22 Things to Bring to Chemo

CypressCynthia
CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
in Breast Cancer #1

riI saw this on Facebook and thought these ideas were great.  I take a pink bag (you know who you are) that dear friends sent me, a fleece, warm socks, my pillow, eyemask, ear plugs, kindle fire, ginger ale, peanut butter crackers, and, of course, my princess wand that Bella gave me.  What do you bring?

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Comments

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    #2
    What I bring...

    My Tote bag is white and I just bring my kindle or a book I am presently reading.   I am pretty good at tuning people out when I am reading a story.  If I am lucky and arrived early, I might be offered one of the private rooms.  I like these rooms because I don't have to talk to anyone and I can sleep in peace.

    My chemo center provides water or ginger ale (coffee, tea if you want them).  If I am there during lunch hour they gives us a sandwich (turkey, ham, etc.) a fruit cup, a bag of chips and a cookie.  If I am there in the afternoon or mid morning, they offer banana bread, mini muffins, cookies.  Food I don't need to bring.  

    They have quilts if you need one or hot blankets.  The chair provides heat also.  The chair is very, very comfortable so I don't need a pillow.  I only used the quilt and hot blankets once when the air conditioner was making the place to cold.  

    Doris

     

  • mommaellen
    mommaellen Member Posts: 195
    #3
    When I was having chemo, I

    When I was having chemo, I would take my fleece blanket that my sissy made for me, a deck of cards for my daugther Jenny and I to play with, crossword puzzle book, chapstick, portable dvd player and a season of Greys Anatomy to watch.  My tote bag is blue denim with my name hand stitched on it on one side and the pink ribbon  on the other side.  It was made for me when I got sick. 

    The hospital provided snacks and drinks for us and Jenny would go and get lunch for us.

     

    Hugs

    Mommaellen

     

  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #4
    SIROD said:

    What I bring...

    My Tote bag is white and I just bring my kindle or a book I am presently reading.   I am pretty good at tuning people out when I am reading a story.  If I am lucky and arrived early, I might be offered one of the private rooms.  I like these rooms because I don't have to talk to anyone and I can sleep in peace.

    My chemo center provides water or ginger ale (coffee, tea if you want them).  If I am there during lunch hour they gives us a sandwich (turkey, ham, etc.) a fruit cup, a bag of chips and a cookie.  If I am there in the afternoon or mid morning, they offer banana bread, mini muffins, cookies.  Food I don't need to bring.  

    They have quilts if you need one or hot blankets.  The chair provides heat also.  The chair is very, very comfortable so I don't need a pillow.  I only used the quilt and hot blankets once when the air conditioner was making the place to cold.  

    Doris

     

    I didnt bring much
    usually a book and ipod. I saw the same people most weeks and we would visit. The provided drinks and snacks, yogurt, nice warm bkankets. If I didnt want company, some of the chairs were isolated, facing the mountains which is beautiful. It was usually pretty quiet.
  • desertgirl947
    desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
    #5
    What I Took

    I am about 18 months removed from chemo; BUT this is what I took with me in my black leather bag that had several compartments:

    • My Kindle
    • Puzzle books
    • Mini-clip board and pen (with my questions to ask)
    • Did not have to take snacks, as my infusion place had snacks and beverages.  They also had pillows and blankets, if I needed them. 
    • Money -- when I switched to taxol, my infusions seemed to take longer.  I did better about eating lunch if I had something from a nearby fast-food place.  Whoever was my companion would go fetch us lunch, my treat.  Ahead of time, I had a list of what items interested me from several fast food spots. That list was in my bag.
    • I always wore a button-in-the-front shirt which made it easy for the nurses to access my port.

     

  • 2ndxyvonne
    2ndxyvonne Member Posts: 41
    #6
    My important stuff

    like the current Dean Koontz novel I'm reading, my puzzle book, chapstick, my decaf tea.  No need for food, they serve us lunch from the cafeteria, we may order whatever we want.  There's heated blankets and pillows if we want them.  But, most of the time, the pre-meds make me sleep so I just curl up, relax, snooze and pray.  I consider this my 'just me" time.  Oh, I carry a bag my husband got me for good luck.  And all the staff treats us each like we are "special".

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #7
    2ndxyvonne said:

    My important stuff

    like the current Dean Koontz novel I'm reading, my puzzle book, chapstick, my decaf tea.  No need for food, they serve us lunch from the cafeteria, we may order whatever we want.  There's heated blankets and pillows if we want them.  But, most of the time, the pre-meds make me sleep so I just curl up, relax, snooze and pray.  I consider this my 'just me" time.  Oh, I carry a bag my husband got me for good luck.  And all the staff treats us each like we are "special".

    My center does have lunch and

    My center does have lunch and snacks.  I am making it sound primitive.  They do not have ginger ale though and ginger ale is a must for me.  I also like my particular peanut butter crackers.  Lol, I guess I am picky.  I also will only ever use my really squishy down pillow because of neck arthritis and I like to bring my fleece because, after the heated blankets cool off, I am sometimes still cold.  The fleece is lightweight and retains body heat better for me.

     I know I am going to be sleeping for at least an hour, because they always have to knock me out with perjeta.  No matter what we do, I flush and start barfing as soon as perjeta hits my vein and they have to give me ativan.   Onc just thinks I have a rare antibody reaction (and they give me steroids, 2 IV nausea meds, and antihistamine every time).  I am just a big weirdo with perjeta - lucky me. Wink

    I may have a little diva in me...lol.  But, i think the most important thing, is to find a way to nest and be as comfortable as you can be to get through it.

  • 1surfermom
    1surfermom Member Posts: 396 Member
    #8
    CypressCynthia said:

    My center does have lunch and

    My center does have lunch and snacks.  I am making it sound primitive.  They do not have ginger ale though and ginger ale is a must for me.  I also like my particular peanut butter crackers.  Lol, I guess I am picky.  I also will only ever use my really squishy down pillow because of neck arthritis and I like to bring my fleece because, after the heated blankets cool off, I am sometimes still cold.  The fleece is lightweight and retains body heat better for me.

     I know I am going to be sleeping for at least an hour, because they always have to knock me out with perjeta.  No matter what we do, I flush and start barfing as soon as perjeta hits my vein and they have to give me ativan.   Onc just thinks I have a rare antibody reaction (and they give me steroids, 2 IV nausea meds, and antihistamine every time).  I am just a big weirdo with perjeta - lucky me. Wink

    I may have a little diva in me...lol.  But, i think the most important thing, is to find a way to nest and be as comfortable as you can be to get through it.

    Bumping up

    Bumping up for Shriley

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