Taking Care of Yourself

Taking Care of Yourself

• Eat properly to maintain your strength. Nutritionists are available that can help you to make the right decisions about your diet.
• Avoid anyone who is sick, even if it is only a cold. The drugs used in chemotherapy need to be very powerful to kill the cancer cells. This can be very hard on your immune system and you are more susceptible to illness and likely to get sicker from germs that may only give everyone else a slight cold.
• Get a lot of rest and avoid excessive activity.
• Talk to your friends or family about what you are feeling. Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone who is not so close and there are many support groups available where you can talk freely among those who share the same concerns as you.
• Keep your health care team informed. Let them know if you are not feeling well or experiencing side effects. There are many things that can be done to help relieve pain, nausea and other symptoms.

When To Call Your Doctor

In general, you should call your physician if any of the following happen:

• Fever greater than 100.4F or other signs of infection such as shaking, chills, redness or swelling of an area, or if you just don’t feel well when you have a low white cell count.
• Persistent headaches, pain or discomfort anywhere in your body.
• Difficulty walking or bending.
• Burning upon urination or less urine than you normally put out.
• Persistent and severe vomiting that lasts more than 24 hours after your treatment.
• Problems with your eyesight, such as blurred or double vision.
• Spontaneous or easy bleeding (nosebleeds); bruising or red spots on your body. In addition, signs of bleeding can be seen in your stools (either red or black), in your urine (pink, red, or brown), in your vomit (red or brown – “coffee grounds”), or excessive menstrual flow.
• Sore mouth or throat while receiving treatment.
• Dizziness, feeling extremely tired or not able to breath easily.
• Diarrhea (loose, watery stools, more than 3 times in 1 day) lasting more than 24 hours after treatment.
• Coughing up yellow, green or rusty colored mucus.

Please remember, you can always call when you have questions or if you unsure about something. We are here to help.

How to Contact Us

For all questions or concerns during office hours, please call your physician or the Ambulatory Center where you are being treated.

For any questions or concerns during evenings or weekends, please call the switchboard operator at (716) 845-8019. Please provide the operators with your physician’s name and they will direct your call to the appropriate medical personnel.