Chemo Cycle 1

Thursday 10^th September and I’m back in the Day Ward at 9am for my first cycle of treatment. As Cisplatin can cause kidney damage, the first part of the treatment involves taking a water tablet, and being given two bags of hydration fluid via a cannula placed in the vein in the back of my hand, each of which takes just over an hour to go through. All designed to make me wee, and I’m told to use the cardboard bed pans in the loo, write my name on and leave it there so they can monitor my throughput! All is well for the first 45 minutes and then the trek backwards and forwards begins… I seem to be in competition with a woman at the other side of the ward who is also being monitored and I think I’m winning!

Seems like a long time to sit, but there’s plenty going on in the Ward and another couple of ladies come to join me in my corner, one from beside Fraserburgh, the other from Ellon. Even manage to fit in a snooze around coffee time. Just before 12 it’s time for the steroid injection which is supposed to help with any nausea, and the Mitmycin C, also by injection, followed by the bag of Cisplatin, which I’m told will take about two hours to go through.

A couple of friends came to keep me company at different times during the day which was great – helps to pass the time and take my mind off what’s going into my hand. It’s probably good for others to see that it’s not all doom and gloom in the chemo ward too – it is pretty cheerful and “the inmates” do manage to have a bit of a laugh.

Not much fun for the lady from Ellon though, later on in the day, when her husband has a bit of a funny turn and ends up on the bed beside her chair. I missed most of the original drama, having made ANOTHER trip to the loo, but by the time I got back to my chair he was being very, very sick – not good when you’re sitting opposite and not feeling so clever yourself. I did feel sorry for the Ward staff who were short anyway, but still managed to deal with the additional crisis with good grace. Eventually, a porter was called and he was taken down to A&E to be checked over. Last I heard, he was being kept in overnight, so his poor wife was having to go stay with a friend after her treatment.

Another two bags of hydration fluid later and I thought I was almost ready to go home, but am told that there’s another one still to be done, plus an hour to wait afterwards, so I’ll be in for tea! The choices aren’t too inspiring – beef casserole, fish in leek sauce or various combinations of corned beef, but the fish in leek sauce when it comes is really tasty – followed by syrup sponge and custard, to fill me up just in case it wasn’t! Finally, after a marathon day (and 10 bed pans!!) I’m allowed to go home at 7.15pm – second in, last to leave – apart from a couple of nurses, who are there for the duration. The previous evening they hadn’t got away till 9.30, so even longer days for them.

As I write, it’s now 5 days after the infusion and I’m also on my Capecitabine tablets. So far, not so bad – I’ve not really had any nausea, and haven’t had to take anything for it, which is so much better than last time. However having just got back some enthusiasm for food, it’s gone again. At least I can eat this time without feeling sick, but I’m just not interested. I’ve also got quite bad heartburn, which they did say could happen, and I’m tired…. I can manage bursts of activity, but pretty soon I have to sit down and have a sleep. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it guilt-free, but I am getting better at recognising when it has to be done. Almost a week down, eight more to go!

Radiotherapy Round 2

So, bit of a catch-up required….

Started radiotherapy treatment again on 31^st August and as it was just for a week and likely to be relatively straightforward, I decided just to go in for the appointment every day from work. Appointment was at 2.20, so if I left just after 1.30 and got in for before 2, it was usually possible to get a parking space without having to resort to too many devious practices - i.e. nipping in round the front of waiting cars, parking in an “unofficial space” at the end of a row and avoiding eye contact as I walked back past those people who’d been thinking about it, but just too slow! It’s every man for himself up there!

My treatments were all on the opposite radiotherapy machine from the one I was on last time – exactly the same space, just back to front. It seemed to take a bit longer this time to get me lined up every day, but apart from that, no real dramas at all. Five days wasn’t long enough for any burns to develop, although my new skin did get a bit pink, so I don’t think it would take too much for it all to start breaking down again.

However “The Itch” returned with a vengeance on the Wednesday evening. I spoke to the nurse about it on Thursday, so she said to start taking anti-histimines again and keep going with the aquaeous cream, which I’d been using. All to no avail – it’s relentless and remorseless and impossible to ignore, and finally on Monday night after a sleepless couple of nights spent tossing and turning and getting up to re-apply the various lotions and potions I had left over from last time, it had me reduced to tears. Sometimes it’s the small things that are the most difficult to deal with. It seems to be passing now though, with the help of an increase in the number of anti-histimines and the remaining steroid cream. The biggest frustration was that I was too tired to drive to work for what would have been my last three days for a while – I feel so bad about letting everyone down again

Back into hospital on Tuesday 8^th September for an Oncology Nurse Review appointment, when it was explained what would happen on the day and some blood samples were taken. He said I looked like a different person from last time he saw me – much brighter and healthier, which is good, but probably more to do with the fact that I’m not in any pain this time than anything else. The Mitomycin C injection and Capecitabine tablets I’ve had before so kind of know what to expect, but the Cisplatin intravenous infusion is an unknown quantity, and a bit of a worry especially since I’ve been asked to take part in a study to evaluate the impact of Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting! It just involves keeping a diary of symptoms and medication for the first 5 days following each cycle of chemotherapy, so it’s definitely worth doing if it helps others in the long run.

To be continued…

Radiotherapy Round 2

So, bit of a catch-up required….

Started radiotherapy treatment again on 31^st August and as it was just for a week and likely to be relatively straightforward, I decided just to go in for the appointment every day from work. Appointment was at 2.20, so if I left just after 1.30 and got in for before 2, it was usually possible to get a parking space without having to resort to too many devious practices - i.e. nipping in round the front of waiting cars, parking in an “unofficial space” at the end of a row and avoiding eye contact as I walked back past those people who’d been thinking about it, but just too slow! It’s every man for himself up there!

My treatments were all on the opposite radiotherapy machine from the one I was on last time – exactly the same space, just back to front. It seemed to take a bit longer this time to get me lined up every day, but apart from that, no real dramas at all. Five days wasn’t long enough for any burns to develop, although my new skin did get a bit pink, so I don’t think it would take too much for it all to start breaking down again.

However “The Itch” returned with a vengeance on the Wednesday evening. I spoke to the nurse about it on Thursday, so she said to start taking anti-histimines again and keep going with the aquaeous cream, which I’d been using. All to no avail – it’s relentless and remorseless and impossible to ignore, and finally on Monday night after a sleepless couple of nights spent tossing and turning and getting up to re-apply the various lotions and potions I had left over from last time, it had me reduced to tears. Sometimes it’s the small things that are the most difficult to deal with. It seems to be passing now though, with the help of an increase in the number of anti-histimines and the remaining steroid cream. The biggest frustration was that I was too tired to drive to work for what would have been my last three days for a while – I feel so bad about letting everyone down again

Back into hospital on Tuesday 8^th September for an Oncology Nurse Review appointment, when it was explained what would happen on the day and some blood samples were taken. He said I looked like a different person from last time he saw me – much brighter and healthier, which is good, but probably more to do with the fact that I’m not in any pain this time than anything else. The Mitomycin C injection and Capecitabine tablets I’ve had before so kind of know what to expect, but the Cisplatin intravenous infusion is an unknown quantity, and a bit of a worry especially since I’ve been asked to take part in a study to evaluate the impact of Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting! It just involves keeping a diary of symptoms and medication for the first 5 days following each cycle of chemotherapy, so it’s definitely worth doing if it helps others in the long run.

To be continued…

Mid Life Crisis!

Before I start on the medical catch-ups, there's a MUCH more important one to be done... We've bought a caravan... Dave's mid-life crisis is his tangerine speed machine, mine is most definitely the caravan. I've had a hankering after one for a while, but after everything that's happened in the last couple of years I thought "bugger it" what's the point of saving for a rainy day - this IS my rainy day! So, the cash has been splashed on a beautiful (in my eyes anyway) 2005 Elddis Crusader Hurricane. I am, to coin the phrase, "fair chuffed".


We picked it up a couple of Saturdays ago and headed straight off down to Kirriemuir to meet up with various other family members in their respective motor homes and caravans. Not in the least bit organised - we had nothing but the basic picnic stuff and bits and pieces from the house that we'd thrown in the car, but had a fantastic weekend - just like playing housies for adults.

I'd cooked some food to take with us, so managed to feed 4 on sweet & sour chicken & rice on Saturday and meatballs, potatoes and veg on Sunday from the wee kitchen. Nae bad for a first shottie I thought!

Brodie seemed to enjoy the experience too - he's just happy to be wherever his bed is, so long as it's close to where we are!


Sunday afternoon we had a walk around Glamis Castle gardens.


Late in the season, but still some colour to be had.


And plenty of opportunities to play with a recent birthday present that my family all chipped in to get for me - a digital SLR - another thing I've been after for a while but didn't think I'd get. Much better than anything I had aspired to, but brilliant even though I don't know if I'll ever get my head round depth of field!


I'll bore you all with some more "inside" caravan photos once I've got it all tidied up and "homely" and hopefully of some more trips further afield if I'm able. I'm determined that 2009 will NOT be written off altogether!