The Day After Chemo

Most people will tell you that no two chemo treatments are the same. You might do well with one and suck wind on another – you never know, but you better be prepared for both.

Our Dream Team had ingrained the importance of nutrition and hydration into our little heads and we were prepared when we brought my mom home. The fridge was packed with water, gator-ade, pre-cooked meals, snacks and lord knows what else.

The first two days after chemo were uneventful. My mom was not really in the mood to eat. Chemo does something to your taste buds and you're just not in the mood …and for an Italian that is incomprehensible!

When the above occurs, you have to step in with a little tough love – as a cancer supporter it is your job to gently remind a cancer patient that they have to eat and drink – even if they are small meals. Protein is important as it helps keep your RBC and WBC producing to keep you strong and ready t fight potential infections. Also, it aides in keeping your platelet count up. They monitor your blood counts closely and while they can give you an injection to boost RBC/WBC, the only option for raising platelet counts is a transfusion – an option we were trying to avoid. The fluid’s job is pretty simple, but very important…flush the chemo drugs out of your system quickly and help alleviate some of the side effects.

In the event that a cancer patient is still not consuming enough solid protein – take yourself to the nearest Smoothie Factory and ask them to add a few extra scoops pf whey protein. We usually did this on days 3-5 when the chemo started to “kick in.”

You will fall into a grove were eventually you will stop asking if they are hungry or thirsty – because you know how important it is for these things to be done – even if it means dragging them through it when they don’t have the desire to do it, not because they are giving up, but because they simple feel like crap and are tired.

You find yourself transforming into a mini United Nations – swooping overhead making frequent food and water drops, then circling around to make sure that they are being utilized and not re-routed or stock piled!

Helpful Hints:

Cook those nutritional meals before a cancer patient comes home from chemo. Package them up in small packages and put some in the fridge and freeze the others so they can be taken out and pre-pared with little or non effort. Don’t expect someone on chemo to eat three big meals – it’s not going to happen. And chances are good that they won’t be able to finish the small meals you fix for them. In that case, cut the dead wait and focus on what is important. If you made a turkey sandwich ditch the bread and make sure they eat the turkey. Making soup? Make sure there is more chicken in it then veggies or rice. You will have to adapt based on how they are feeling

Some people have a psychological thing about drinking so much water. You may have to use reverse psychology for this one. Rather than saddle them with a giant water bottle or larger portions of liquid, use the smaller, 8oz bottles of water. While it does require you to bring them fluids more often, it helps to offset the monumental task of drinking so much water in the day – remember small increments work best.

While everyone’s pallet is different and their ability to tolerate certain things during chemo, a great place to start is with the American Cancer Society.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/HOME/pff/pff_0.asp