Sent Home in Disgrace

Part 1 - A Free Week
It is just over a week since I had my last round of chemo and it has pretty much taken me the whole week to recover form that bout. I was far more tired than I remember from the equivalent chemo cycles in 2008.

I don't know if I am romanticising the last round, or whether it actually is harder this time - probably some of each.

Again, the actual day in the hospital went smoothly, other than a very embarrassing need to go to the toilet every hour. I can't contain it at the best of times, but the main function of many of the drip solutions is to (re)hydrate me. The end result is that the liquids pour out of me almost as fast as they are pumped in to me. Glasses of water and cups of tea just make it all worse, but I have to say that being pampered like that is rather nice, and as for the foot massage (I know I have mentioned it before, but, you know.........)

The aftermath again proceeded much as advertised. The next day (last Thursday) was relatively straight forward, not too sick, but easily tired. Friday more sickly and more tired. Saturday, more more sickly and more more tired.

The other side effects were also present - particularly the constipation. Fortunately the lovely nurses gave me some nice medicine to make it go away. It took time, but eventually relief was on hand.

The week off fairly flew past - going to work every day is such a delight. The only problem is that it seems that I overdid it a bit.

Part 2 - Sent Home in Disgrace

Each visit to the chemo ward is preceded by a blood test. Yesterday I duly went to my GP for my blood test. The blood test checks a number of  exciting things, one of which is my White Blood Count (which is a measure of how good my immune system is).  The WBC count should be 3 or more. Before the start of the treatment it was 7.2. before the second treatment it was 3.2.

Yesterday, even after two weeks without any treatment, it was measured below the Magic 3 - (2.6, I think), so when the ward called me for the regular day-before check-up they warned my that I may not receive the treatment today. I arrived for my appointment today and was taken in to the ward and stuck with my needle.

The nurses took another blood sample to repeat the tests. The sample was whisked of to be tested again and in the mean time I was given the first drip - a saline solution for hydration. just as that finished, the news came through and my WBC count seems to have dropped further - although I don't know what the actual value was. Maybe, just maybe I should try to take it a bit easier.

As a result I was sent home in disgrace, my head in my hand; shame filled my every pore. I have an extra week off and everything slips by a week.

I have to admit, I just went home and bummed around for the rest of the day - I decided that if I was too ill for chemo, then I probably deserved a day off work - maybe that was wrong, but there you go.

I still get to go back on my birthday - no more news on the campaign for a second birthday - the kids are behind it (they think they will get more birthday cake) but Helen doesn't see the need. I will press on with this though. If you want to add your support to this worthy cause, please contact me. I may have to start a petition on the Number 10 website - I am sure that David Cameron would be very interested in this.

Enough already - my daughter wants to see what drivel I have written this time, so I will finish here. I am not expecting much in the way of symptoms this week, what with the lack of nasty chemicals and stuff, so there may be another longer gap - unless blinding inspiration strikes.

best wishes

Graham

P.S. congratulations to Becky, who has just been awarded a scholarship to study in the US next year. :)

The Drugs Squad

Today was my first meeting with the oncology team that are looking after me. It was a nerveracking meeting. For the period before and just after my operation the news just seemed to get worse every time we spoke to someone.

We started off with the diagnosis of IBS, quickly moving on to this tumour, briefly visiting a twisted bowl along the way. Then we were told that it looked thike there was "lymph node involvement" - an odd turn of phrase, but one I ahve read in other places. Then there was the liver, which also seemed to look as it was infected.

This was the situation when I left hospital, about three weeks ago. Then, about two weeks ago the MDT meeting took place (see the last post for more details) and the news got better. Now while this was great - no liver problems and no lymph node involvement - the thing that stuck in the back of my mind, and Helen as well, was that if the diagnosis could change once, then it could change again....

So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that we turned up this morning at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, part of the Western Infirmery. We got there in plenty of time, and sat in the waiting area. This was not too bad, although Helen did compare it to an old peoples home - certainly, we were the youngest there by a good twenty years.

After a while one of the nurses came and introduced himself to us and decided that I needed to be weighed. I have lost about a stone in the last month, but if pressed I would not recommend this as a weight loss plan.

After an hour and a half, getting more and more fidgety all the time, we were called though to see the registrar. She was very nice and almost imediatly put us as ease by confirming what he had been told earlier - after that I dont think we heard anything else!

It is not actually true about not listening, but it was a massive relief.

So, this is how it is. The medical staff are as confident that the cancer has been removed as they will ever say - they will never commit 100%, but as close as. Their recommendation is that I have chemo to wipe out any remaining rebels.

They want to do a full colonoscopy, but probably not until after the chemo - it is too soon just now, on account of being cut up the middle - and it is probably not a good idea to do it during the chemo. Having said that they are sure that there is nothing left. If there had been any more tumours or infection there would be some polyps, but there was no sign of anything.

We were given a bit more information aboout the drugs as well. The set of drugs I will have is given to most colon cancer patients up to the age of about eighty. It is (apparently) one of the mildest chemo diets, so I recon that if an eighty year old can survive this, then I as a fit(ish) forty-something should be able to cope. Maybe that is a bit optimistic - maybe it is just plain hopeful. I guess this is a journey that I am just starting - you are welcome to tag along via this blog.

Thanks you for all the comments to the first post - it is encouraging and humbling that so many prople are praying for myself and Helen. If you wouldn't mind praying that helen has peace about her new job that she starts in a few weeks - what with having to look after me all day, she needs a bit of TLC for herself.

I will post again when I have more to say (you may no think that is a good thing, but there you go)

god bless
Graham

(p.s. the title was inspired by Becky)