Long distance chemotherpy treatment

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maitcarrie
maitcarrie Member Posts: 9
edited October 2019 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hello,

I am scheduled to start AC chemotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center on Friday. I live 3 hours from there. I will be getting 4 doses of the AC every 2 weeks. Is the long distance going to be a nightmare or is it do-able?

Thanks

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2019

    maitcarrie - I had TCH and needed to return 24 hours later for my Neulasta injection, but I was treated prior to the on-body units many centers now use. Other than that I had weekly labs between infusions. I have a very good friend that had four AC and then weekly Taxol. I took her to all of her chemo infusions since she is single and has no family locally, and she definitely needed to return to the center for fluids and steroids after each AC, which is fairly common. Are you following the AC with a taxane as well? I live close to Moffitt, received some of my care there, and I know they have an American Cancer Society Hope Lodge right next to the main facility on the USF campus. It is a hotel for those seeking treatment at Moffitt who don't live locally. You could see if you could stay for a couple of days following each infusion, if the need arises. Is there a specific reason you are traveling so far for treatment? Do you have a strong relationship with your local primary care physician who can help manage any side effects in tandem with Moffitt?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2019

    Doable, maitcarrie. I had to drive an hour each way to my dose-dense AC infusions as well as 10 weekly Taxol infusions. I didn't begin having side effects from the infusions for several hours after I got home; hopefully you will be the same. If memory serves, I usually finished around 3, and began feeling effects around 8 p.m.

    Consider asking them to give you the Neulasta patch, so you don't have to go back out the next day after your AC infusions and get the injection to keep your white count up. The worst for me was having to get dressed and go to a local cancer center to get the Neulasta injection as Special K mentioned. Now there's this patch, and you should be able to get it before you leave your infusion center.

    Claire in AZ

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited September 2019

    My chemo was 2.5 hours from home. I didn't drive, and we stayed in a hotel that night. I was offered to skip Neulasta after the 2nd round (before the on-skin units were available) so I could go home, and I refused. If it were now, I'd ask if I could get the Neulasta injection at the cancer center in my own community.

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  • carmstr835
    carmstr835 Member Posts: 388
    edited September 2019

    I flew to CTCA every 3 weeks for my chemo for over 1 year. It was either flying 45 minutes or driving 6+ hours each way. I was fine with flying besides CTCA covered the cost of transportation and set it all up for me; they delivered me to the hospital and back to the airport each time. I left home well before dawn and got home most times that same night about 1am, then drove myself about an hour home. I was fine with traveling after my chemo.


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  • maitcarrie
    maitcarrie Member Posts: 9
    edited October 2019

    Thank you for your responses. Started the first round of chemo Friday. Stayed there the night before and drove back after chemo on the same day (I didn’t do the driving). I have also notified my primary care physician that I’m undergoing chemo for the next 5 months.

    At first we only went to Moffitt for a second opinion just to make us more confident in the treatment plan. I chose Moffitt even though it’s 3 hours away because we wanted the cancer team approach, compared to what we have at home. There we had to wait and schedule separate appointments for the mammogram, biopsy, mri ect vs here we just go down to the 3rd floor to the MRI department for example.

    So far I am happy with my choice but it’s just the beginning.

    Thank you for your responses they helped in my descision making

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