Friday 25 April 2014

Chemo Session 3 (Take 2)

I am ready for this Chemo session and want to get it over with, not because its tough, but so we can move on to the next phase of the treatment and there are no more delays.  The surgery scares me a little and I just want it out of the way.  After the last time I had Chemo four weeks ago, the first week was more difficult than the first time and it is starting to take its toll.

John came over to look after Sid and take Oscar to school, while we went to pick my mum up.  We got to the hospital early so managed to pick up a copy of the paper; my column should be in today and after a quick flick through the paper found my article on page 16, you can catch up with the paper story from the following link:

http://www.lep.co.uk/columnists/this-week-has-been-all-about-relaxation-ready-for-chemo-1-6577742

We arrived on the day ward within Rosemere and I was told by Damon that I would be in a side room, after a few requests I was moved to a chair in the main room, which both me and Leonie prefer.  Damon checked my bloods again to make sure, and told me that the Chemo would go ahead.  I made myself comfortable and settled down while they attempted twice to put the canula in my left hand, but both times it bent under the skin and bruised, so they swapped to my right hand and got it in, but this limited me more as I'm useless with my left hand, which became quickly apparent when I tried to send a text but it took me a long time to type it left handed!

The first couple of infusions were done quickly, and I didn't even know they had been done as I was messing about getting comfortable.  Laura Stephenson from the foundation came up to visit me to arrange the bus numbers for the Walk in the Dark on Saturday, it eneded up with another bus being ordered, as there are loads of people signed up already.  Once the first Chemo had been done and I was on a hydration drip I unplugged my machine and went to visit Emma Grandison on the other side of the ward.

While I was here Leonie went for a walk to the shop to buy some bits for lunch.  Emma showed me her article in Thats Life magazine, and I showed her my LEP article; the nurses joked that they were treating a couple of celebrities!  While I sat with Emma I met another guy called Carl and his wife, they will be there on Saturday for the walk too but Carl won't be walking.  His wife brought some chips and I was allowed to finish them off, no wonder I'm putting on weight!  After about an hour Emma had finished her 3 hour session so we went back to my chair.  We had our lunch of crackers, cream cheese and salmon, a lot of people were jealous, even the nurses.  While we were eating Claire Searle came up to check on me and talk through the treatment plan and catch any symptoms.  I was told off for not looking after myself, I should be moisturising and I had a small nose bleed which I should have called her about!  My wrist was slapped and I promised to tell her if it happened again.  I had also had a bit of tinnitus in my ears and tingling fingers too over the last couple of weeks, both of which she recorded and asked me to monitor; permanent tinnitus can't be reversed but the tingling in my fingers should pass.

After lunch we opened up the jelly babies (provided by Anne) as I was having the Cisplatin drug which makes you taste the awful metallicness.  I was getting tired so had a little nap just before breaking the chair a little bit because I was messing about again, here was a bang, the chair dropped and nurses came running, but I got it fixed again.  After my nap, we played a bit or cards, I won ALL the games of rummy, but only because I have cancer!

This Chemo session was coming to an end and my mum turned up to pick us up and take us home.  This will be the last session until August/Spetmeber (depending on recovery from the surgery) and the nurses wished me luck for the next steps.  Damon came over and gave me my drugs to take home, he explained that due to having low bloods and the fact that I had had my Erubicin drug reduced to no avail to decrease my recovery, I needed to have a further injection after 24 hours.  He had arranged for the district nurse to visit tomorrow to give me the injection.  I was given more anti sickness as well, as I needed these quite a bit after my last session, and I had already started to feel sick.

After saying good bye to the nurses we left the unit and got back home, ready for the boys to be dropped off.  We put them to bed and had a chat with the in laws before getting something to eat ourselves and having a Wonder Women evening.  I knew I wouldn't be able to get to sleep but went to bed and finally got about three hours of sleep over the course of the night.  And as usual I woke up with a bright red face!

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