Footwear question re chemo session

[Weirdconditionaltense]

Hi
I have a first chemo session tomorrow and I've got myself confused. I understand that chemo wards can be cool, we may want to take shoes off and fluffy socks are then recommended to keep feet warm. I also heard feet can swell and so loose fitting shoes are a good idea.

So are people bringing the fluffy socks and loose shoes into the ward, in a bag, or do they wear them from the start?

Also what sort of loose shoes are recommended- are crocs ok or too loose? Would just a floppy old pair of trainers do?

Have been giving chemo for 20+ years and can't recall patients ever taking their shoes off. Just wear trainers. Maybe take a big wooly cardi, to use as a blanket if you get chilly. Hope it all goes well x

I wore crocs (the whole time, didn’t switch shoes), edit pressed send too soon! I alternated between the lined crocs though and just the standard crocs, no particular reason just what I was feeling like on the day, but they’re fine to wear.

Thanks for your help with this.

@Hohofortherobbers can I ask something about the treatment please? I'm also having injections of a certain drug ( haven't got the paperwork here at the moment)..As the injection can take quite a while ( and as I'm a big baby), would it be ok for me to take some paracetamol before I leave home do you know ?.

@Looog many thanks, so did you have the fluffy socks on inside your crocs?.

My recollection wasn't cold feet but a cold arm from the litre of chilled saline they used to infuse the chemo drugs. No injection for me, an infusion via cannula in back of hand.

They actually had a heated pad they put on my arm to ease the chill. Just say if you get cold! Then of course needed to pee urgently to get rid of the litre of fluid.

Good luck 💐

Im assuming you mean a drug which is going to be injected sub cutaneously into the abdomen or thigh? If so the needle is tiny, you honestly won't feel it, even if the injection volume is large, 10ml or 15mls you won't feel it. However if you'd feel more confident taking paracetamol you can, wait til you're there before taking it so it's 30 mins or so before treatment and make sure you let the nurses know first, in case it's already prescribed as a pre med, so they can omit their dose. What cancer are you having treated? Happy to advise if I can

@Hohofortherobbers. Thanks for the reassurance about needle sizes. my mum was a nurse and there were always needles around the house ( in packets) when I was little but somehow I've grown up disliking them .

It's breast cancer and I don't know much about it other than the HER2 is negative which I think has meant the injections in the thigh are needed.

@Hohofortherobbers got that wrong. HER2 was positive

I just dress warmly and bring a blanket. I wear crocs and take them off. Normal socks. I don’t find it cold, but the chairs recline and I like to put my feet up.

As for paracetamol, ask the nurses. I am on immunotherapy and paracetamol can reduce the inflammatory response and make it less effective when taken in high doses. Fine if you’re in pain, but I never take it just because. I also wouldn’t personally take it with treatment because you want a strong response to the infusion. But ask your nurses. None of it is painful though. It’s just a bit tedious really.

Would OP be able to use Emla cream instead?

I'm having chemo at the moment and the ward isn't cold, it's usual hospital temperature which is a pretty warm. I wear normal shoes (usually trainers) and socks. If I'm cold they'll give me a blanket.

Good luck with it.

@mindutopia thanks that's great to know if it's not painful..That's my biggest fear

I had similar injections with chemo in the thigh. I wouldn't say it was painful but it really stung and took a while to go in. The nurses gave me Emla cream.

hi, I would add, I personally wouldn’t start taking paracetamol etc prior to treatment. Your nurse should give you everything you need and if you need additional things eg para then ask them before taking.

im also having chemo today, for BC, I’ve got a different type to you. I’ve been having it since Nov. Hope your first session goes OK today.

i always bring a blanket from home to keep me warm and snuggly, temps can vary on the wards. I was also cold capping for such a long time im
used to my blanket now.

Hope your session went well. I kept the cold cap on but after a while it really hurt my face. The nurse told me bring in a soft hair band to shield me from some of the cold next time

Thanks. The injection did take a while..also I asked about Emla cream but they didn't seem to think Emla.cream would help very much. I'm toying with the idea of trying to call before the next session to ask if they can get it from the pharmacy in time to use on my leg for the next session

It seemed to help me but it may have been psychological. You need to apply it and hour before the injection.