Smitty

I never had to be hospitalized during rad and chemo, but I was very sick and on enough painkillers during the last 3 weeks of it that I really could not have driven myself anywhere. I also entirely lost my voice for the last week and 1/2 of treatment and about 2 weeks after. All of these things would have made it very hard for me to get through treatment living alone. Although my husband has not always been the best caretaker, he did drive me to and from treatment or call other people who could drive me when he couldn't, and picked up prescriptions for me and paid the bills (didn't do much housecleaning though!) If you're going to be alone, I agree with Amy you will need a support system for these things.

Right after my treatment ended I got some sort of infection that sent my fever up high and landed me in the hospital for nine days (because the darned fever wouldn't go away and I had a very low white and red blood cell count). But this is not standard, although when you have chemo you are way more vulnerable to infections so it does happen.

The treatment fot this, espeically if you have radiation combined with chemo, is a real bear in terms of the support you need. It makes you too sick to really take care of yourself but usually not sick enough to be in the hospital. I would strongly recommend calling the American Cancer Society and seeing what resources they have available to help you. And also contact your place of worship, if you have one, and any other community organizations that might be willing to help. It makes you realize that that American ideal of independence and self-sufficiency only goes so far (and you'll always have a chance to "pay it forward" later for others in need)!

Nelie