Hello there, and I'm so sorry you are coping at such a young age with Mum's cancer diagnosis.  Chemotherapy is now individually made to each patient so she will probably be OK, but as the treatment proceeds she will get more tired and sleep more, so don't worry if this happens.  Food may be an issue but let her eat what she wants but she needs to eat and drink plenty.  The unit she will attend will answer your questions and you need to be truthful about how she is as patients tend not to tell the full truth as they think they are causing problems.  If she has a cancer nurse they will help with finances as you can get money to help you buy good food, keep the heating on and if she goes by car you can ask for a permit that gives you free parking.  I stayed with my husband during chemotherapy but always felt in the way so see how it goes.  Any other advice give us a shout.  Good luck, lovely daughter.  Carol 

Thank you, Carol

Hi there.

I looked after my mum during her two years of chemotherapy and just wanted to give you a few tips I picked up on the way...

Obviously it depends on the type of chemotherapy your mum will be having but my mum suffered with neuropathy in her fingers so she wore gloves whilst out supermarket shopping, touching cold items eg. in the fridge/freezer section made it worse so she wore her gloves. Her lips also felt strange in the cold weather so I made sure she had a scarf on, esp after her chemotherapy sessions. Also if she uses the cold cap, she will need a warm hat to put on after her session.

My mum also suffered a little with a sore mouth but found using childrens toothpaste helped with this and using a mouthwash.

Her taste buds changed and she found it difficult to eat spicy foods. Little and often seemed to be better for her. Mum was most tired on day 4 and 5 of her cycle and felt at her best on days 9-13. 

My mum always took a good book to read during her sessions. I went with her as many times as I could but she also liked to sleep during her sessions so I sometimes felt as if I was keeping her from resting.

If your mum has a special event to attend don't be afraid to ask the oncologist if there is chance to re arrange chemo sessions. My mum re arranged a few sessions for holidays and our wedding.

Sorry, I can't think of any more right now but I do hope this helps.