Does it matter who the chemo doctor is?

The chemo infusion can take
The chemo infusion can take as long as 5-6 hours. I would do the chemo locally if at all possible. And, you're right, the chemo is a pretty standard cocktail that anyone can mix up and administer. It is the doc that you have for the follow up visits after all of the chemo and radiation are done that is most important if you ask me. I think it's imperative that you have faith in the doc that monitors you after all of the treatments are over.

I didn't like my hematology/oncologist who administered the chemo. But I didn't have to deal with her much so it wasn't too bad. When you go for the infusions, you spend way more time with the nurses than the doc anyway. I could go on, but the administering of the chemo is pretty "cookbook" stuff.

A1pena said:

Thank you!
Thank you for your input and quick response! This is all new to us- so its good to know other's experiences. We have a ton of confidence in the doctor here in SF and will continue to go to her- at least we have that going for us.

Thanks again!

Amanda

I just happened by right
I just happened by right now. You may get more input in a little while from others.

For the infusions, some general info...
I got 4 small bags of pre-meds which took about an hour to be infused. Then I got the big taxol bag which took 3 hours, then the carboplatin bag took 1 hour.
The pre-meds will make your mom sleepy. Take advantage of that and let her sleep as much as possible through the infusion since it takes sssoooooo long. Do NOT drink caffeine beforehand as she won't be able to sleep.
Good socks were nice to have to keep my feet warm without having to wear shoes. Oh, and bring a lunch.
Other than that, a good book might help and dress comfortably. If you're lucky, your mother's infusion center will have wifi. Mine did not so I couldn't surf the net during chemo.

Gloria C said:

Hi!
My chemo sessions lasted
Hi!
My chemo sessions lasted 6 to 8 hours. There were videos or DVD's to watch, but no compputer access. Also, brought stuff to eat & drink, since that was not available. A blanket was needed as well. As for the 'cocktail', I would think that if it is monitored closely by the Dr's in SF, you should be fine. Inform the Dr's in SF about ALL side effects, in case the 'cocktail' needs to be adjusted along the way as mine did. Personally, I would choose to be close to home, because, by the time it was finished, I felt awful & the person who took me was exhausted as well.

Wishing your mom the very best!

Amanda I too would opt for the closer chemo treatment
My chemo days were 8 -9 hours long as they had to infuse the chemo slower for me than most others could receive it. The pre chemo drugs take about an hour, too. The recommended drugs and doasges could be prescribed by the SF doctor and then administered closer to home.

Is your Mom getting a port inserted for the chemo. I would highly recommend one. I did not get one at first and saw what the chemo did to my veins. I ended up getting a port inserted after my fourth chemo. A power port or smart port can be used for CAT scans as well as blood draws and chemo infusions. My first onocologist did not recommend a port, but the second one highly recommended the port.

Your mother is probably still low on her blood count since she lost so much blood in surgery. So her veins are probably not good to begin with. The port can be inserted as an out-patient.

So many decisions to make. Good luck with them. In peace and caring.

My chemo office had blankets
My chemo office had blankets for patients to use so I chose not to bring one. You might ask the office before you go for the infusion.