your doctor or nurse what you should eat or drink on the day of your treatment. Some drugs have restrictions and requirements; others do not.
Do something you've been meaning to do but keep putting off—going to see a new movie, having dinner at a special restaurant, taking a walk with just you and the kids.-
2007-10-10 00:54:05 · answer #1 · answered by Jayaraman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not but if you are I will say a prayer for you
2007-10-09 18:37:10 · answer #2 · answered by Delta/Bravo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋