Group chemo?

I had a private room and a bed the first time. I found out afterward that it was in case I had a reaction. Almost all the others were in a room with several chairs, but there were curtains that could be drawn around each. Generally they kept the curtains between each chair but open to the front. I'm sure if I had expressed a preference they would have closed it all around. I have heard of people finding friends and support in the chemo circle, but I always had hubby with me, and I went to sleep when they started the benadryl. Good idea to call ahead and tell them of your desire for more privacy. You should ask for what will help you.

Where I did Chemo at the local Cancer Center, there were 2 different types of cubicles. About 2/3 of them were walled in on 3 sides with a drape that could be pulled across the 4 th side for privacy. Each had a reclinner, a TV with cable, a thermostat that allowed you to modify thee,temperature in the cubicle a bit, table and a chair for someone if someone came with you. I used these cubicles for my A/C and had no complaints about them at all. The,other 1/3 were walled in on 3 sides the same as the other cubicles but were glassed in for the 4th wall. They had hospital beds in them, a thermostat that did heat or cool the room individually (not just modify the temperature), TV with cable and a chair for someone else if someone else came. For my Taxol, I always had a glassed in room as I needed the hospital bed as within seconds of starting the benadryl IV I'd go 'nighty-night' (that's what my RN friend there said the first time and ir just 'stuck' with the others) when they started the benadryl. About 20 min. before end of infusions I would 'wake up' as abruptly (and alert) as I had been before the benadryl had been started. (The oral benadryl I had with A/C - I didn't even 'know I had taken it.) Also had to have the thermostat cranked up as high as it would go and warmed blankets piled on as my temperature was down to dangerously low levels (know I dropped to 94f but think I may have gone lower on at least one occassion).

I was hooked up to the Monitoring. Machine continually so was continually being monitored by the Nurse Station.

I still have my port in so have to have it flushed every 2 mths but go to my local VA for flushes. At the Infusion Clinic there, they have 4 'units' that have fancy reclinners that are sort of a cross between a reclinner and a hospital bed. There are drapes that can be pulled between and in front to make them private. This is a very small VA Facility compared to the many huge ones.

My experience sounds very similar to SpecialK's, except there were several private rooms in addition to the large room. I received my first round of chemo in a private room and most of the rest in the large room. I liked the privacy for the first chemo because I was so nervous, but also liked seeing other patients in the large room. I chatted with a few patients that were on the same chemo schedule as me (but for different cancers) and I looked forward to seeing them each time and comparing how we were feeling. The Benadryl/Ativan combo would knock me out pretty quickly or at least impair my cognitive function enough that I only chatted with others for the very beginning of the chemo session My husband went with me each time and I think he liked seeing other spouses/caregivers. I also witnessed an emergency once early on in my treatment and although a bit scary to watch, it made me feel even more confident in the nursing team after watching how quickly and professionally they handled the situation. My MO's practice moved to a new building fairly recently and the set up is similar except there are curtains around each chair that can be closed if desired and individual TVs for each patient.

My facility has several pods with 6-8 chairs in each. No privacy curtains...no,privacy. 1 visitor is allowed but people take advantage. There are big beautiful windows, but the patients face away from them. There are 2 private rooms but I've not been told what the criteria is to be in one. There are no TVs. This is a brand new unit. The chairs could have used 5 more inches between them .

It does irritate that in this brand new facility, you are still bothered by visitors talking on their cell phone...on speaker, people watching their iPads without earphones. It can get very loud when your pod fills up which doesn't happen too often, thank goodness.

I've not seen much talk about your illness...just making sure you are told when your next treatment is. Our nurses are very kind and friendly, but I don't see or hear much education going on.

I visited a friend during her chemo...i swear the chairs were a scant 2 inches apart. It was during the winter and people were hacking their heads off. Glad I wasn't at that facility.

Hope you get used to where you are going and feel safe there

My chemo facility has walled dividers between the pods, a big window on the 3rd side, and open on the 4th side.  Curtains were available for the 4th side for privacy, but the only time they were closed was putting on the Neulasta on-body thingy.  Each pod had a recliner, TV, extra chair for a visitor and a small table.  The nurses were flexible about the number of visitors.  They would move the furniture around to make you more comfortable.  (Some patients wanted to face out the window, while others preferred to have their back to it.)  Having the wall dividers means that there wasn't much patient-to-patient chatting going on.  While some may like the privacy, I think others would prefer a little company and an opportunity to compare stories with other patients.

Regarding the concern about infection: I don't think its any worse in the chemo room than it is at the grocery story or other public location.  There are no germy kids running around touching everything either.  Its actually probably cleaner at the chemo facility because everyone is using hand sanitizer at every opportunity. 

Regarding the concern about HIPAA:  Your privacy was blown just by sitting in the waiting room.  We all know why we are there.  We are all going through the same thing.  My suggestion is to embrace it.  Just like on this forum, the chemo room can be an opportunity to talk with people who are eating the same sh*t sandwich as you and compare notes on what condiment goes best with it. 

My chemo was always given in a group room, no curtains or dividers. About a dozen recliners, no tv, no restrictions on cell phones and no privacy. The nurses sat across from patients behind glass and were available if necessary. There were snacks available and magazines. Some patients had food with them which was annoying since some of it was quite fragrant and I was nauseous a lot and didn't care for the food smells. Also no privacy when nurse was discussing things with patient. This is at Dana Farber Community Cancer Care. At their hospital location at South Shore Hospital, it is a large room but each person has a cubicle with a curtain and is assigned a specific nurse. It seems very private. Where I was any nurse could help you. At my first treatment , my oncologist took my sister and me to the Infusion Room and picked a seat and said have a seat and then he was gone. Glad chemo is over! Maryellen

KB870 --- your chemo place had a therapy dog???!!! Wow, you were lucky!Treatment would have been a zillion times less stressful if I could have had a dog with me during infusions! (if not my own, at least some kind of dog!)

I realize this is an older post, but I wanted to chime in. I am a very private person. Now, over the years and usually using a teaching hospital (I have spine problems), I'm not shy with medical folks looking wherever they need to look. But ohmygosh, walking into the infusion room yesterday gave me a full blown dizzy head and panic attack. I wasn't worried about the chemo. The nurses were extremely professional and nice, quiet voices and HIPAA compliant.

It horrified me to see like 30 chairs of people at various stages of chemo and 1-3 people with them and all of us on display to each other. I'm not talking about being able to be seen by the nurses--no problem there, of course I want them to monitor me. I got seated and managed to gasp to DH to at least pull one side curtain so that I could still see the nursing station, but no more than a couple of other patients. This is a very sober place. No laughter, no volunteers bringing snacks, etc. There is no chit chat among patients. There is a snack station (you are allowed one drink and one snack per visit--I brought my own). There are clean bathrooms for patients only. Each chair has a TV and lapdesk.

My nurse did pull the entire curtain around when she did labs and got the infusions going. But that was it--back to full open when she was done. I'm fine not chit chatting. I whipped out my iPad and watched movies with earbuds. Benadryl made me sleepy, but I did not sleep there--I was too wired and kept thinking, "What if someone is watching me? What if I start throwing up? What if..." It freaked me out way more than the chemo. I think the center is a bit "older" (the guest chairs were hard and horrible), but it was clean and people took good care of me. I tried to focus on that, but now I know my routine--pull at least one curtain shut so I have a modicum of privacy.

Dee

PS: I complete chemo the last week of June, 2018. I never had the privacy I craved, and that lack of choice was a hard thing, much harder than 12 weeks of chemo. My wish for everyone is that they can have a safe infusion center, but also the choice of a "group" room or privacy, whatever will help them the most.