2007 Jul 23rd - Chemo Round 2 No 1

Monday, July 23, 2007

Chemo v Bum Bandit Round 2, Number 1, day 1 Category: Life Well the day dawned and after a few hours kip I was up, dressed and presentable(ish). Mum's taxi arrived (early, she was probably speeding again) and off we went. Arrived stupidly early again because the traffic had disappeared today. After a cup of tea, purchase of water (refridgerated) and much people watching I was trying to keep a lid on my temper. A rather delightful chavvy trio were outside smoking. One of them spat a long string of phlemy spit, mid cigarette. Another heavily pregnant girl's boyfriend (I knew this because he was all over her like a rash) lit a cigarette up for her. This was right outside the doors,in front of the "NO SMOKING ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE" signs. Guess they were illiterate too.......... The chavvy family then came in to manhandled some baby clothes for sale in aid of charity (urgh dread to think how contagious they are now) and mum and I both managed to hold back, rather than increase my stress levels. Faith in humanity was somewhat restored by a pretty, clean looking mum and her equally lovely looking daughter coming in to meet a young, smart, clean chap with uber trendy hair. The little girl ran up to him with a big grin on her face shouting "Daddy!". That made us smile, it also choked me a bit because I want a happy family - as in one with a dad who lives in the same house (for me not the kids, they're too interested in MSN and Myspace..........oops). Anyway, trotted down to the chemosuite and immediately got sent to the naughty corner surely I wasn't THAT bad before? Got my line flushed, a cup of tea from the nice Red Cross lady. So this is how it goes: Dexamethozone - (Sexy Methadone) a steroid anti-emetic to stop me throwing up the free tea, and my lunch. This makes your bottom (for ladies that's front AND back bottoms). Folinic Acid - this helps the Oxaliplatin (made with platinum don't you know, not cheap old 9carat gold for me deary, no, no, no!) work or be absorbed or summat. 350mg in 250ml 5% glucose IV. Oxaliplatin - (Oxy Poxy) the platinum stuff with the freaky side effects. 155mg in 250ml in 5% glucose IV. Cheese and Tomato Sarnie, on Wholemeal - free from nice Red Cross Lady. The IVs were started at about 1pm and a couple of hours later I had a couple of bottles of glucose solution - stop me collapsing through lack of food, or fluids I guess....... I've been given some Dom Perignon tablets - WHAT? Champagne in tablet form? Oh sorry that's Domperidone....more anti-emetics (non steroidal so they don't keep me awake all bloody week, I'm sleep deprived as it is). A cup of coffee - this time from a lovely chemo nurse (if I FIND a chemo nurse who isn't lovely I will probably faint from shock). After all that I was hooked up to my old friend the 5FU, about four weeks dose compared to last time over 2 days - yes this is the SAS, the army cleared the way earlier this year, time for the big guns now. I had an injection (into the line so no pain) of 750mg in 15ml and then hooked up to a pump 4450mg in 120ml in 0.9% sodium chloride over 46 hours. All these details have to be checked by two nurses before you get them and they check your name and date of birth before EVERYTHING. Same as before, had to give my DOB 6 times a week with chemoradiation.....got quite boring really. Side effects kicked in within about three hours - before I'd left chemo suite after 3.5 hours. Tried to write appts in my diary - hands partially paralysed and numb. The water I drank - now a little warmer, was like drinking crushed glass. My top lip went numb and when I grinned at a very nice check out lady in Asda (looked shit, hot flush, tube in arm, weird facial expression - think she was worried) my cheek muscles froze!!! I covered my face in fear of looking insane. Outside my hands get prickly, my nose is running and I feel a bit spaced out. When I had another drink of water (can't help it need 3-4 litres to stop dehydration with the stoma) then tried to explain the possible side effects to Karys, I lisped/whistled the entire way through, it sounded like my dentures didn't fit.........I must point out I have ALL my one teeth, it just SOUNDED like badly fitting dentures. Anyway, keeping fingers warm on laptop and moving helps enormously, except for the nerve damage in my right arm which gets worse. As does warm soup! That's about all I can say for today, but after a tearful day yesterday (Karys sick of me going ON about my bag ALL the time, thanks kid, love you too), I had a really good day today, lovely chemo patients to chat to. Both stage 4 (remember folks there IS no stage 5 with cancer) BUT there is always treatment, hope, positive thinking and a fighting spirit which means stage 4 does NOT, I repeat NOT mean terminal. Bye for now xxx 20:13 - 11 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	Umpalumpa	You never cease to amaze me with your fighting spirit and sense of humour. xx (Must have something in my eye as it's leaking..............) Posted by Umpalumpa on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 21:16 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala	Oh forgot to add another side effect - just as my eyes fill up with tears (reading cancer posts on macmillan usually) my eyes HURT LIKE HELL for a few seconds and feel prickly. In fact I seem to be infected with stinging nettles most of this year............I was a bad bad girl in a previous life wasn't I? Posted by Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 21:41 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	GlitterGirl....	Have you had the "shit-some-bastard-just-stabbed me-in-the-jaw" pain on eating yet?! Something to look forward to...! Damn that Oxalicretin... Is this your first time on Oxi...? It is bad cop to 5FU's (relatively) good cop. If you feel like crap this time, don't assume it will always be this bad. Loads of people have told me that the first Oxali session is horrid. (I managed to hospitalise myself over Christmas with Oxali sode effects - sooooo not coool!) xxx Posted by GlitterGirl.... on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 22:02 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala	Haha, yes I did experience that - in each side of my jaw shooting up to my ear - felt like the shortest ear infection in the world - twice, depending where I chewed. Madness, total madness! Yes first go on Oxalihorrible (how many variations CAN we come up with lol?) I remember reading about your hospital antics and am NOT rushing to join your club young lady! I did smile about the old lady - chemo nurse said one woman was gutted as she felt nothing and demanded where her tingles were! Posted by Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 22:58 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	GlitterGirl....	Ooooh and to make you smile.....ANOTHER lovely chemo nurse told me that she had to give a Dex injection to an elderly lady having chemo. She warned her about front bottom nettle sting....but when she gave the injection the woman's face lit up and she said "ooooooooh...I haven't had so much fun since my husband died!" Posted by GlitterGirl.... on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 22:05 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Mandy	Well done Lisa, great sense of humour too, thinking of you Posted by Mandy on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 22:07 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala	Now how did you escape my friends list? Cancer has had my bum And some of my insides A lot of times I've cried, But I'm keeping my sense of humour It's one thing that's immune from the tumour! Ooer not sure where that came from, did they inject me with poetry drugs too? Posted by Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 23:03 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Dorothy	Not only has the re-match started, we've set ourselves up as Fashion Police and Chavvy Police. Pity frosty-face was not on duty at the doctors' surgery today - we could have been Charm School Police as well. Keep on with the fighting spirit - that's my girl! xxxx Posted by Dorothy on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 15:52 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala	Oooo mum, just had a terrible thought, what if Frosty-Face was actually on chemo and that's why she couldn't crack a smile, or maybe her side effects give her frosty knickers.........on second thoughts, no, she's just had too many lemons. Posted by Lisa Left Eye Loopylalalalala on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 14:02 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Peter	I'm totally overcome with admiration for your spirit. I keep on telling myself that I'd like to have your fight in terrible circumstances, but I'm ashamed to say I don't think I would. Posted by Peter on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 16:01 [Remove] [Reply to this]

Bec

Sounds horribly familiar! But you are coping with it so well, and I admire you for laying it all out there for others to read and understand. I am on exactly the same regimen as you, and I know its hard, but like you say, there are so many amazing people going through this who make it so much less hard to bear. Keep smiling my lovely, it won't be forever xxx Posted by Bec on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 13:36