I have been (chemo) drug free now for two days - just as I wrote that I realised how it might come across! so I thought I had better put in the "chemo" - and I thought I had better blog about it.
You will remember that I have one week in three without drugs, and this is it.
At the moment I feel a bit of a fraud - I am supposed to be going though chemo but actually I feel fine. I went to SJH last week for a one-off check up
I gave up on this post for a long time, but now I need to finish it as there is new stuff to tell. If you don't want to know the gruesome details then it is time to leave now.
We pick up the tale as I was at SJH for my check up. The took some more blood from me - they seem to do that at the drop of a hat - and went through a list of possible symptoms. They were pleased and slightly surprised that I did not have many problems. The pins and needles which lasted for two days with me seems to affect people for a couple of weeks normally, so I guess I got off lightly.
The second week of the drugs was fine and on into the drug free week. In fact I felt a bit of a fraud. People kept telling me how horrible these drugs were and I seemed to be sailing through without any particular problems. I was going to work in the morning and coming home in the afternoon and as often as not logging on during the afternoon and evening.
All of that came crashing down over the weekend though :-O
One of the possible symptoms is diarrhoea and there are strict instructions on when to call the hospital. If I have diarrhoea more than four times during the day or once overnight then I have to call the doctor, either the unit at SJH or the Western, depending on the time of day.
Well I went to bed at about 11pm on Friday but only managed to get in to bed at 1am. After that I was up as 2 am, 4 am and 6 am - suddenly I didn't feel such a fraud. I felt rotten. I had been up half the night and felt drained (literally).
I called the Western and they sent me to the Emergency GP at SJH. I was prescribed some Loperamide and told to rest. I kept having to run until about lunchtime, but then I was OK.
There were still rumblings throughout the day and apparently my stomach kept Helen awake during the night, but I was OK most of the night, until around 6.30am and then again at about 8.00. The registrar at the Western called just as I got out the shower and I was called in for observations on Sunday morning.
We dropped the kids of at church on Sunday and then threaded our way across the city. We parked in the special Chemo car park and were admitted to Ward 4.
More blood was duly taken and temperature and blood pressure, then I was shipped of for an X-ray. I was offered the option of being taken down to the x-ray in a wheelchair, but as I wasn't feeling too bad at that point we elected to walk. Sure enough It was the other side of the hospital. I did manage, but I was actually tired by the time we made it back to the ward.
We were left alone in our en suite luxury room. Helen dozed, trying to catch up on a bit of the sleep she needed. Her plans for this weekend were completely out the window - and her class were in full-time for the first time.
Eventually we needed to go and pick the kids up from church. We went out to the corridor and told the nurses that we had to go and they rushed off to get the doctor. Dr Storrie, the registrar who had seen me was waiting for the blood tests to come back from the lab.
Dr Storrie came out to see us and we explained the situation. She was just waiting for the last of the results to come back up and asked us to hang on for a minute, so we left anyway.
She did phone later that afternoon, to let me know that the results showed that I was dehydrated (which was not a surprise) but other than that I was fine.
She also phoned the next morning, just as we were getting up. I had been fine most of the night, but just at that moment I did feel the need to rush off.
Later than afternoon I got a call from the unit at SJH - news travels fast! They were tentatively allowing me to come in the next day, but the final decision would be made on the morning, by the visiting Western Consultant.
I had taken the day off work and was waiting at home the next day (this was Tuesday 2nd Sept).
Sure enough I had a call from the unit the next morning postponing the second cycle for a week. Since I was too ill to have chemo I decided to go into work.
It was a good call by the doctor, because that night (Tuesday) I was bad again.
I have to say since then there have been one or two incidents, but mostly I have been ok. I went to the GP today for the pre-chemo blood test that I have to have the day before my hospital chemo and I had a call from the SJH unit earlier this afternoon.
I am lined up for my second dose tomorrow, although it is likely to be slightly lower doses, both of the Ox drip and the Cap tablets. I am due at the hospital at 2 pm, for an afternoon session, which is not as convenient. I guess the moral of the story is to book early to avoid disappointment.
I will be taking my scarf and gloves again, so if you hear of any sightings of the Abominable Snowman in Livingston tomorrow, don't worry about it - it will just be me.
I promise not to leave it so long next time - I know there are some readers who find this almost as exciting as East Enders or Corrie (but I can't compete with Neighbours). When I read back this post (yes I do read it before I post) I see that the end does not really have anything much to do with turkeys at all!
keep smiling
Graham
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