Hi All
I am thinking of asking my oncologist if i can use healthcare at home for my herceptin. i will be trying to get it on nhs.
Please can you tell me of your experiences of this company good or bad.
Also how you came to use them.
And what part of country you are in.
And lastly anything else i should know or ask about as according to my bc nurse shes never heard of anyone having herceptin at home from hospital i am being treated at.
thanks in advance. i shall be out of it for a while if past experience anything to go by as fec no 4 tomorrow
Take Care
Julie
Hi Julie
I have just seen my onc today to discuss the start of my herceptin.
I am in Dumfries & Galloway, south-west Scotland, and it is common practice here to do the first 2 herceptins at the hospital, in case of allergic reaction, but the remainder are then done at home by Healthcare at Home. I didn’t have to ask for it -was just told that this was what would happen.
Margaret x
Thanks for this thread. I want to find out more about this as well. My hospital’s facilities for bc are excellent even providing massages, aromotherapy etc. on NHS. But the district nurse who visits to mantain my line tells me that although she went for training in chemo at home nothing came of it. She thought it had been seen as threatening to the jobs of nurses in the hospital.
Margaret
Hi Julie I have herceptin at home and it works fine for me. I work on my computer or friends come round for a brew whilst I have it. All the nurses who have been fro the last 10 months have been great. Hope this helps Eileen
hi naunmah
where abouts are you in the country. i also cant fault my bc centre it has awards of excellence. the chemo unit is new as well. its me that cant cope… they prob be glad to get rid of me…
have a good day i am off now for no4 tears in eyes feel sick and its the thought of going to hospital to make me il again.
julie
Hi Julie’
I am in Northampton. I still have 1 chemo and 3 weeks rads to go through before starting herceptin. But I like to be prepared and because I am seeing the onc. next Wed want to bring it up then.
I know how it is to feel so terrible before the hospital visit. Hopefully by the time you read this no. 4 will be over and you will be able to relax.
Take care
Margaret
I started it at home at my own cost but got moved on to the NHS and started getting herceptin at the hospital. I preferred at home, partly because the cancer hospital was a bit of a downer. Healthcare at home were fine. Very reliable. I am in W. Yorkshire.
Hiya
I would like to recommend Healthcare at Home, I have received my last 3 chemo treatments at home and it has made the whole experience much easier. I don’t have to get anyone to drive me in and hang around waiting to drive me back. I have one of two nurses visit me on each occassion and you form quite a bond with them, they flush the line I have fitted every week and come to the house to take bloods the day before and even deliver the drugs to the house. I have found that they are more than willing to fit around my work committments by coming early in the morning and I cannot say enough to recommend the service.
PS I am in Northamptonshire under Mr McMillan
Very best wishes to all
Di
I had 15 Herceptins done by Healthcare at Home via the Western General in Edinburgh. It was excellent and took the stress out of the situation. For most of the treatments I had the same nurse and was able to build up a rapport with her. I t was nice to be treated in my own front room with a nice cuppa - catering was provided by my OH who was the teaboy!
I am having all treatments done by Healthcare at Home. I live in Midlothian. They have given me the chemos, taken bloods etc all from the convenience of my own livingroom. Like Di, I found they fitted in around what I had going on in my life, rather than in hospitals where they rule your life! Really recommend them.
I was offered-but declined-HAH. We only live a few minutes from our local centre (Exeter), so prefer to attend at the unit. It probably sounds a bit strange, but our home is our haven and I like to keep it as free as possible from healthcare connections at the moment. However, if we lived further afield, I would certainly have given it some serious consideration, as I have heard nothing but good reports about it. I hope you can get your treatment arranged to your satisfaction-good luck!
They are the best!! I had all of my 8 chemos at home and they were brilliant, taking my bloods and having the chemo all seemed far more stress free than I anticipated. I could get on with doing the housework etc and then just stop and sit on the sofa when the nurse arrived. They were on call 24hrs a day on mobiles and sorted any additional drugs that I needed. I was assigned one nurse who was absolutely brilliant (I did have another couple when she was on holiday) but I then developed a bond with her and she made me feel very relaxed and knew everything about me and how I reacted. I was also not at all worried if I had an allergic reaction as she always brought in the oxygen and emergency kit and she said that she would be able to react quicker than in hospital as she is sitting directly in front of me watching me the whole time. The only drawback that I can see is you don’t interact with other ladies but for me, the benefit of Healthcare at Home far outweighed the social side!
I am triple neg so am not on herceptin but if I was, there would be no question - at home every time!!!
ps she was so good and painless at finding veins that someone I know asked for her to go to the hospital when she had to have treatment as an inpatient!
thank you for all these replies are you all having it on nhs… i didnt know they did chemo at home as well again is this on nhs. thanks. i an ging to ask fr it but as bc nurse never heard of it i am doubtfull,. i was told just need oncologist approval what if she dont approve. hospitla rules etc. i have been told by healthcare at home it doesnt cost nhs anymore but i cant believe the nurse has to travel time inbetween visits etc surely costs more.
I am using health insurance, but know Healthcare at Home do Herceptin for the nhs via Western General in Edinburgh.