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Waiting long even with a scheduled appointment?

prayerangel
prayerangel CSN Member Posts: 147
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was appauled to have to wait 3 hours for my first chemo today. Along with me, there were many others. They have said this has happened previously as well. Do you also have long waits?
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Comments

  • Mazy1959
    Mazy1959 CSN Member Posts: 2
    #2
    I had chemo a few years ago and never waited more than an hour. Part of the wait was due to the fact that they don't mix chemo until after you arrive. Another reason is they always did blood work first and had to wait on results. Perhaps where you go for chemo they are very busy or understaffed. That seems like way too long.
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  • RNHF1986
    RNHF1986 CSN Member Posts: 26
    #3
    Yes, I had long waits, too, but not every time. The cancer center that I went to had just opened a new facility the month before. It had gone from a little dingy place to a state-of-the-art center that was in a smaller suburb of a major metro health conscious city. It definitely had growing pains. I could see that even the extra steps it took for the chemo nurses to do their job had increased dramatically.

    There are all kinds of reasons for a wait-blood draws, nurse schedules, doctor schedules, patient schedules/problems, misplaced charts, mixing of drugs and a myriad of other problems that arise with dealing with very ill patients.

    I too was frustrated and learned to question and receive, not demand, the atttention I needed.

    Hope you have someone to go with you--my center was awesome in the respect that it had some beautiful views of a valley where the sun could come shine in if you wanted to be in those chemo chairs. It also had portable DVD players, books to read, snacks to be had if you had a long wait (for both patient and caretaker).

    Let your voice be heard if you need it to be. Or take someone that can help in that respect if you're not able.

    Take care of yourself.
    Becky
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  • Susan956
    Susan956 CSN Member Posts: 510
    #4
    You may trying to change your scheduled day for Chemo. Where I had mine Monday's were nuts. So I moved mine to Tuesdays and it was much easier. I don't know if that is an option for you... but Monday's seemed to be a favorite day for many people and therefore they were always extremely busy on those days.

    Take care... God Bless...

    Susan
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