First session

The chemo went well yesterday. The appointment was for 1.30. We didn’t leave until nearly 5pm.

First we were given a long chat about what was involved, possible side effects & what to do if I had any. I was also asked if I would like an appointment for a wig. They arrange this at this stage so they can check the colour, consistency & sort of style you normally have while you still have all your hair. It does not oblige you take a wig if you do lose your hair or even say you will lose your hair. It’s just so they’re prepared if you should decide you want a free NHS wig. I decided I might as well see what they’re like these days although I’m thinking of going on some Islamic sites to discover how best to drape scarves & shawls around my head if I should need it. Some Muslim women do wear some very attractive head wear to cover their hair. Such scarves etc. could equally cover my bald or thinning hair. I may even conclude bald is in & I have a shapely skull. Who knows? I’ll only find out when, & if, the time comes, that I lose my hair.

I was then taken into the treatment room where others were having their chemo. First they changed the dressing on the PICC line, cleaning the dried blood away & sterilising the lines & connections, before putting on a new dressing.

Then some blood was taken for pre-meds. Some tests will be done on that to establish which are the most likely side effects of the chemo for me personally. Nothing was said to me by the time we left so I assume I’ll be told that next week.

Next came 3 anti-nausea chemicals. The stomach lining always has very vast reproducing cells. Under normal conditions the gastric acids bite into the cells of the lining so they have to be replaced often. Chemo attacks any fast growing cells first so the stomach lining is likely to be affected.

After that came the actual chemo, paclitaxel. That takes a good hour to drip down the line.

While all of this was being done, The Fox went off first to buy a digital thermometer. I have to take my temperature if I feel either very hot or shivery. That’s one of the side effects & possibly a sign of some infection. He also strolled into Lancaster to get some milk as we were running out. After coming back & discovering I was still tied up, he went off for a drink at a bar across the canal & read a magazine a bit.

Eventually I was done.  I left armed with a book on chemo including a list of side effects & what to do, the 24 hour emergency number & a diary to keep of any side effects. I was given a pack of anti-nausea pills with instructions how to take them, in case I needed them. I’ve also been given a card so if I do have to go to A&E while I’m receiving chemo, I will go straight in & not have to wait in the waiting area – there are too many people with bugs around there & I will become more susceptible to bugs of all sorts as my white blood cell count will inevitably go down with the chemo. If I do go down with infections they will slow down the chemo – it can’t be done if I have an infection – as well as probably be more severe, possibly leading to sepsis. I suppose this card can be seen as one advantage of having chemo.

Another is that it might cure my psoriasis. That is principally caused by the overproduction of cells so that too is likely to be under attack as is the stomach lining. If the chemo achieves that it will be quite something.

I was also told on leaving to go to my surgery & arrange blood test for every Friday. It must be Friday as my chemo will be always be on Monday. So after we left we headed first to the surgery to make the appointments, which have duly been done, at least for the next 4 weeks. We seem to be going to every practice in the group for them but at least I managed to get them on Friday so I won’t have to make other trips into Lancaster to have them done on Friday at the hospital.

By the time we left the surgery it was nearly 6pm. I was gasping for a drink. I’d only had one beaker of water at the hospital with its very drying atmosphere. We decide to eat while we were there.

Now we know the regular routine. Friday, at some time, for blood lets at one of the numerous surgeries in the practice. Monday, at some time, for a 2½ hour session. I will take plenty of reading & puzzle books, maybe even the tablet, to keep going during the long boring sit. I’m not quite sure the Fox knows quite what he’s going to do. If it was summer, he could have some pleasant strolls along the canal but that has less appeal on a cold wet wintry day as it’s more likely to be at this time of year.  He’s never been a great window shopper to enjoy a stroll around the shops of Lancaster. Parking around the hospital is so scarce that if we’ve managed to find a spot, he’s reluctant to take the car home & not be able to park when he returns to collect me. Maybe he can find a nice relaxing coffee shop or go to the library for a quiet read. If necessary he can always use his free bus pass to go into the city centre & back. There are plenty of buses that pass the hospital as it’s on the way to the university & many students live off campus, in Lancaster itself.

As for any effects. So far I haven’t felt any adverse effects. I was very tired after such a long hospital trip, but on the other hand that would have been the case anyhow so I don’t see any point about worrying about that. I can’t say it’s exceptional for me these days. I was surprised to find I woke up mid-sleep in pain but not pain in my shoulder, but once more in my knees. It was like old times. When the Fox joined me in bed, I snuggled in & found I was not nearly as uncomfortable as I had been. This morning I felt round the lump. I’m surprised to say it already feels smaller. That maybe why I’m feeling more comfortable. Or it may just be wishful thinking, though I wasn't expecting such a quick reduction.

On the whole I’m feeling relieved. Now I know the schedule of what’s happening & can plan my life around that. The PICC line seems to be working well, a definite improvement on regular needles going in twice a week for so long. I’m already feeling that benefit. I also feel the medication seems to going the right direction even though some nastiness may lie ahead.