Thank you to every one for such good advice on these threads - I’m taking it all in… but one thing has been bothering me -
I start TAC on Fri 20th June and have been told that my first treatment may take up to 5 hours. I don’t know why - I’ve had my bloods done etc and my veins are ok (at this point in time!!) However - this will mean most of the day… what do we do about ‘personal comfort’ ie food and toilet!!! It seems so trivial doesn’t it!!
Thanks for your help!!
Td xx
I don’t know about TAC Td, but whenI had my first dose of Herceptin (called the “loading dose”) I had to stay in the chemo unit for 6 hours. This is because some people may have an allergic reaction to it, so they need to keep you monitored.
You will be able to go to the loo, just tell the nurses, you can take your drip with you. At my chemo unit, if you are there at lunchtime you get a meal, and the tea lady also comes round with hot drinks and biscuits/cake.
For my 6 hour stint, I took a book, and snacks (chocolate, lol), and my son lent me his portable Sony thingy (PSP???) on which he had a couple of films. I Spent most of time chatting to the other patients and the nurses though!
Everything was OK, and my subsequent doses take about 90 minutes.
Good luck
xxx
Hi Waitingangel
If you are having all of them by injection, it should be no problem to have a break and even if you are having it by drip, the drip stands are mobile. I had a different combination of drugs to you so I don’t know what the T is for and how it is given) but I was very fortunate in being offered sandwiches in my chemo unit when my appointment was over lunch but there is no reason why you shouldn’t take your own sandwiches. In my experience, the chemo nurses did whatever they could to make you feel at ease and comfortable.
I hope it goes well and let us know. Remember, if anything is bothering you it is not trivial. We have enough to cope with and if we know that we can be as physically comfortable as possible that helps everything along.
Dawnflower
Hi Td
Firstly no question is a silly one, we all have our queries and are here to help each other.If it’s important to you it is not trivial,you need to feel comfortable, we go through enough and the slightest thing can seem like a huge dilemma but in reality its simple to resolve.
Again not sure about TAC but like justme had a six hour session on first herceptin,was able to move about freely with drip stand to go to loo,and we have a free hot drinks machine so could get a drink,and at lunchtime a lady came with sandwiches and fruit,I took mags,paper,puzzle book, had a chat and I was lucky on that day as a nice lady was in massaging feet!!
Hope all goes well
Mary
xxxx
Hi Td
I was on the TAC regime. It does take a long time because you have an hours wait between one of the doses, unsure which one. Some of the doses are given by injection and others are given by infusion. but the time goes really quickly especially the first one. It was usually around 4 hours for each session.
We were given a choice of sandwiches and yoghurt if we were staying over lunch. I also took a book or mag with me. I would suggest taking a bottle of something to drink as I didn’t like to bother the busy nurses there to get me one.
I always ensured I went to the loo before they started the chemo and I was always the first to go afterwards! But like the others have said on here, you can take the drip stand with you.
Good luck for the 20th.
Not a silly question at all - none of us know what to expect the first time we go for chemo - I was there for 5 hrs the first time I went though my treatment only lasted about 30mins. Sandwiches and soup available …along with the usual coffee/tea etc and there are lots of friendly people about
XX
I’m on FEC - not TAX, but I’m always there 6 hours - but mine is because I have the Cold Cap which has to be on for that long. Teh Drugs take about 3 and a half hours all in all.
x
Thank you ladies - feeling much happier about that now!! When I give an antenatal class I always show a DVD of the hospital that womeen are going to have their baby in because otherwise its’ a bit like going on holiday - you don’t know what it will be like when you get there, so worry about that instead of enjoying packing!I think I can concentrate on the job in hand now!!
td xx