Your Checklist Guide — Getting Started:
The purpose of this checklist is to begin to guide you from the point of diagnosis to your first chemotherapy treatment. We begin with a few key questions for you to ask your doctor before beginning treatment. And then, we provide a second checklist preparing you for your very first day of treatment.
Meeting with your doctor before starting treatment: The “top 20”:
Our top 20 questions for your conversation with your doctor about your initial diagnosis and the start of treatment:
Which specific type of breast cancer did my diagnosis confirm?
What additional tests, if any, need to be done in order to firmly confirm the diagnosis? (Note: this assumes that your doctor has done the proper scans to determine your diagnosis, meaning: PET scan or CT scan, MRI and biopsies, if appropriate)
Is the cancer genetic? Have you done genetic testing to confirm this one way or the other?
Is it localized to the breast, or has it spread elsewhere in the body and thus metastasized?
Are you able to let me know what stage of the disease it is?
What does the stage mean and how should I interpret that designation?
What specific treatment path are you recommending, how will it be administered, what is the frequency and overall duration?
Why do you feel this is the best treatment option for me?
Am I eligible and would you recommend I participate in a clinical trial?
What can you tell me about the medication you are recommending for my chemotherapy treatment plan?
Are these medications the latest available or are these medications that have been used as standard protocol for my diagnosis and if so, what is the benefit versus a newer medication?
How do I best manage side effects of these specific medications?
Of the patients you have, that are either undergoing or that have undergone this specific type of treatment, what can you tell me about how they have responded to it?
Based on the stage of the disease, how long do you anticipate I will need treatment? Will I need ongoing maintenance treatment as well?
What exactly will happen the first day of my treatment? Please walk me through the steps.
What can I expect during the first 30 to 60 days of treatment? What can I expect 90 to 120 days into treatment?
What support resources if any, do you offer to patients going through treatment?
How should I manage working while on treatment?
What are the follow up tests that you will do throughout my treatment and what will they need to show? In other words, what does success look like as scans in the future take place?
What have I not asked, but should?
Preparing for your first day of chemotherapy treatment: The “top 10” to do’s:
Our “top 10” to do’s are key steps you should take before you begin your treatment, including key items for the week before treatment and the 1-2 days leading up to treatment:
ONE WEEK BEFORE: plan ahead to have someone drive you to your treatment and pick you up once it is completed.
ONE WEEK BEFORE: pick up any pre-medications you will take before arriving at your treatment location.
ONE WEEK BEFORE: plan ahead for your meals for the week of treatment and the week after treatment. Decide whether you will need someone to prepare some meals for you or you can prepare them for yourself and freeze them, so that you can easily reheat items versus cooking.
ONE WEEK BEFORE: plan to take the day of treatment and (likely) the two days following treatment off from work, especially important for the first three treatments.
ONE WEEK BEFORE: plan for someone to stay with you for 2 to 3 days following treatment or to be available should you need assistance.
1-2 DAYS BEFORE: plan to get a good night’s rest so that your body and mind are feeling their best as you begin your treatment.
1-2 DAYS BEFORE: ensure you eat well and HYDRATE plenty — this will continue to be key during the days following treatment as well.
1-2 DAYS BEFORE: pack a few light snacks that you can bring with you to eat during your treatment — this is especially important if your treatment is longer than just a couple of hours.
1-2 DAYS BEFORE: take your pre-medications as prescribed, which often begins the day before your treatment.
1-2 DAYS BEFORE: take a moment to meditate, do a light breathing exercise or go for a walk — these are all key to helping you reduce your anxiety as you begin treatment.
Day of chemotherapy treatment: The “top 5” to do’s:
Wear comfortable and loose-fitting clothes as you will be sitting in a recliner-type chair for your treatment and at times will take a nap or lie back...no need to bring a blanket, they will have one for you.
Eat a good breakfast — not too heavy, but good to have some gentle food in your stomach (oatmeal, toast, egg white, banana).
Don’t forget your snacks and water bottle(s) — you will want to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Take your pre-meds as prescribed.
Apply your prescribed lidocaine cream for numbing the area of your skin near your port. One hour before you start your treatment, use gloves to apply a small amount of lidocaine cream to your port area and cover with a wrap (can use saran wrap) to prevent getting on clothes.
Now, take a deep breath, slowly release it, and repeat this step two more times. You can do this. You own this journey.
