I am sorry to read that you require treatment for bowel cancer. I appreciate this must be a difficult time for you.
It's entirely normal to feel anxious prior to your first chemotherapy session.
The specialist nurse or chemotherapy nurse will go over specific things in detail with you if they haven't already before your first chemotherapy so I'm sure you will have all the information you need before your start; but in case there are other questions I have responded with some links I hope you will find useful.
Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning it affects all the cells in the body (both cancer and healthy cells). It often affects the bone marrow, where blood cells are produced, which means the blood counts can drop and the patient's immune system is low. This in turn can make a patient more susceptible to picking up infections. However, you will be told about signs and symptoms of infection to look out for and given a number to alert the team if this happens. Any infection can be treated with antibiotics to treat what is known as neutropenic sepsis.
Chemotherapy can also cause other side effects, but how this affects one person will be different to someone else. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict how anyone will be, but the nurses and doctors looking after you will monitor you, and any side effects you may have, and manage these should they arise. Most should be short-lived and will ease off after each cycle of treatment. Some may persist after treatment has finished but very rarely are they permanent. The specialist team usually carries out a series of tests before commencing chemotherapy to ensure the patient is as fit as possible to be able to tolerate it.
The hospital nurses should discuss safety at home, for instance chemotherapy is excreted mainly in the urine, so it is advisable that when you pass urine that you close the toilet lid and flush the toilet twice. If you come home with oral chemotherapy you will have been advised that only you touch them. If anyone else needs to administer the tablets then they should use gloves.
Take care Dime60, and I hope your chemotherapy treatment goes without complications and the rest of your cancer pathway is smooth.
Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
