How do you prepare your body for chemotherapy?

Dear Reader, 

First of all, kudos to you for supporting a friend during a tough time. Chemotherapy and radiation can be a daunting treatment plan and can certainly take a toll on your friend’s health. Fortunately, there’s lots she can do to prepare to be as healthy as possible both before and during treatment—and plenty you can do to support. In fact, it seems like you’re already taking steps to do so! 

What is chemotherapy and how will it affect the body? 

There are many different types of chemotherapy, and all of them can have different purposes and side effects. Generally speaking, chemotherapy (commonly referred to as ‘chemo’) is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to attack cancerous cells in the body. It may shrink or entirely kill those cells. In most cases, the goal is to ensure that they don’t come back. Chemo is commonly paired with radiation therapy, which uses energy like an X-ray rather than medication, to shrink or kill the cells.  

Unfortunately, like many other medications, chemotherapy does have a number of side effects. These can range from hair loss and fatigue to depression, anxiety, or a weakened immune system. 

What can your friend do to prepare for chemotherapy? 

Before starting treatment, an oncologist will make sure that the patient is well enough and ready for chemo. There are, however, a number of things you and your friend can do to help make treatment as effective and painless as possible while keeping the health of their entire body in mind. 

Physically 

Physically speaking, there are a few tips your friend can put into practice to help her stay in prime condition. For example, one of the most common physical side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. While some cancer patients have chosen to embrace baldness, others may choose to wear wigs or other head coverings. Experts and former patients alike say that it’s easier to find the right wig before you start to lose your hair. Because of this, you might encourage your friend to consider her options as early as possible if keeping the appearance of hair is important to her. Depending on the type of cancer she has and her goals, she may also be a candidate for scalp cooling. This process cools the scalp during treatment and helps reduce hair loss from it. It may also be worth mentioning to her that some patients are able to get high-quality wigs or scalp cooling covered by their insurance. 

Another tip to maintain physical health is to visit the dentist before starting treatment. Chemo can have a lot of side effects in the mouth, so it can be helpful to get that area checked out as a preventative measure prior to treatment.  

She can also talk to a physician about starting or maintaining an exercise routine. Some evidence shows that being active during chemo can reduce inflammation and help the treatment be more effective. The physician can give your friend advice about how to stay active before and during treatment to help support her body while doing chemo. 

Nutritionally  

Diet is one of the most important aspects of health when preparing for chemotherapy. Chemotherapy patients may see a steep decrease in appetite during treatment, which can make it harder to eat a sufficient amount of food. Before starting chemo, you might consider helping your friend find meals that maximize calorie and protein intake since these can be important for maintaining their strength. Ingredients like fully cooked eggs, oil, or pasteurized dairy products can pack in nutrients and keep meals relatively bland to avoid upsetting her stomach. You may also advise your friend to consider increasing her iron intake, as anemia can sometimes be a side effect of chemotherapy. By encouraging your friend to optimize the energy and nutrients she gets from her food, it can help prepare her body to work with the chemotherapy drugs and fight off potential infection. 

Mentally 

Cancer treatment certainly has physical side effects but can also take a serious toll on mental health. One of the things patients can do to minimize this effect is to plan their time before starting treatment. To minimize stress, patients might consider planning ahead by taking time off work, arranging transportation to and from appointments, and allotting plenty of rest and recuperation post appointment.  

These are also tasks where they might lean on a friend like you for support! Because of this, it may be helpful for you to think about some ways to keep spirits high during treatment. You could plan trips to visit your friend with other friends or family. You might also find a low-commitment hobby that she can engage in during treatment appointments or even find a TV or movie series that you both look forward to watching to help the time pass. To ease the burden of managing day-to-day life as well as their treatment, you might also offer to help them with household chores, cooking meals, or running errands.  

How can you and your friend do to prevent illness after they’ve started chemotherapy? 

Some things may change once your friend starts chemotherapy, but there are practices you both can do throughout treatment to maintain their health! These can include: 

• Maintaining hygiene practices, like hand washing to minimize the spread of germs. 
• Using protection like a mask to reduce the chances of contracting or spreading contagious illnesses like the flu or a cold. 
• Encouraging your friend to reach out to her health care provider if she starts to feel sick at any point during treatment so they can address those concerns quickly. 
• Staying up to date on vaccinations since this can help both you and your friend from contracting preventable viruses.  

Overall, the most effective thing you can do for your friend is to be there for her. Health care providers can support her treatment and work to avoid any possible complications. However, what they (most likely) won’t provide is a supportive friendship, and that’s where you come in!