What’s in my Chemo Day Bag?

Chemo day has a routine and a flow that make it very easy to prepare for. Like I’ve written about before, on chemo days, I usually follow the same routine:

• Get up and take my first round of meds and drink some water

• Eat some breakfast - usually something like a protein shake or some oatmeal. I want to make sure that I have something in my stomach but not too much as to make myself sick

• Start my work day and take care of few things before packing up to head to the cancer center

• I get to the cancer center, I do bloodwork, and then I do my regular doctor’s appointment

• After I finish my appointment, I sign into the infusion room and wait to get settled

• Once I get settled in my chair and get hooked up to the IV pump, I can get started working or read or take a nap.

• Once time is up, I get unhooked, and I go about the rest of my day - usually I head to my mom and dad’s to spend the week resting and recovering

I keep this routine pretty much the same every time I have to go through chemo. Every week I bring with me my chemo bag - it typically has all the things I could possibly need during chemo. While some things change from time to time, typically my bag always includes the following:

• A wide range of anti-nausea medications (both prescription and over the counter) and tricks such as lozenges, ginger mints, anti-motion sickness patches, and some other things to help keep the nausea at bay. My favorite is definitely the anti-motion sickness patches as I can wear them up to 3 days which supports my medications in keeping me nausea free.

• A weighted stuffed dinosaur to put on my stomach; surprisingly helps with the nauseous feelings and keeps me company during treatment

• Headphones so I can watch YouTube or listen to a podcast

• Charging cables because my devices dying is a tragic situation

• I usually carry an activity with me - something like a coloring book or a novel that I’m reading. If I’m not taking a nap, having another activity is helpful.

• Lots of snacks - and I do mean a lot. While they have snacks in the chemo center, I usually keep snacks so I have options. Typically I have protein bars, those belvita biscuits, and saltine crackers.

• I usually keep some headcoverings in my bag in case my head gets a little cold. Depending on the season, I usually keep a thin option and a thicker wintry type beanie.

• My water bottle - super important! I usually do flavor packets in my water so I keep a few of those in my bag as well.

Infusion is often a long process - at least an hour or more every time. Having activities and comfort items is really important - it can make the process more comfortable.

If you’re looking to support a friend who is going through the process, hopefully what’s in my chemo bag will inspire you to get them some of their favorite comfort items to make their journey a little bit easier.

Talk soon!

OLIVIA