If possible, patients should use a separate toilet from others in the home. Always wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet. Caregivers must wear gloves when handling the patients' blood, urine, stool, or emesis. Dispose of the gloves after each use and wash your hands.
For a week after a chemotherapy treatment session, both men and women are encouraged to sit down to use the toilet. Put the lid down before flushing to avoid splashing. Flush the toilet with a full flush, then wash your hands with soap and water.
Traces of chemotherapy drug may be found in and on toilets, in disposable diapers or any clothing or laundry that a person has soiled after having a treatment. Cleaning the bathroom or handling body wastes or soiled laundry can expose you to these chemotherapy drugs.
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.
Additionally, the patient must flush the toilet twice after each use and the bathroom to help dilute the chemo in the wastewater system.
It is safe to touch other people while on chemotherapy. You can hug and kiss. But you do need to protect others from coming into contact with your medicine.
General recommendations are to handle urine/feces from patients receiving intravenous chemotherapy as contaminated for 48-72 hours after administration and as long as 7 days after oral medications.
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.
Housekeeping and Disinfecting
If possible, don't do household chores if you don't feel well. It is better to rest if you are tired or not feeling well, as this will help your body recover from chemotherapy.
There's usually no medical reason to stop having sex during chemo. The drugs won't have any long term physical effects on your performance or enjoyment of sex. Cancer can't be passed on to your partner during sex.
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.
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.
Chemotherapy can be found in saliva and vaginal secretions for 48-72 hours after treatment. During this time, do not do open-mouth kissing and use a condom or dental dam for oral sex or intercourse (vaginal or anal) so that your partner is not exposed.
Acute exposure to body fluids or the cancer medicine itself can cause rash, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, headache, nasal sores and allergic reactions.
While practical tasks may be useful, emotional support is an important way to care for someone going through chemotherapy. Emotional support may include: offering company, such as watching a film, chatting, or just sitting together. asking how the person is feeling and remember that listening is a powerful tool.
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.
Bathe every day and use warm water. Avoid soaking in spas or hot tubs. Use a mild soap for bathing. Use a soft towel to gently wash skin.
Yes. It will take some extra planning and working out who can support you but it's possible to continue living alone when you have cancer. Having cancer and going through treatment raises many challenges and emotions. These may be harder to deal with when you live alone.
You may want to keep bleach or sanitizing wipes around your house. Use gloves when you clean. You may be more sensitive to smells if you're in chemotherapy. Strong odors from cleaning supplies might make you feel sick.
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.
FRIDAY, Sept. 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Your dog may like to lick your hand or face, but if you're using a chemotherapy cream that treats certain skin conditions, you should not allow it, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises.
Visit only when you are healthy.
Many people in cancer treatment have a compromised immune system, so they may not be able to fight off common colds or flus as well. If you are feeling sick, stay home. Video chatting is another way to show support from afar.