I started to write this post on 10th July 2017 direct from the newly refurbished Chemo suite and the rather comfortable electric reclining chair that all our fundraising adventures contributed towards the last time around … a job well done…. Thanks guys!
It's taken until now to pull this post together and this is purely down to CBA reasons! Writing down my experiences remains such a helpful process for me, but translating my thoughts and experiences into 'interesting' bite sized chunks is a lot easier said than done when experiencing general feelings of malaise ... and when it isn't 'flowing it 'aint' happening'.... my mind is exploding with things to write and this is where I have got to;
The treatment
So, following an echo cardiogram and PCA (pre chemo assessment), the first lot of 'targeted' treatment went a head on 10th July 2017. I was given Herceptin and Pertuzumab intravenously and was at the hospital for most of the day for monitoring. It was a looooooong day, though it seemed to go really quickly with DangeRuss for company and time filled with card games and a take away from Dreams Coffee Shop. Yum !
The chemo nurse recognised me and remembered my hair dares from the last time around and the familiarity I felt certainly took the edge from affairs. I felt glad that I had decided to return to Northampton General Hospital for treatment despite my move to the Kettering area.
I was back at the hospital the next day with my newly wed friend, Ruth, and this time for the Docetaxol chemotherapy treatment. We were in and out within 2 hours and quite literally it felt like an 'ordinary' catch up between friends although I could feel the significance of the event in Ruth's exemplary care and concern for me.
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post chemo breakfast treat and Cath up with Caroline |
The side effectsThe fatigue, tiredness and taste changes were the first of the side effects to take a hold, almost immediately, although it is quite possible that some restless, anxious nights and busy day's contributed to the overall feeling of lethargy. I slept a lot for the first few day's and as symptoms developed around day 4 and 5, I have relied on pain relief to manage the 'sledge hammer' force pain in my ribs and skull. I remember this from the last time and thankfully it is all manageable with the concoction of medications provided by the hospital.There is already some 'chemo fog'; with some slow processing of information and I'm frustratingly struggling to grasp the words I want to say….. general ditziness really. I don't think I fully recovered from the first time around, though never before now, have I poured fairy washing up liquid in the laundry detergent 'thingy' for my washing machine! I really didn't need to admit that …there were no witnesses!I'm sure Danny will be keen to tell me 'no change there' then and remind me of similar faux pas, so I shall give him a preemptive 'kick up the but' for his cheek when I see him !Then there is the blurry vision, I certainly didn't experience this the last time…. even with my prescription glasses, I have struggled to focus my eyes at times, but this is nothing compared to the more embarrassing 'abdominal' symptoms that have found their way into my life …………… I will leave the detail to the imagination but 'DangeRuss' captured the general theme of things in a recent remark…
Seriously though this IS 'a thing' when you're on chemo, so I shall allow myself some guilt free 'chemo pharpsing' and hope my dignity survives this round of chemo ....Those nearest and dearest will be relieved to know, that this only lasts a few days ! I am literally crying with laughter writing about this and thankfully I'm over this 'pharpsing phase' so it really is safe to be around me !
Moving along nicely now...
I saw myself calling the emergency assessment bay on 16th July for advice after a rash and swelling was emerging from where the cannula from treatment had been on my right hand.
By the 29th July small blisters had developed requiring a trip to the hospital for assessment and treatment with steroid cream. It seems the chemo is ' an irritant' ( no s#@t Sherlock) and probably leaked a little. I recall making comment after the Docetaxol treatment about the rather heavy handed chemo nurse, who seemed to 'tear the cannula and dressing' from my hand. Whether this contributed or not to the rash, I do not know, though I can't wait to offer some helpful 'feedback' !
I've lost concentration and done talking about the side effects now! These are just features of my world at the moment, life does go on and at the moment, this means attending to the 'normal' day to day things and finding as much 'mischief' and sharing as many moments as I can with family and friends, to avoid feeling 'lost and left behind'.
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