Today was much better than yesterday. I have slept a lot, but the nausea isn't as bad. Didn't sleep much in the night, so I didn't expect to be raring to go today, but I also didn't expect to sleep for 2 hours this morning and then 2 more this afternoon. Lets hope I need the sleep and manage to sleep all night as well.
Managed to eat 3 meals today, which is a huge improvement on yesterday. Don't seem to be able to face tea or coffee at the moment though, so keeping my fluids up is proving a challenge. Have been on the Vimto and Ginger Beer today, not together of course.
Planning to watch a bit of telly and sleep well. Lets hope it all goes to plan.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Nausea
Feeling really sick today and have been since I woke up. Managed half a bowl of bran flakes for breakfast and have just had a packet of crisps for lunch but I am struggling. Haven't felt this bad before hope it goes away quickly once I get home.
Talking of home, we seem to be on for a 6:00 pm departure if all continues to go well. Ali did a great job in the night with the changeovers and the last lot is a double bag 12 hour stint that went on at 5:20am. So all I have to do is keep it going in and I could be home by 7:00.
Thanks to all who have been thinking of me. Has kept my spirits up this visit.
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Talking of home, we seem to be on for a 6:00 pm departure if all continues to go well. Ali did a great job in the night with the changeovers and the last lot is a double bag 12 hour stint that went on at 5:20am. So all I have to do is keep it going in and I could be home by 7:00.
Thanks to all who have been thinking of me. Has kept my spirits up this visit.
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Cycle 3 Day 2
Well Chemo commenced yesterday about 4:00 pm. Not a bad night, few bag changes and peebreaks but slept in 2 hour chunks for about 8 hours in total between 9:30 pm and 8:00 am. Feeling pretty good at the moment, have eaten bran flakes and fruit for breakfast and just had coffee and biscuits. So things are looking good, I have slept, I am eating and all is going well.
Managed to get disconnected long enough to shower and Sarah and Catarina did a great job of changing my bed after that. Now up and in the chair trying to sort out an echo cardiogram appointment that has been made for the day cycle 5 of chemo starts. After 3 calls to a busy tone, I got through and have re-arranged to an earlier date so the results should be available before the consultant appointment.
Everything seems to be working well in The Churchill today, so lets hope everything stays that way and a good stay stays that way.
Managed to get disconnected long enough to shower and Sarah and Catarina did a great job of changing my bed after that. Now up and in the chair trying to sort out an echo cardiogram appointment that has been made for the day cycle 5 of chemo starts. After 3 calls to a busy tone, I got through and have re-arranged to an earlier date so the results should be available before the consultant appointment.
Everything seems to be working well in The Churchill today, so lets hope everything stays that way and a good stay stays that way.
Monday, 10 September 2012
Seconds away, ROUND 3
Stayed up late last night watching the Grand Prix highlights. Wasn't really interested in it, but going to bed would just bring today closer. Haven't been looking forward to Cycle 3 starting, I have felt so good for the past week and coming into the Churchill to be filled with poison has not been filling me with enthusiasm.
Got here about 10:45, the delightful Dawn is in charge of me today and she was very efficient and went and found the PICC nurse before she did anything else. That got the PICC line installation underway nice and early. So I now have a fresh PICC line in my right arm and have been x-rayed to check the end is in the right place, waiting for a doctor to examine the x-rays and then Chemo commences. If it gets underway in the next hour or so I could be out by mid afternoon Wednesday.
Got here about 10:45, the delightful Dawn is in charge of me today and she was very efficient and went and found the PICC nurse before she did anything else. That got the PICC line installation underway nice and early. So I now have a fresh PICC line in my right arm and have been x-rayed to check the end is in the right place, waiting for a doctor to examine the x-rays and then Chemo commences. If it gets underway in the next hour or so I could be out by mid afternoon Wednesday.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Late night Sunday
Didnt get time to blog yesterday, was too busy having a good time. We were in Dorset enjoying the sun until about 3:00 pm then we rushed back to Banbury for a wedding reception.
Great time in Dorset. Cooked breakfast to start the day, then Sharon helped her Dad to prepare lunch and I left them to chat and peel. Then Sharon and I went out to Portland to have a look at Champ harmonique. I recorded some sound and took some pictures that I am planning to edit together and will post later in the week. It was superb and I could have spent all afternoon there but we were short of time, so an hour it was. Fantastic views over Chesil Beach, excellent wind powered music and wonderful reactions from the other people there.
I drove all the way down to Dorset from Oxford and I drove all the way home on Saturday. That is the furthest I have driven since the Chemo started and I know that for the next two weeks there is no way I could do it again. Lets hope things are good enough in the third week for me to take on that kind of task. I did have to half half an hours nap when we got home before going out again though.
The wedding reception was for Charlotte who works with Sharon and was atBrailles Golf Club. Really nice venue, disco had a great laser show which kept me occupied and chatting with Sharon;s colleagues was fun. Excellent food too, I've never had Pork and Stuffing rolls with chips at a wedding reception before, excellent choice. Thanks Charlotte and Carl.
Had a bit of a lie in this morning and then went out and put the Polo exhaust back on. Glad I read the Club Polo forum on Saturday morning. Putting the new rubber mounts in boiling water before trying to fit them worked. Made them softer and stretchier, they were dead easy to get on. Then we went and did Mum's shopping and picked up a few bits for me to survive on in hospital and had some lunch. After lunch we popped over to Lauren and Ian's to go for a walk up Burton Dasset Hills. I am so unfit, I only just made it to the top. I guess it is 3 days in hospital followed by 7 days of inactivity. Must make the effort to at least walk a bit.
Went a bit flat when we got back. Apprehension about Cycle 3 starting tomorrow put me on a bit of a downer. Didnt much feel like eating, but forced the enchilladas and salad down as it will be the last decent meal I get for 3 days. Was just settling down in front of the telly and feeling pretty grim when Simon turned up. He always cheers me up and has lifted my spirits enough to get me blogging and will go to bed happy. Thanks Si.
Thought you might like a picture of this infamous Polo to finish with. Night Night.
Oh and no it hasn't got a bag of concrete in the boot, that's the new suspension.
I drove all the way down to Dorset from Oxford and I drove all the way home on Saturday. That is the furthest I have driven since the Chemo started and I know that for the next two weeks there is no way I could do it again. Lets hope things are good enough in the third week for me to take on that kind of task. I did have to half half an hours nap when we got home before going out again though.
The wedding reception was for Charlotte who works with Sharon and was atBrailles Golf Club. Really nice venue, disco had a great laser show which kept me occupied and chatting with Sharon;s colleagues was fun. Excellent food too, I've never had Pork and Stuffing rolls with chips at a wedding reception before, excellent choice. Thanks Charlotte and Carl.
Had a bit of a lie in this morning and then went out and put the Polo exhaust back on. Glad I read the Club Polo forum on Saturday morning. Putting the new rubber mounts in boiling water before trying to fit them worked. Made them softer and stretchier, they were dead easy to get on. Then we went and did Mum's shopping and picked up a few bits for me to survive on in hospital and had some lunch. After lunch we popped over to Lauren and Ian's to go for a walk up Burton Dasset Hills. I am so unfit, I only just made it to the top. I guess it is 3 days in hospital followed by 7 days of inactivity. Must make the effort to at least walk a bit.
Went a bit flat when we got back. Apprehension about Cycle 3 starting tomorrow put me on a bit of a downer. Didnt much feel like eating, but forced the enchilladas and salad down as it will be the last decent meal I get for 3 days. Was just settling down in front of the telly and feeling pretty grim when Simon turned up. He always cheers me up and has lifted my spirits enough to get me blogging and will go to bed happy. Thanks Si.
Thought you might like a picture of this infamous Polo to finish with. Night Night.
Friday, 7 September 2012
Internet has arrived in Portesham!
Who would believe it? After years of no mobile signal and only neighbours secure wireless networks a BTOpenzone has appeared. So an extra large blog from what has been an eventful day.
Got to the hospital about 9:45 for a 10:00 appointment. Got to see the consultant about 10:30. Not much from the meeting other than everything seems OK and treatment will continue next week. Then had to get some blood taken, which should be fairly easy. Waited 20 minutes and discovered the oncology vampire is a phlebotomist and phlebotomists cant take blood from a PICC line, so yet another hole in the arm. Then off to the Day Therapy Unit to have my line flushed and the dressing changed. This caused BIG trouble. The staff nurse was sure the line had started to come out. I was pretty sure it hadn't moved. After much consultation from several nurses, comparison to my notes and an opinion from the PICC team who put it in, they decide it had moved. They then started to pull it out so it could be used as a MID line for the treatment next week and discovered it was blocked with clotted blood. So they took it right out. That means the first job on Monday will be a new PICC line, which cant be done before 11:00, so Chemo wont start much before late afternoon. This off course means I might not get out until Thursday, but hey ho.
Anyway, once we got out we popped round to the Maggies centre to see whats on offer. Really good chat, that revealed I am entitled to FREE prerscriptions. Just have to see my GP and get a certificate. Have also made an appointment to see one of their advisors in Banbury to see if I am entitled to anything else.
Then we set sail for Dorset, via GSF to get the exhaust mounts for the Polo. I got my bank card out to pay for them, expecting them to be £8 or £9, they were £1.86, had to find some change. Drive to Dorset went well, about 3 hours to Dorchester then 20 minutes to get round Dorchester!
One of the side effects of the Chemo is strange nail growth. Mine have gone very strong, we managed to cut most of them in the week, but my thumbs and index fingers were too tough for the nail scissors. Sharons dad, Frank, has been cutting his neighbours nails for her, she is also on chemo, so I asked him to do mine. He went out to the shed and came back with a pair of tin snips. I thought he was winding me up, so I got the neighbour to come round and she confirmed, that's what he uses, so I let him at them and it worked. He also gave me new nail file to finish them with.
We had some tea and Sharon and I popped upto West Bay to see the sea.
Got to the hospital about 9:45 for a 10:00 appointment. Got to see the consultant about 10:30. Not much from the meeting other than everything seems OK and treatment will continue next week. Then had to get some blood taken, which should be fairly easy. Waited 20 minutes and discovered the oncology vampire is a phlebotomist and phlebotomists cant take blood from a PICC line, so yet another hole in the arm. Then off to the Day Therapy Unit to have my line flushed and the dressing changed. This caused BIG trouble. The staff nurse was sure the line had started to come out. I was pretty sure it hadn't moved. After much consultation from several nurses, comparison to my notes and an opinion from the PICC team who put it in, they decide it had moved. They then started to pull it out so it could be used as a MID line for the treatment next week and discovered it was blocked with clotted blood. So they took it right out. That means the first job on Monday will be a new PICC line, which cant be done before 11:00, so Chemo wont start much before late afternoon. This off course means I might not get out until Thursday, but hey ho.
Anyway, once we got out we popped round to the Maggies centre to see whats on offer. Really good chat, that revealed I am entitled to FREE prerscriptions. Just have to see my GP and get a certificate. Have also made an appointment to see one of their advisors in Banbury to see if I am entitled to anything else.
Then we set sail for Dorset, via GSF to get the exhaust mounts for the Polo. I got my bank card out to pay for them, expecting them to be £8 or £9, they were £1.86, had to find some change. Drive to Dorset went well, about 3 hours to Dorchester then 20 minutes to get round Dorchester!
One of the side effects of the Chemo is strange nail growth. Mine have gone very strong, we managed to cut most of them in the week, but my thumbs and index fingers were too tough for the nail scissors. Sharons dad, Frank, has been cutting his neighbours nails for her, she is also on chemo, so I asked him to do mine. He went out to the shed and came back with a pair of tin snips. I thought he was winding me up, so I got the neighbour to come round and she confirmed, that's what he uses, so I let him at them and it worked. He also gave me new nail file to finish them with.
We had some tea and Sharon and I popped upto West Bay to see the sea.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Still feeling good
Up early and went to a farm sale with Andy. Great fun, nearly bought some storage boxes, but they got more expensive at each lot, should have bought the first lot. Andy bought some useful stuff and I wen back with him later to collect it. Saw a beautiful ancient Diesel tank, look at this for character.
Got a phone call from the hospital asking if I can change my appointment to 10:00 am tomorrow. So we are off to Oxford early tomorrow and plan to carry on down to Sharon's Dad in Dorset for a couple of days. Blog posting will stop as the internet hasn't got to much of Dorset yet, even for mobile phones.
Have felt better the past few days than I have since the Chemo started. Unfortunately I am sure that will all end on Monday when I go back for round 3. But hey ho, I will be half way next week and in the second half the week after.
Had a lovely phone call this afternoon from Tracey at Pharos today. Haven't spoken to them for ages, havent worked for them for years, but one of my blog posts had got to her via LinkedIn and she rang to offer support. It is so good to know so many people are thinking of me. Next week in the middle of the night in The Churchill hospital I will need your thoughts. Thank You.
Got a phone call from the hospital asking if I can change my appointment to 10:00 am tomorrow. So we are off to Oxford early tomorrow and plan to carry on down to Sharon's Dad in Dorset for a couple of days. Blog posting will stop as the internet hasn't got to much of Dorset yet, even for mobile phones.
Have felt better the past few days than I have since the Chemo started. Unfortunately I am sure that will all end on Monday when I go back for round 3. But hey ho, I will be half way next week and in the second half the week after.
Had a lovely phone call this afternoon from Tracey at Pharos today. Haven't spoken to them for ages, havent worked for them for years, but one of my blog posts had got to her via LinkedIn and she rang to offer support. It is so good to know so many people are thinking of me. Next week in the middle of the night in The Churchill hospital I will need your thoughts. Thank You.
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