Your first chemotherapy infusion can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 10 hours depending on your treatment protocol, so packing the right bag makes a real difference in your comfort. Most people don’t know what to expect from the environment, how their body will react, or how long they’ll actually be sitting in that chair. Here’s a practical breakdown of what to bring and why it matters.
Paperwork and Insurance
Bring your insurance card so the center can photocopy it and verify your coverage before treatment begins. Beyond that, have a printed or written list of every medication you currently take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications like aspirin or antacids, vitamins, herbal supplements, and any inhalers or hormonal agents. Bring the actual bottles if you can. Your care team needs to check for interactions with your chemo drugs, and memory gets unreliable when you’re nervous.
If you’ve had a biopsy, bring copies of your pathology report and, if requested, the glass slides from the biopsy itself. Your surgeon’s office can provide these. Also bring a photo ID, your referring physician’s contact information, and any relevant imaging or surgical records your oncology team hasn’t already received.
Clothing That Works With Your Access Point
What you wear matters more than you might think. If you have a chest port, wear a loose-fitting button-down shirt or a V-neck top that gives easy access to your upper chest without needing to fully undress. If you have a PICC line in your arm, wear a short-sleeved shirt or one with sleeves loose enough to roll above the elbow. Adaptive clothing with zipper access over the chest area exists specifically for port access, but a regular button-up works fine.
Infusion centers tend to run cold. The IV fluids entering your body are also cooler than body temperature, which can leave you feeling chilled even in a warm room. Layers are your best strategy: a zip-up hoodie or cardigan over your access-friendly top, warm socks, and a blanket from home if you have one you like. Many centers provide blankets, but having your own adds comfort on an already stressful day.
Some chemotherapy drugs, particularly oxaliplatin, cause acute cold sensitivity that makes contact with cool surfaces or cold air genuinely painful. If your oncologist has mentioned this as a possibility, bring gloves and a scarf in addition to your layers.
Snacks and Hydration
Eat a light meal before your appointment and bring small, bland snacks for during the infusion. Good options include crackers, bananas, applesauce, melon, or plain yogurt. Low-acid juices like apple or grape juice work well. Avoid anything acidic, spicy, or heavy, as these can irritate your digestive tract, especially once anti-nausea medications and chemo drugs are circulating.
Bring a large water bottle. Staying well-hydrated before and during treatment helps your veins cooperate with the IV, supports your kidneys in processing the drugs, and can reduce the severity of side effects afterward. Some centers will provide fluids through your IV as part of the protocol, but drinking water on your own throughout the day still helps. Start hydrating the day before your appointment if you can.
Comfort Items for a Long Session
Since treatment can stretch for many hours, plan for a long wait. Bring your phone and a charger (an extra-long cord is helpful since outlets may not be right next to your chair). A tablet loaded with shows, a book, magazines, a puzzle book, or headphones for music or podcasts all help pass the time. Some people find they can’t concentrate well enough to read once the infusion starts, so having a mix of low-effort and higher-effort entertainment gives you options.
A small pillow or neck pillow can make the infusion chair more comfortable, especially during longer sessions. Lip balm is worth tossing in your bag, as the dry air in clinical settings combined with certain drugs can leave your lips cracked. If you’re sensitive to smells, choose unscented versions of any lotion or lip product you bring. Chemotherapy commonly heightens your sense of smell, and fragranced products that never bothered you before can suddenly feel overwhelming.
Items That Help With Side Effects
Hard candies, mints, or ginger chews can help with the metallic taste some drugs leave in your mouth and may ease mild nausea during the infusion. A pack of unscented hand wipes is useful for freshening up without strong smells. If you tend toward nausea, ginger ale or ginger tea in a thermos is a simple, practical option.
Some people experience a runny nose or watery eyes during infusion as a mild reaction, so having tissues handy saves you from flagging down a nurse for something small. An eye mask can be useful if the overhead lighting bothers you and you want to rest.
Bringing Someone With You
Most infusion centers allow at least one companion to stay with you, though policies vary. Some facilities require visitors to show photo ID and may screen them at entry. Call your center ahead of time to confirm their current visitor policy, especially if you’re hoping to have more than one person rotate through during a long session.
Having someone there isn’t just emotional support. Your companion can take notes during any conversations with nurses about side effects to watch for, help you remember discharge instructions, and drive you home. Many chemo drugs cause fatigue or mild cognitive fog, and some anti-nausea medications make you drowsy. Plan on not driving yourself home after your first treatment until you know how your body responds. If your companion is staying for the full session, remind them to bring their own snacks, a charger, and something to do.
What to Have Ready at Home
Part of preparing for your first treatment is setting up your home for when you get back. Stock your bathroom with a digital thermometer, since fever after chemo can signal a serious infection that needs immediate attention. Have hand sanitizer throughout the house. Keep fragrance-free, gentle sunscreen accessible, because chemotherapy increases your skin’s sensitivity to UV damage.
Pick up a few supplies before treatment day so you’re not scrambling while fatigued: a stool softener or gentle laxative (constipation is one of the most common post-chemo complaints), any pain relievers your oncology team has approved, eye drops for dryness, and easy-to-prepare bland foods like broth, rice, toast, and frozen fruit. Having these things already in your cabinet means you can rest when you get home instead of making a pharmacy run.
A Quick Packing List
- Documents: insurance card, medication list (or bottles), photo ID, pathology reports, and any paperwork your center requested
- Clothing: layered, loose-fitting top with port or PICC access, warm socks, zip-up jacket or cardigan, blanket
- Food and drink: water bottle, bland snacks (crackers, banana, applesauce), low-acid juice, ginger chews or hard candy
- Comfort: pillow or neck pillow, unscented lip balm, tissues, eye mask
- Entertainment: phone, charger with long cord, headphones, book or tablet, puzzle book
- Practical: notebook and pen for writing down instructions, unscented hand wipes, a bag for any paperwork or prescriptions you receive