Getting Cancer treatments is something that millions of people will have to endure. You’re going to be able to handle these treatments better when you are prepared based on what others have suffered from when you are getting into the treatment chair.
-
The Time Frame
One of the big things that you should consider is the time frame that it takes to get some of these treatments done. You have to go over these things with your doctor because every treatment is not going to be the same amount of time. It is essential to know how many days and weeks of treatment you will be receiving. This will help you sort out your work schedule.
Some people may have multiple treatments over several months. The chemo treatments tend to be weekly, but radiation therapy, however, tends to be done once a day for several days.
-
Nausea
It is essential to consider nausea that you will endure when you have cancer treatments. There are some rare exceptions, but more people are going to survive nausea in some form, so they need to be prepared for it. There are some over the counter medications available. If these are not enough, an oncologist may have to prescribe something to help with severe nausea. It is important to voice concerns about nausea after the treatments so that the doctor will know what you are experiencing.
-
Side Effects
Be aware of the side effects that the oncologist is telling you about. So many people hear about the side effects, and they ignore these things because they assume they have no choice. They know that they have to take medicine, but there are alternative medicines. That is why the patient should voice any concerns that they have about the side effects.
-
Issues That Can Change The Course Of Treatment
The doctor that starts the cancer treatment will have the patients get PET scans during the procedure. That is going to be the best way to determine if the treatment is working. If the treatment is not helping the doctor will temporarily stop the medications and look at alternatives for this.
There are also times where the patient does not respond well to the treatments. If there are treatments that are making the patients sick, the doctor will stop the medications if patients cannot tolerate this.
-
Eating Habits
When people are getting treated for cancer, they will typically have to force themselves to eat. This is commonplace for a lot of patients that are weak after treatment. You may have a low white blood count after chemotherapy. There may be a need to raise the white blood count by eating things like spinach or garlic. There may be a need for Vitamin-E supplements to help patients get the white blood count back to normal. You are going to need a normal blood count to fight off infection.
-
Things That Can Hinder Treatment
It is always a good idea to stay hydrated. If you come to get chemotherapy, you will find yourself spending a longer than expected time at the cancer center if you are dehydrated. You may have to get fluids, and this could add hours to the regular chemotherapy treatments.
If you want to get your treatment done as quickly as possible, you will need to make sure that your insulin levels are useful if you have diabetes. A proper diet should help with dehydration, blood count levels, and anything else that can halt the treatment process.
