What to expect from chemo and how to make the process a little more comfortable

Valet attendants with smiling faces and positive attitudes greet patients and visitors coming to the Southeast Cancer Center for treatwments. Architectural splendor and panoramic views keep the eyes wandering, perhaps making the time in the waiting room go just a bit faster.

Both of Cape Girardeau's major hospitals, Saint Francis Medical Center and SoutheastHEALTH, strive to make each patient's journey through cancer treatment a little easier with an uplifting environment.

While not every cancer patient receives chemotherapy, those who do may not undergo the same kind of chemotherapy regimen, and each patient's experience differs.

"There are a slew of drugs out there, and treatments depend on the type and severity of the cancer," says Dr. Olivia Aranha, a hematologist/oncologist at Saint Francis.

With so many types of cancer and chemotherapy, length of treatments and side effects vary, but on average, patients will receive infusions every two to three weeks. Each one can last from an hour to half the day, and patients can receive these treatments for several months, according to Dr. Andrew Dickey, a hematologist/oncologist at SoutheastHEALTH.

Vitals and labs are taken on infusion day before seeing the oncologist, and then the patient begins chemotherapy in the infusion center, where at each hospital the patient has his or her own private suite or bay with a television and room for family and friends.

Exam rooms at Saint Francis display art created by breast cancer survivors.

"The art shows patients they can go on in life and do good things after cancer; they can create beauty," Aranha says.

Patients arriving for their first treatment at Saint Francis go through a chemotherapy education session first so they know what to expect. Lunch is provided, and patients are encouraged to bring family for each treatment.

"They are usually so overwhelmed the first day, they may not process everything they hear, so it's good to have that extra set of ears," says Aranha.

The first 24 to 48 hours bring their own set of side effects, say Aranha and Dickey. Patients are pre-medicated to ease these symptoms, which are most commonly gastrointestinal related.

Both doctors say many patients don't expect the amount of fatigue and emotional drain that accompany chemotherapy.

Other side effects begin two to three days after the infusion, says Aranha.

"Effects of the chemotherapy kick in two to three days after treatment and last for three to five days. Patients begin to feel better after that, and the third week after treatment is their best week," she says.

Hair loss is a difficult side effect for women, but both doctors say there is a lot of local support for women, including free wigs and turbans.

"Being women, they think they won't look pretty going through treatment; yes, you can," Aranha says.

Even with all the treatments to curb the side effects, Aranha and Dickey say a good support system is essential for patients.

"The mental well-being of the patient isn't often something people think about, but we as health care providers must be on the lookout for signs of depression," Dickey says.

He says patients should let their doctors and nurses know how they are feeling and to not hold things back from them.

Aranha says the nurses and doctors become an extended family and a support system, and a patient's attitude can also be a tool in fighting cancer.

"A positive attitude with a good support system can make the journey more tolerable," Dickey says.

While battling cancer can be difficult, Dickey says, "We don't want the treatment to be worse than the disease itself."