Preparing for Chemotherapy

“A” called our call center a few weeks ago. “We just discovered my husband has cancer, we have a week and a half before treatments begin”, she said. “A” was not the first wife, mother or sister who called us for help in preparing for chemotherapy.

We decided to dedicate a blog to those supporting their beloved ones in preparing for chemotherapy.

 So, how can you prepare for chemotherapy?

There is no easy answer for that. Discovering your beloved ones are sick, and are expected to go through difficult and prolong treatments is hard, and there is no magic advice on how to deal with this situation. However, we gathered a list of several steps you can take to be readier for this experience.

Tell your family and friends. Emotional support is important, and it is better not to deal with chemo alone. You should try to be strong for your spouse, and family and friends support can keep you strong.

Talk with your boss. Chemotherapy treatments might be held during work hours (yours and your spouse), and your employer should be aware of that. In addition, it is possible you will need some time off work, and it is preferable that your boss will prepare for that. It is better to avoid work conflicts during this period. It is emotionally difficult as it is.  

As mentioned above, both of you will probably miss work days. If your financial situation is going to be tight, plan ahead to make arrangements for payment plans and backups.

Arrange transportation for your spouse to chemotherapy. After chemo, it is usually very difficult to commute with public transportation. It is advisable to make sure your spouse will have someone to take him and bring him back from chemo with a car.

Visit your dentist. One of the common side effects of chemotherapy is mouth sores, and it is advisable to visit a dentist for mouth cleaning before starting chemo.

Make the necessary arrangements at home. If you have kids, make sure someone can watch them when you are in chemotherapy sessions with your spouse. In addition, as your spouse’s immune system is expected to be weak after chemo, it is important to keep the house clean and avoid germs.

Preserve fertility. Male cancer patients have a high risk to become infertile following chemotherapy. It is recommended to bank your spouse sperm before chemotherapy to insure his fertility. To learn more about the negative impact of cancer treatments on male fertility, click here.

Sperm preservation can reduce these negative effects and even create hope of having a family during / after cancer.

Sppare.me is here for male cancer patients, and their families. Our mission is to make sperm freezing & storage accessible – physically and monetary. With Sppare.me’s at-home sperm freezing kit, your spouse can preserve his sperm from the comfort of your home. Our process is very easy, private and comfortable. Especially when you do not have much time before chemotherapy begins, Sppare.me’s kit can be a good solution, as your spouse can complete our process within 48 hours.

Sppare.me offers the most affordable sperm banking packages. To learn more about our packages, click here.   

Resources:
www.webmd.com
www.livestrong.org

Disclaimer: Sppare.me provides general information and discussion about medicine, health, and related subjects. The words, views, and other content provided here, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader, or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed physician or other health care worker. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor immediately.