Questions & Answers

It is very important to make your appointment as scheduled. If you need to cancel an appointment, please contact the office and they may ask you to speak to the nurse for more details. If you aren’t feeling well and would like to cancel your appointment, it is best to contact the office and speak to the nurse. You may need to come into the office to see the physician or nurse practitioner.

It is very important to bring all your medications, both over the counter medications and prescription medications, with you to your first visit. At this time the nurse will document all the medications you are currently taking. This helps your doctor identify potential harmful interactions between medications.

If you have a fever greater than 100.5, please contact our office and report your symptoms to your doctor. Patients receiving cancer treatment may be at a higher risk for infection.

Report any blood in your urine, or unusual or excessive bleeding from your mouth, nose, rectum, or vagina to your doctor immediately. Brush your teeth with a very soft toothbrush to prevent bleeding from your gums. Soften the bristles of your toothbrush by running hot water over them before you brush. Blow your nose gently. Be careful when using scissors, knives, or other sharp objects, due to your possible increased risk of bleeding. Use an electric shaver instead of a razor. Apply gentle but firm pressure to any cuts you get until the bleeding stops. Wear shoes all the time, even inside the house or hospital, to prevent cuts or scrapes.

Wear comfortable clothes. If you have a port or access device, wear clothing such as a shirt with buttons. For radiation treatments, the area that will be treated will have to be exposed during the set up and delivery of the radiation. Our therapists take every effort to insure your privacy, and will expose only what is necessary.

Any sudden shortness of breath or chest pain needs to be reported to you doctor immediately.

Report your pain to your doctor. You may need a prescription for a medication to help control your pain. Report immediately any pain at the IV site where you received your treatment, chest pain, or pain unrelieved by using your pain medication.

Increase fluid intake if possible. Try to drink 8 to 10 glasses of fluid per day. Increase the fiber in your diet. Avoid cheese products. Increase activity and exercise if possible. Activities such as walking or other exercises stimulate your bowels as well as providing other benefits. Relax regularly and enjoy your meals leisurely on a regular schedule. Maintain a routine regarding bowel movements. If you have the urge to have a bowel movement, try to act on it promptly. Privacy and plenty of time are important. Many people find that morning, after breakfast, is a good time to establish a routine. Contractions in the intestine are strongest at that time. A hot drink often helps stimulate the bowel. Contact your doctor if it has been more than 2-3 days since your last bowel movement.

Your doctor may prescribe a medicine to control the diarrhea. You may also need IV fluids to replace the water and nutrients you lost. You may take Imodium AD over the counter if you experience diarrhea. If your diarrhea does not resolve after taking an over the counter medication or you have 3-5 watery stools in a day, please contact your doctor for further instruction.

While you are on treatment, you will need to check with your doctor before going to the dentist, as your blood counts may be too low to have dental work done. Use the mouth rinse below at least 4 times per day (after every meal and before bed).These concentrations are those others have tried. You may experiment with the amounts of salt and baking soda to find the right combination for you to suit your taste and comfort. Mix fresh mouth rinse at least once a day.

• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1cup of water
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 cup of water
• a mixture of the above two solutions

Take your nausea medication your physician prescribed for you at the first sign of nausea. Try having bland, easy to digest foods and drinks that do not upset your stomach. These include plain crackers, toast, clear broth, clear liquids, rice, bananas, popsicles and gelatin. Instead of eating 3 large meals each day, you might feel better if you eat 5-6 small meals and snacks. Avoid lying down immediately after eating. Give hot foods and drinks time to cool down. You can warm up cold foods by taking them out of the refrigerator 1 hour before eating, or warming them slightly in the microwave. Drink carbonated beverages when they are warm and have lost the fizz. Strong smells may upset your stomach. These may include coffee, fish, onions, garlic, and foods that are being cooked. Greasy, fried, salty, sweet, and spicy foods can be more irritating. Please contact your doctor if your nausea and/or vomiting persist.

Hair loss can occur for patients who are receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Hair loss depends on the type of medications you are receiving and the area of the body receiving radiation. Most hair loss is not permanent.

You will be educated about specific restrictions, if any, before your first chemotherapy treatment. Because most patients who are receiving chemotherapy treatments are more susceptible to infection, you will be instructed on proper hand washing habits. You should avoid anyone who is sick.
You will be requested to protect the fiducial marks put on your body when receiving radiation treatments. These are typically put on using special tapes and are used to line up your treatment field. It will be important to not remove these or wash them off. You will also be asked to avoid sun exposure to the skin in the treatment field. Do not use any lotions or creams that are not approved by your radiation doctor or nurse.

Many patients may work while receiving chemotherapy. If you become tired or have side effects that need to allow you time at home to treat you may need time away. The Nurse Navigator will discuss this with you during the new patient teaching visit and throughout your treatment.

You may drive yourself if you are receiving a non-drowsy causing treatment or chemotherapy that does not cause a drowsy feeling that may hinder safe driving. The Nurse Navigator will discuss this with you during the patient teaching visit.

Yes. There will be precautions related to urination and body fluids that the Nurse Navigator will discuss with you during the patient teaching visit when receiving chemotherapy.
When receiving radiation treatment, you will not be radioactive and may be around anyone when having external radiation. Only when patients have brachytherapy, or permanently placed internal radiation seeds, will your doctor or nurse talk with you about potential concerns.

Side effects related to chemotherapy depend on the medications and other treatments you are receiving. There are early and late side effects. The early side effects may be nausea vomiting, mouth discomfort/sores, skin changes, and a decrease in the blood cells that fight infection and assist in blood clotting. You will be monitored closely for your specific side effects by your physician, advanced practice provider and nurse navigator.
Side effects related to radiation treatments depend on what part of the body is being radiated. There are early and late side effects. Early side effects may start immediately, but most often start at 10-20 days after the first treatment. Late effects may appear several years later and can be permanent. Fatigue can occur with radiation delivered to any area of the body.

The lengths of each treatment vary. You nurse navigator will speak with you before your scheduled treatment to discuss your treatment plan and what to expect at your first treatment. Please feel free to bring a special snack or drink with you if desired. OHC does provide a snack selection, juice, coffee and tea.

If you receive services that OHC has to sent to another lab to process, or if you see your provider in the hospital, you may receive separate bills from the various companies.

For questions or assistance, please call 1-800-710-4674 toll free or ask to speak to an OHC Financial Navigator at your next visit. Learn more by visiting our Financial Help page (located under the Patient Resources section).

OHC is sensitive to the financial complications that sometimes occur during time of illness. A Financial Navigator can help you set up a payment plan or make other arrangements if needed. Our goal is to reduce the stress of financing your care so you can focus your time and energy where it belongs – on getting well.

For questions or assistance, please call 1-800-710-4674 toll free or ask to speak to an OHC Financial Navigator at your next visit. Learn more by visiting our Financial Help page (located under the Patient Resources section).

If there has been any change to your insurance, please contact OHC’s Patient Account Services right away by calling 1-800-710-4674 toll free. If you have received a new insurance card please have it available when you call. Also, at your next visit with us, please be sure to bring the new card with you.

Coverage of treatment depends upon your insurance plan and benefits. Most insurance plans provide some coverage for cancer treatment, but the actual level of coverage may vary. An OHC Financial Navigator can help you determine what your estimated cost will be prior to beginning any course of treatment.

For questions or assistance, please call 1-800-710-4674 toll free or ask to speak to an OHC Financial Navigator at your next visit. Learn more by visiting the Financial Help page (under the Patient Services section).

The cost of your treatment will depend, in large part, on your insurance benefits (deductible, co-insurance, etc.). Prior to beginning treatment, an OHC Financial Navigator may meet with you to discuss the cost of treatment, review your insurance benefits, and discuss what sources of assistance may be available.

For questions or assistance please call 1-800-710-4764 toll free or ask to speak to a Financial Navigator at your next visit. You can learn more by visiting our OHC Financial Help page (under the Patient Resources section).

You should expect a call back the same day. If there is a delay in answering your question we will call to let you know that we are continuing to work on getting you what is needed.

Most medications are fine to continue during your care at OHC. It is important to provide your Doctor a complete list of prescription and over the counter drugs, vitamins and herbal medication that you are taking.

Please monitor your medications to avoid a delay in refilling your medications. We recommend that you check the status of your medications before each office visit, so you can ask for refills while you are in the office. Between visits, you can request a refill by calling the office during regular office hours at 513-751-2273. Medication refills will not be given after hours.

Most patients are not tattooed. Removable tapes are used on the skin. Those patients who are worried that the tapes will not remain on their skin, due to excessive perspiration, may opt to have very small tattoos done with a tiny pin prick.

You may wear lotion to the parts of your body that are not in the treatment area. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how to care for your skin in the treatment field.

OHC offices have IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy). This technology uses computer-generated images to plan and deliver more tightly focused radiation beams to tumors — radiation therapy is localized to only the part of the body receiving treatment. With the use of computer-controlled multi-leaf collimators (MLC) blocking device, we can deliver a precise radiation dose that conforms to the shape of the tumor while significantly reducing the dose to the surrounding healthy tissues.