What is it like?

• When you go in for a chemo appointment, there are usually fairly comfortable chairs around the room, a television and/or radio and reading lamps.
• There are usually other people in the same room all receiving chemo.
• The providers connect the bottle of chemo drugs to the patient through an IV (intravenous tube) so that the medicine goes directly into the blood stream.
• Chemo “sessions” may be as short at 1 hour one day a week, or can be 9 hours three times a week.
• Different types of drugs are used to treat different stages of cancer.
• The length of each session and type of drugs used for chemotherapy depend on the stage of cancer and type of cancer cell (e.g., histologic grade and stage).
• This means the person sitting next to you may also be a breast cancer patient, but may be receiving totally different medications within their chemo cocktail.

If you have lymphedema, bring a pillow or blanket to raise and rest your arm upon to help reduce the swelling

Bring a blanket with you into the chemo room.

• During chemo, cold medication is slowly dripped into your blood stream through an IV (intravenous tube).
• A lot of patients feel “cold” after a short while (30 minutes or an hour)
• Ask your healer, minister or priest to bless your Indian blankets (for spiritual strength and physical warmth)