10 Things To Know About Chemo

So I haven’t posted for a bit as basically all my energy has gone into surviving chemo. Anyway, I had my last chemo 6 days ago and although I feel like absolute crap, it’s good to know that it is finished and I will feel better very soon! I didn’t see any point in going through every infusion in detail so I’ve tried to think of things that I would have thought were useful to know, so here goes -

  1. Chemo is fucking hard! But you will get through it especially if you take it just one day at a time.
  2. Cold capping works for some people but there’s no guarantee. I’ve kept maybe 40-50% of my hair but the lady next to me at chemo lost the lot. However it’s worth remembering that cold capping protects hair follicles so you will hopefully get regrowth quicker.
  3. Keep a diary of your side effects. They tend to occur on the same days so it’s good to know what to expect!
  4. HYDRATE! This is really important both before and after each infusion. Beforehand it helps your veins stand out which is particularly important if you have tiny veins like me. Afterwards, it helps flush the chemo through your system.
  5. Listen to your body and rest when you need to! The effects of chemo are cumulative so you generally feel worse as time goes on. For example, I functioned fairly normally for the first few infusions but the last one has really kicked me in the butt and I slept for over 12 hours yesterday 
  6. Don’t over wash your hair (twice a week is fine), sleep on a silk pillowcase and if you tie your hair back then use a silk scrunchie. All this helps with retention.
  7. Plan things to do when you’ve finished chemo. I have a list but they will have to wait until radiotherapy is done. I also had a chart on the wall to cross days off as it helped me visualise the ending.
  8. You won’t need half the things you take to your first chemo session! I started of with 2 huge bags but by the last one I was down to snacks, a drink, conditioner and a comb (for the cold capping) and a woolly hat to wear home 
  9. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Chemo nurses are a mine of information and are good at giving reassurance. Mine were lovely!
  10. Try to believe in yourself. This is undoubtably one of the hardest things you will ever go through in your life but you will get through it. In the words of Winnie the Pooh -
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think”

You’ve got this! Here’s some grotty chemo pics of me 😂










 

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