Advice for my DH having chemotherapy

I have no advise, but hope it all goes well for both of you.

DH had a few all day chemo sessions. The ward was always busy with nurses and other patients about. MacMillan volunteers came round to chat and bring coffee. We took books, magazines, soft drinks, sweets, pack of cards to keep us going. Music and ear plugs helped too. I always had a notebook to record what was said to us especially about potential reactions and to write down the drugs used and those taken home for sickness etc. DH was given a chemo book he had to carry all the time when he was out and about.
To be honest the day always seemed to pass quickly and we were often home by mid afternoon.
Hope it all goes well and the chemo does the business.
And take care of yourself. I often used to pop out for a walk around the shops for an hour knowing DH had some company and was in good hands.

Take plenty to read. Not sure about food. I used to take my MiL and there seemed to be rooms full of people sitting about hooked up to drip stands. She used to be hungry but only rather unappetising hospital sandwiches were issued along with very plain biscuits with horrible tea. I know this seems trivial but it's the little things that help. He might not feel like eating of course.
Sorry I can't be more helpful. Good luck!

Thank you all. I think I will take a packed lunch and maybe a flask, just in case! The notebook idea is good too. DH is very deaf and has trouble hearing what the doctor says, never mind remembering it...

They do try very hard to make things easier for chemo patients and nothing seems too much trouble. When DH had chemo we were given a free car park pass for the duration, that was very useful. The wi fi was free to use, the chemo ward had the best selection of magazines I have ever seen outside Smiths. Volunteers came around with free drinks, sandwiches and cakes several times. Some of the other patients were happy to chat away. Good luck to you and your DH, like many things the thought of going through something is worse than the actual procedure.

My DH had 6 months of 3 weekly sessions chemo for CLL in 2013. He wouldn’t let me attend so I dropped him outside the hospital and collected him afterwards. Apparently, he was sat in a chair most of the time attached to a drip but it wasn’t painful although he did feel the effects after about the third month. His hair thinned a bit but he didn’t lose it significantly.
He went for his regular 6 month check up yesterday, and all is well.
(I found it very difficult not knowing what was happening whilst looking after our 3 year old toddler but he said his body, his choice so I had to respect that.)
He did become sensitive to certain foods, particularly eggs, and would be doubled up in pain within a short while of eating them so had to give them up for a while. We have our own chickens now and he’s been able to eat our own eggs without ill effects about 18 months after the chemo ended.
Hope it all goes well for you.

OH finished his chemo in November 4 months worth, I did go with him as he drove there and as he was extremely tired after I drove back. Do ask about free parking as most hospitals will give you a slip to get a parking voucher which for us was a godsend.
He will be hooked up for several hours but in OHs treatment he was given litres of saline before and after the chemo drugs which had him running to the loo every 20 mins but you just unplug the pump and wheel the stand with you. You can make tea yourself usually as they didn’t allow the tea trolley on the ward because of the infection risk. We always took lunch, cold drinks, puzzles, iPads and a newspaper with us. Everyone is quite chatty although some people close their eyes and sleep.
OH was glad I was there as most of what he was told didn’t sink in so I could store away the info for future reference.

Good luck to you both.

I'd not heard of food sensitivity as a side effect before. That's very interesting.
At the moment I'm finding it all very difficult to take in and it helps to hear from those who have gone through it (and come out the other side).

OH went completely off tea and had a metallic taste in his mouth for ages .

I have sat with a friend during chemo and it did seem very informal and chatty - but people did not chat about their cancer - anything else but that! Good luck with this challenge.

Not to pre-empt trouble but I found an empty ice cream box, with a lid, a very handy thing to carry at all times, but especially in the car. Just in case sickness struck!
The chemo ward was actually quite a friendly, positive place to be.
Best wishes to you and your OH.

Just a thought, see a dentist preferably before chemo begins, or as soon as you can, because chemo can and does affect teeth and mouth.

'Snoozy' Just wanted to wish your DH well. My OH had six months, going every two weeks, of chemo for Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2015/2016. Four drugs one after the other, took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. He felt pretty much ok throughout, although got very tired. The worse thing for him, and I am not joking, was hiccups. Lasted on and off for 2-3 days after the chemo.
He has checkups every four months and has been in remission since his chemo finished in April 2016.
I think everyone reacts differently so a positive attitude is paramount. Please let us know how it all goes.

Thank you all for your advice. I'm packing a bag ready for tomorrow and have got some comfortable clothes ready for DH to wear. Luckily the hospital has an M&S food shop & a Costa so I can get him a nice sandwich and coffee if the food is unappetising. I am still very worried and so is he, although he won't admit it. I will feel better if tomorrow goes without incident. He will be having a fairly new drug and I'm hoping he won't react badly to it!

Good luck Snoozy to you and your DH. I hope things go as well as possible.

My friend found peppermint helped with the metallic taste and to help get the saliva flowing as he had such a dry mouth. The tiredness built up and in time it took him about three days after each session to find some energy but he said he wasn't doing anything else and this was his job at the moment so he was just going with it. Positive attitude is very important and together you will get through it.

Synonymous I wondered about sugar-free mints as the dentist said he would have a dry mouth. She warned him against sipping fruit juice or fizzy drinks all the time and said to stick to tea, coffee & still water.

Good luck Snoozy I think boredom is the main problem if you are there for several hours. Our hospital is very good, the staff are lovely and come round with sandwiches for the patients and carers - and the tea is good too!

Hi Snoozy I don't have any personal experience but when a friend had chemo treatment at age 42, someone recommended this website. It seems to be mainly aimed at women, but you might get some ideas:

www.notanotherbunchofflowers.com/collections/chemotherapy-get-well-gifts?page=1

Very best wishes and good luck.

Snoozy your dentist is spot on and apparently the latest research points to starving the cancer of the sugar which it feeds on. I am trying to find the link but to no avail at present but will try again in the morning.
Personally I use essential oils as I have so many problems with food sensitivities and if you use those which are 100% pure and not cut with anything else they are the very best. Steer clear of anything with an expiry date as they are not actually pure even if it says so on the label because there only needs to be 5% of the oil in the bottle to be able to be legally labelled as pure - which is totally bonkers! Anyway, I either put one drop of peppermint essential oil direct on the tongue or else in a pint of water and that does the job for taste. It also is my 'pep and go' as it gives me energy at those times I really need it. Wish I had known about EOs before I got unwell as it is easier to stay well rather than try to get better! PM me if you need help with sourcing.

PS steer clear of plastic containers for drinks and use glass when using EOs.

I will pass this invaluable info onto my brother and his wife as he will be facing this shortly. He had radiotherapy last time, was even given the all clear after his tracheotomy, but the cancer has sadly returned. They now say that he can’t have chemo until his standard of life deteriorates ? Snoozy, has this happened to you ?

I attended chemo ward every week for 4 years with my husband ( now no active cancer) and can say hand on heart it feels like such a safe and supportive place, you need have no fear. Hopefully your husband won’t have a bad reaction but if he does, the staff take those in their stride and know exactly what to do. My sister has recently been having chemo and also having bad reactions which they dealt with. I’m a scaredy-cat about hospitals but this experience was so very positive. Warm wishes
.

I speak from experience. I had lymphoma three years ago and am currently in remission. Eight sessions in all, each one a little shorter than the last. Take something to read.
Waiting around for the drugs from the pharmacy afterwards can be quite lengthy.
It was perfectly all right. It shouldn't hurt - if it stings SHOUT UP as they should try again (this only happened once) and if you get a 'reaction' - feeling woozy, dizzy, again SHOUT UP - they expect you to do this. If this happens it's mainly the first session. They will explain it all to you. They take your temperature/BP regularly.
If you need the loo while you're 'plugged in' you can unplug and wheel the gubbins with you, then plug back in on your return. It's a bit tricky to deal with clothing in that situation but not impossible. You should be offered tea/coffee and a sandwich which isn't fabulous but it's free.
Ideally you don't drive yourself to these sessions due to the possibility of a 'reaction' when driving.
I went every fortnight for this, Wednesdays for a blood test and Fridays for the chemo. I was only sick once so just one session had to be rearranged due to that. It was nowhere near as awful as dreaded.
I'm not saying that it was great but compared to what my dear late husband went through with motor neurone disease it was a picnic. Best wishes.