OUTPATIENT LIFE

Outpatient Chemo

Alright, I spent most of my time inpatient, but there isn’t a whooole lot to the outpatient system so I think I can pull it off. I think. 

PSA: If you're reading any of these things and feel like something should be added or addressed, please let me know!!!! I know I don't know everything, I'm just a guy trying his best, lmao. Anyways:

Chemotherapy suites are sections of the hospital that are only for oncology patients with treatments lasting only a few hours. They do not necessarily need to be isolated from other patients, so it has a strong communal environment. There are a few nurses that cover the whole floor and roam around and tend to whoever needs it, rather than being assigned a few patients to look after. 

When you first enter, nurses will take your vitals (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, height and weight) and make sure you are clear for treatment. They have to fill out a questionnaire every time about how you're feeling, what your health currently looks like, and any medications you are taking. I know, it's tedious, but they have to do it. They're just making sure you're A-OKAY for receiving chemotherapy. 

So, you sit in the chair, have your way of receiving chemo inserted or accessed, and are usually hooked up to a saline solution. This solution is your new best friend. Say hello to it; don't worry, it's not shy at all. 

Then you get any pre medications you may need to help offset the side affects of the drug. This can range from nausea pills to anxiety pills to liquid Magnesium. Let that settle in your system and then you are READY for chemotherapy. Well, physically ready. Mentally, maybe not, but you're ready to get this sh*t over with. 

When it's time, nurses will come in these blue cloth gowns with creepy face masks that almost make you feel like a science experiment. It's so they don't get poisonous solution on any of their clothes or skin, but, like, they're putting that DIRECTLY into you. Doesn't make sense, I know. They double check that the chemotherapy is actually for you, that you're actually you, and that it has the right drug and the right amount. It is heavily calculated and getting it right is crucial. Don't be afraid to be proactive and ask questions and double check. 

So, depending on which chemotherapy drug you're getting (there are a LOT, maybe I will try to list them at a later time but that is extensive and needs a lot of attention) dictates how long you will receive the infusion. It can really range from an hour to about six hours, but nothing really longer than that or else they would have stuck you in inpatient chemotherapy. The nice up-side of outpatient chemotherapy is you're guaranteed to go home at the end of the day. You're going to start feel crummy after a while, it's normal, and you can tell the nurses how you're feeling and they will try their very best to help you out. They also usually have water and snacks for their patients as well! 

For your first time, you're probably freaking out. I get it. You're like:

"Is this feeling normal?"

"What's happening to me?"

"How bad is this going to be?"

"Oh, god, there's more after this?"

And this is how you feel. Been there, done that. I promise these feelings are part of the process and you are not alone.

You could be on a single drug, or they will switch out chemo drugs as needed, but eventually, you will finish and be done for the round of treatment. They will unhook you from the drug, flush out your line with saline, and take out the access needle or IV, if applicable. That is your ticket to freedom; you may get out of there.

Outpatient treatments are usually on a cyclical schedule, meaning you're not going to be there everyday. You may be there multiple days in a row, but then you usually get a break before you have to go back. Not too much to it, but I understand it's nice to know what is going to happen before it actually happens. 

That's outpatient treatment in a nutshell!