Housekeeping and Disinfecting Keeping up with your household chores is always a challenge. It can be even harder when you are not feeling well. If possible, don't do household chores if you don't feel well. It is better to rest if you are tired or not feeling well, as this will help your body recover from chemotherapy.
Most of the time, you can use regular soap and water and/or household disinfecting wipes. Follow the instructions on wipes, as some require the surface to stay wet for a full 10 minutes.
If possible, you may want to use a separate toilet during this time. If this is not possible, wear gloves to clean the toilet seat after each use. Sit on the toilet when you use it to cut down on splashing. Keep the toilet lid down when you're not using it to keep pets from drinking the water.
When undergoing chemotherapy, if you feel up to it, it is generally fine to visit public places. Just remember your immune system is weaker than usual and it may be harder for your body to fight off infections.
Following the tips below will help protect your skin from damage and infection: Bathe every day and use warm water. Avoid soaking in spas or hot tubs. Use a mild soap for bathing.
For 48 hours after receiving chemotherapy, patients and caregivers should follow these precautions: Flush toilets twice each time they are used. If possible, patients should use a separate toilet from others in the home. Always wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet.
Is there any risk to family and friends? You may worry about the safety of family and friends while you are having chemotherapy. There is little risk to visitors (including children, babies and pregnant women) because they aren't likely to come into contact with any chemotherapy drugs or body fluids.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
If you exercised before treatment, you might need to exercise less or at a lower intensity during treatment. The goal is to stay as active as you can. People who were very sedentary (inactive) before cancer treatment may need to start with short, low-intensity activity, such as short slow walks.
Set a goal of reaching 150 minutes of exercise per week. “Spread that 150 minutes over multiple days,” she says. “I tell patients to aim for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, which equals 150 minutes.”
Include beverages with calories such as juice, milk, decaf tea with honey and oral nutrition supplements (Boost, Ensure). If having diarrhea, trial G2 (Gatorade 2) or pedialyte to replace electrolytes.
For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
Yes. It will take some extra planning and working out who can support you but it's possible to continue living alone when you have cancer. Having cancer and going through treatment raises many challenges and emotions. These may be harder to deal with when you live alone.
You can hug and kiss. But you do need to protect others from coming into contact with your medicine. Follow these safety tips while taking your chemotherapy pills and for two days after you're done.
Having Sex During Your Cancer Treatment
We recommend using a barrier device (condom or dental dam) during treatment and for a week after each treatment during oral, vaginal, or anal sex to prevent your partner from being exposed to any medication that may be in your bodily fluids.
So you need to make sure caregivers and others close to you are not exposed to your body fluids during chemo and for a few days after treatment. It's OK to have normal contact with other people, including hugging and kissing.
It is generally safe to kiss others after chemotherapy as long as no active infection is present. However, it is crucial to practice proper hygiene and avoid close contact with people who are ill, to reduce the risk of infection.
Chemotherapy can be found in saliva and vaginal secretions for 48-72 hours after treatment. During this time, do not do open-mouth kissing and use a condom or dental dam for oral sex or intercourse (vaginal or anal) so that your partner is not exposed.
Safety concerns for partners
Be assured that it is not possible for your partner to transmit cancer through intimate activities such as kissing or intercourse. Sexual activity will not make cancer spread, nor will it make the cancer come back. Chemotherapy drugs may stay in your partner's body fluids for some days.
Drinking plenty of water before and after treatment helps your body process chemotherapy drugs and flush the excess out of your system. Tackle physical changes. If your hair starts falling out, go shopping for a wig or buy a few stylish hats to keep your head warm.
Why is staying hydrated important for cancer patients? Fluids carry nutrients to cells, flush bacteria from the bladder and prevent constipation. Staying hydrated makes treatment side effects less severe and lowers your chances of missing or delaying cancer treatments.