Be sure to wear double gloves that can keep your hands safe when cleaning the toilet or cleaning up any bodily fluids. To clean it, pour bleach or other toilet-cleaning solution into your toilet according to the manufacturer's guidance, brush the sides and rim, and then let it sit for a few 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.
o Use a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water), or a cleaning solution that contains bleach after each time patient has used toilet. Resume usual cleaning of the toilet after the patient has stopped taking oral chemotherapy for 2 days.
At the end of 7 days after treatment, wash the toilet and bathroom floor. If you have a low flow toilet, put the lid down and flush the toilet twice. This helps make sure body waste isn't left in the toilet. Use a toilet rather than a bedpan or urinal when you can.
After chemotherapy treatment, the chemotherapy drug usually remains in the body for either 3 days or 7 days, depending upon the properties of the drug. The drug is excreted in the urine, stool, vomit, semen, and vaginal secretions during this time.
Body wastes containing traces of chemotherapy may be disposed of in the normal sewerage system. o Close the lid of the toilet and use a full flush. o Normal toilet cleaning regime should be sufficient while the patient is receiving chemotherapy. Wastes from colostomy/ urostomy bags can be treated in the same way.
Your caregivers can absorb the drugs through their skin if they touch these fluids. Short-term exposure to some of these drugs can cause skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, belly pain, cough, dizziness, eye irritation, hair loss, headache, mouth/throat/nose sores and allergic reactions.
Wash clothes and sheets that may have come in contact with body fluids in the washing machine. Don't wash them with other clothes. Don't wash them by hand.
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.
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.
Housekeeping and Disinfecting
It is better to rest if you are tired or not feeling well, as this will help your body recover from chemotherapy. If you do want to do housekeeping, there are a couple of easy tips you can follow to keep your house clean and lower your chance of picking up germs.
Vinegar can be used inside the toilet tank too
White Vinegar can also be used inside the tank of your toilet — an area that many of us neglect to clean.
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.
Is it safe to kiss others after chemo? 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.
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.
Chemotherapy drugs target cancer cells which stop or slow their growth. A person undergoing chemotherapy should avoid eating undercooked or raw food, interacting with actively infectious people, overexerting themselves, and consuming too much alcohol.
A return to normalcy is typical, but it takes a while – usually six months or so. “All who have done chemo do finally get back to normal,” Patricia said. “Treatment for breast cancer can take a whole year, but six months after it ends, life comes back – incisions heal, hair grows back, chemo brain fog lifts.”
During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.
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.
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.
In most cases two to three gentle hair washes a week is sufficient. Gently brushing hair every day is helpful to avoid matting.
Water, water, water: we know it can be difficult, but please drink plenty of water before, during and after chemo treatment. Drinking lots of water will help to flush the chemo through your system, and can also help to keep your bladder from becoming irritated.
“Many chemotherapy agents increase susceptibility to sunburns,” explains Hassan. “So, limit the amount of time you spend outdoors during daylight hours.”
Cancer medications including chemotherapy can cause nerve damage, vomiting that puts stress on the bladder, irritation of the bladder, or hormone changes. Having less of certain hormones can make incontinence worse. Surgery to the pelvic area can damage the muscles or nerves that help control urine.