Your Healthcare Team Can Help Ease Your Worries
- Feeling anxious before your first chemotherapy treatment is normal, and to be expected
- Chemotherapy protocols have changed over the years, and many previous side effects can now be well controlled
- Mindfulness techniques can help calm anxiety
- Open communication with your healthcare team is essential. Often they will have information to share to help relieve your worries
We all have this image in our minds of a chemo patient who's so sick they can't get out of bed, and they're really struggling, she says. "I try to let patients know that these images are based on treatment from years ago," which has changed over time. "We've gotten much more specialized and targeted in the treatments themselves, and also the way we help patients manage side effects. I try and help them not get so caught up in that image and really focus on their own experience."
Read MoreCommon Chemotherapy Fears
Fear of Losing Your Hair
Chemotherapy treatment for ovarian cancer typically includes the two drugs carboplatin and paclitaxel. If your regimen includes paclitaxel (known by the brand name Taxol), it is more than likely that you will lose your hair. And while hair loss is not a medically significant or dangerous side effect, it can be extremely distressing for many women. A support group or your healthcare team can offer helpful information for dealing with hair loss, whether it's managing the stress, shifting your mindset, or suggesting options for wigs, scarves, and hatsand remind you that even if it's hard in the moment, your hair will grow back after your treatment ends.
Fear About Feeling Sick All the Time
Nausea prevention has improved dramatically in recent years and many patients say taking the preventive medications leave them with very little nausea from chemo. Typically, a nausea prevention medicine goes into your IV before they begin administering the chemo drugs. These drugs are able to prevent nausea for up for four days. You may also be given preventive medication to keep at home before you begin your chemo regimen to manage symptoms on an as-needed basis.
Fear of Chemo Being Physically Painful
Chemotherapy for ovarian cancer is typically administered into an IV, or via a medical porta small device implanted under the skin just below the clavicle bone. A port tends to be easier on both patients and nurses, who don't have to start a new IV for each new infusion. If you’re afraid of needles or having an IV put in, tell your health team. They can usually figure out a way to help you. For example, if you’re afraid of getting an IV, your doctor can make sure you have a sedative or a local anesthetic to numb the area.
One oncologist told SurvivorNet that his patients' biggest complaint ends up being about boredom while sitting in a chair for several hours during their infusion.
Relaxation Techniques During Chemotherapy
One way I will help people prepare for their first infusion is "to teach them tools to use when they feel anxious," says Ostacher. "I encourage them to bring an iPad or some music with them, something that will help calm them down. We review [mindfulness] techniques that can help ground them"deep breathing, or focusing their attention on physical sensations "like their arms on the chair and their feet on the floor." If possible, bringing a supportive partner or friend with you, who’s calm and partnering with you along this journey helps, Ostacher adds, though that's not always possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Don't Keep Your Worries to Yourself
The key to managing your fears is open communication between you and your healthcare team. Trying to deal with anxiety by yourself can make it worse. It's likely that your team will have information that will empower you and help you find ways to feel better.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
