What Can I Do For You??
I've just come back from a very long day at chemo clinic. It was made longer as I had to wait for the ambulance to collect me both ways as I need oxygen. Apparently, if you need oxygen then you have to go by ambulance rather than a car.
The ambulance arrived about 10am and I got to the hospital about 1040 for my 1030am appointment. Not that it really matters as you usually see the doctor at least an hour after the appointment time. They had arranged for me to sit in the treatment area on the pull out chairs so was pleased as those chairs support my back and i can keep my legs up so my ankles don't swell. I thought I would spend this time doing my cross stitch but ended up doing my memory book for hubby which at the moment is in quite a fun area of my life so have enjoyed doing it.
I did manage to catch up with some of the other women that I usually see so it was good to catch up and they were pleased to see me.
I saw the consultant about 1130am. I did not see the chief one and I didn't see the point of asking when I like this one anyway. I was a bit surprised not to see the chief one but I can ask next week anyway. However, I was taken aback when he said 'what do you want today?'. I know I'm bossy and often demand things but I didn't think the responsibility was mine to decide what I wanted today!!! He was really pleased with my blood results. My protein levels are normal as are my liver and kidney tests and my haemoglobin is reasonable as well so I think I've given everyone a surprise that just 2 weeks and 2 days after my 'crash', my blood results are normal and I can walk without oxygen for a short distance and sit for about 15 minutes now without oxygen so it does all feel so unbelievable and if you looked at my blood tests, they would seem unbelievable as well.
He examined me and can't feel my liver so that is good and when he examined my lump, it is the same size as it was 4 weeks ago so that is really pleasing. My skin one today looks about 1cm across so looks smaller than yesterday and about the same size as last documented in my notes. We discussed me continuing on with my bone strengthener and as he is the man running several of the bone drug trials about the drug that I'm on, I think I should bow to his superior knowledge!!!! He feels that as I have had 2 years worth and there is evidence that it stays in your bones for some time ( I think he said 3-4 months), he felt we could miss that out for now and have the herceptin and restart taxol today. He did ask me about when I last had an echo done of my heart and I really don't know but said I think it could be a year ago. We seem to have an unspoken agreement not to do any heart echos on me as if they find my heart function has gone down then they will have to stop the herceptin and as we all feel that is keeping me alive, the risk seems worth it. He then ordered all my drugs and I went back to my comfy chair and had sandwiches for my lunch. I have just realised that no-one had made a decision about the dosage of the water tablets and I did tell him that the palliative care consultant wanted the oncology team to make the decision. Oh well, feel safer on them at home at this dose and must remenber next week to ask.
I started the pre-med part of my chemo about 2pm and they ordered the ambulance for 4.30pm. The pre-med consists of piriton that makes me very sleepy within about 30 minutes and the steroid, dexamethasone which makes me very lively about 4-5 hours after taking it so will probably spend quite a bit of time awake tonight. I take them for 3 days so will cut them back to the dose that I'm taking now on sunday. Also. they give ranitidine to stop stomach irritation which confuses me as the drugs are all given intravenously. I'm already on a 'stomach protector' tablet due to the steroids and the diclofenac so that's why I'm a bit muddled over why I need this as well. I know I don't tend to feel sick with taxol unless it is dripped in too fast but as I'm usually asleep this is out of my control as I said before they can't put taxol through the machine as it has a filter on it so the timing always seems a bit random anyway.
I also had the herceptin which causes me no problems apart from a runny nose.
I sat next to a lovely Polish lady about the same age as me and with a similar diagnosis but only just started the horrible secondary pathway. She was telling me the value of beetroot juice!! Of all the juices - why beetroot when I'm frightened of it.
I did have a sleep eventually and woke up about 430pm and the taxol was just finishing. The nurse flushed and changed the line and bungs and then I waited till 515pm for the ambulance. We got caught in the rush hour traffic plus there had been a crash on the motorway so didn't get back to 6pm and had more sandwiches. Hubby had dropped in and collected some of my things and had left me some creme caramels and 2 chocolate eclairs so that was wonderful and I really enjoyed eating 1 of each with my sherry. Quite deservedly, I now feel sick but hopefully, I can have the extra strong anti-sickness pill which makes me sleep so should counter the awakeness of the steroids.
Now have a delightfully, cheery lady opposite me but she is suffering with a degree of memory loss that she is aware of so that must be distressing. At least, most of the time I am unaware that I have forgotten something until someone points it out!!!!
Leave it at that for now. At least you know what happened today.
I've just come back from a very long day at chemo clinic. It was made longer as I had to wait for the ambulance to collect me both ways as I need oxygen. Apparently, if you need oxygen then you have to go by ambulance rather than a car.
The ambulance arrived about 10am and I got to the hospital about 1040 for my 1030am appointment. Not that it really matters as you usually see the doctor at least an hour after the appointment time. They had arranged for me to sit in the treatment area on the pull out chairs so was pleased as those chairs support my back and i can keep my legs up so my ankles don't swell. I thought I would spend this time doing my cross stitch but ended up doing my memory book for hubby which at the moment is in quite a fun area of my life so have enjoyed doing it.
I did manage to catch up with some of the other women that I usually see so it was good to catch up and they were pleased to see me.
I saw the consultant about 1130am. I did not see the chief one and I didn't see the point of asking when I like this one anyway. I was a bit surprised not to see the chief one but I can ask next week anyway. However, I was taken aback when he said 'what do you want today?'. I know I'm bossy and often demand things but I didn't think the responsibility was mine to decide what I wanted today!!! He was really pleased with my blood results. My protein levels are normal as are my liver and kidney tests and my haemoglobin is reasonable as well so I think I've given everyone a surprise that just 2 weeks and 2 days after my 'crash', my blood results are normal and I can walk without oxygen for a short distance and sit for about 15 minutes now without oxygen so it does all feel so unbelievable and if you looked at my blood tests, they would seem unbelievable as well.
He examined me and can't feel my liver so that is good and when he examined my lump, it is the same size as it was 4 weeks ago so that is really pleasing. My skin one today looks about 1cm across so looks smaller than yesterday and about the same size as last documented in my notes. We discussed me continuing on with my bone strengthener and as he is the man running several of the bone drug trials about the drug that I'm on, I think I should bow to his superior knowledge!!!! He feels that as I have had 2 years worth and there is evidence that it stays in your bones for some time ( I think he said 3-4 months), he felt we could miss that out for now and have the herceptin and restart taxol today. He did ask me about when I last had an echo done of my heart and I really don't know but said I think it could be a year ago. We seem to have an unspoken agreement not to do any heart echos on me as if they find my heart function has gone down then they will have to stop the herceptin and as we all feel that is keeping me alive, the risk seems worth it. He then ordered all my drugs and I went back to my comfy chair and had sandwiches for my lunch. I have just realised that no-one had made a decision about the dosage of the water tablets and I did tell him that the palliative care consultant wanted the oncology team to make the decision. Oh well, feel safer on them at home at this dose and must remenber next week to ask.
I started the pre-med part of my chemo about 2pm and they ordered the ambulance for 4.30pm. The pre-med consists of piriton that makes me very sleepy within about 30 minutes and the steroid, dexamethasone which makes me very lively about 4-5 hours after taking it so will probably spend quite a bit of time awake tonight. I take them for 3 days so will cut them back to the dose that I'm taking now on sunday. Also. they give ranitidine to stop stomach irritation which confuses me as the drugs are all given intravenously. I'm already on a 'stomach protector' tablet due to the steroids and the diclofenac so that's why I'm a bit muddled over why I need this as well. I know I don't tend to feel sick with taxol unless it is dripped in too fast but as I'm usually asleep this is out of my control as I said before they can't put taxol through the machine as it has a filter on it so the timing always seems a bit random anyway.
I also had the herceptin which causes me no problems apart from a runny nose.
I sat next to a lovely Polish lady about the same age as me and with a similar diagnosis but only just started the horrible secondary pathway. She was telling me the value of beetroot juice!! Of all the juices - why beetroot when I'm frightened of it.
I did have a sleep eventually and woke up about 430pm and the taxol was just finishing. The nurse flushed and changed the line and bungs and then I waited till 515pm for the ambulance. We got caught in the rush hour traffic plus there had been a crash on the motorway so didn't get back to 6pm and had more sandwiches. Hubby had dropped in and collected some of my things and had left me some creme caramels and 2 chocolate eclairs so that was wonderful and I really enjoyed eating 1 of each with my sherry. Quite deservedly, I now feel sick but hopefully, I can have the extra strong anti-sickness pill which makes me sleep so should counter the awakeness of the steroids.
Now have a delightfully, cheery lady opposite me but she is suffering with a degree of memory loss that she is aware of so that must be distressing. At least, most of the time I am unaware that I have forgotten something until someone points it out!!!!
Leave it at that for now. At least you know what happened today.
Labels: ambulance memory loss, back on taxol, sore feet and beetroot
posted by dippykate @ 8:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home