Now that you and your oncology team have a plan for treating your cancer, preparing for the treatment or infusion appointments and how you might feel in the days following your treatment is an important next step. Whether this is your first treatment, or last, getting support, knowing what to expect and developing a plan can help you set expectations for yourself and manage side effects.  

Know what to expect

Knowing what to expect from treatment appointments helps many patients feel empowered. It is best to ask your doctor how you might feel specifically, since the experience and side effects for each patient might be a bit different. Here are some common questions that might be helpful to consider: 

• What medicines will I receive to treat my cancer?  How do they work?  

• How often will I receive my treatment?   

• Am I getting any other medicines with treatment to prevent side effects?  

• Where will I receive my treatment(s)?  

• How long will my entire appointment take?  

• How will I feel during the infusion? How will I feel after?   

• How long will I feel unwell?  

• What symptoms and side effects should I be tracking?   

• Are there things I can do to make myself feel better?   

• Should I avoid anything while receiving treatment? Such as other medicines, vitamins, foods, beauty routines, etc.?   

• Will any of my body fluid or waste be dangerous to others after my treatment? Do I need to be careful touching anyone or anything?  

• What side effects are abnormal that I should call to report? Who do I call?   

• Should I take off work during any days of my treatment?   

Adjust your calendar

For many reasons, some treatment or infusion appointments can be long — half a day or more in some cases. Your time at your doctor’s office may be filled with pre-testing or blood work, appointments with your team, and the actual infusion itself (which can take a long time for some patients). If possible, adjust your schedule to allow for extra time spent at the doctor. You may also want to talk to your employer to let them know — in no more detail than you are comfortable with — that you have medical appointments coming up and might need to take time off.   

Pack a bag

Bringing a few things from home can help keep you busy during down time on treatment days and ensure you are as comfortable as possible. Here are a few things you might want to bring along:  

• Extra layers of clothing and a blanket – many clinics are cold in temperature  

• A comfortable pillow for resting 

• Headphones to listen to music or podcasts  

• Earplugs to block out noise from other people or loud machines  

• An eye mask to dim the lights for rest  

• A journal, novel or activity book  

• Chargers for your phone or computer  

• Water or other fluids to stay hydrated  

• Snacks and flavored candies –   

• Tips from other patients:   

  • If you get an unpleasant, metallic taste in your mouth when a nurse pushes saline through your IV line or port, try sucking on lemon or citrus flavored candy. Some patients report this can help! 

  • Have you ever felt queasy or sick to your stomach during treatment? Research shows that ginger flavor candies and foods can help make this unpleasant feeling a bit better.*

Bring some support

It is common that clinics or hospitals allow you to bring a support person with you to these appointments to make the experience easier to endure — though not all hospitals are like this, so you should check with your practice or hospital ahead of time. This might be a family member, friend, or other caregiver you enjoy being around who could help transport you, keep you company, or make you comfortable if you start feeling sick.  

 Prepare your home

Treatment might leave you feeling run down and unable to keep up with grocery shopping, errands, cleaning, and other household chores. Making a plan for household chores, pet or child care, shopping, and or meal preparation in advance can help you enter a comfortable and restful environment after a treatment appointment.  In addition to having a person with you during your appointment, you might find it helpful to ask for help to take care of all the other things on your to do list while your body uses extra energy to heal and recover from treatment.

Pro tip: Companies like CaringBridge or LotsaHelpingHands can help you organize offers for help!  

Getting support

Iris is here to support you through treatment. For help preparing for an appointment, or for support with side effects or concerns afterwards, chat with an Iris nurse anytime, any day.