Round three started very smoothly. Alexa had a sleepover at Daddy's, so he was able to drop her to Nursery, which took a bit of pressure off us time-wise. My Dad dropped us off at the hospital just before 9, so Mum and myself had a coffee and a bit of breakfast before seeing the Oncologist. After seeing the Oncologist last time and having a stand-up routine during the appointment, I had written all my questions and queries written in my trusty notebook so I wouldn't forget to discuss them with him. We went to the Berkshire Cancer Centre and pitched up with all our magazines expecting the usual long wait; but I had only just finished flicking through this month's Elle when they called us in.
We discussed my visit to A&E over the weekend and options for a replacement line; he said that he was hopeful that I could have a cannula inserted each time rather than have anything permanent, but we would need to see how I coped with that this time. I shared with him all my side effects from last time and he said that he would keep the dosage the same this time, but look to maybe reducing it slightly for the next round. I also confirmed that I am having 8 rounds in total, so I am nearing half way through! YAY!
So off I went to the chemo ward, expecting a long old wait, but it didn't take too long for me to be called in, which even the nurse was surprised at! I raced for the comfy reclining chair this time, as I have never managed to nab one before. So I had the cannula inserted into my hand and was expecting the chemo to be painful as it went through, but thankfully it wasn't. I reclined the chair back and even managed to have a little doze inbetween reading this week's gossip magazines.
Whilst I was there I saw a girl who I went to school with, who I had bumped into last time I was in. She is suffering from breast cancer and was having her PICC line inserted ready for her first round of chemo. I am just so surprised at how many young and healthy women are developing cancer. It really puzzles me as all the advice is to stay a healthy weight, have a balanced diet, don't smoke or drink, and you do this, yet you develop cancer?!? It makes no sense and makes me want to shake people who smoke, are overweight, eat unhealthy and drink lots. If it can happen to me then why would you want to increase your chances! Although I have heard the argument that if someone healthy can get cancer then you might as well carry on with unhealthy ways - sorry, but that makes NO sense to me at all!
I also chatted to the lady sat next to me who was in the early 50s who also suffered from bowel cancer. She felt that she was young to have developed bowel cancer so was even more shocked when she discovered that I also did. Her story was similar to mine; she developed symptoms and was rushed into A&E with a blockage which was diagnosed as Diverticulitis, which is a bowel condition. It was the colonoscopy that discovered her cancer and she went on to have about a foot removed of her colon and was having chemotherapy as a precaution.
So with all this dozing and chatting the 2 hours went very quickly; unfortunately it was near to the end of the 2 hours that my arm became really painful. The drugs are painful when they go through the smaller veins in the hand; I had a heat pack on to help alleviate the pain, but it was still there. It was as if needles were moving through my vein up my arm; and as I write this on Thursday the pain is still very much there. So I need to weigh up the pain against having a Hickman line in my chest which would deliver the chemo straight into my heart, thus avoid the pain from the cannula.
Before we left I had a lovely surprise visit from a very close family friend Jill - she text to see if she could come and kepp us company and it was perfect timing as I had almost finished. So we went for a well deserved cup of tea and a chin wag in the hospital. Jill has been a rock through this experience, always having the right words to say and helping me to stay positive - I love her to bits! So it was lovely seeing her, but unfortunately it got cut a little bit short as I had a phone call from Alexa's nursery to say she had a bit of a temperature - more teething, poor lil thing!
My side effects weren't as severe this time as I left the hospital; but over the past few days that have been returning with a vengeance. The tingling and numbness, exhaustion and nausea. I am thinking that as I had the chemo delivered in a different way through the cannula that the chemo has taken slightly longer to travel around my body - but I may be wrong, just my theory.
Another round done, so another round closer to the end! I am noticing that I am loosing some hair - I tried the bun ring in a high bun, but it made me notice how thin my hair was around the side of my face. So low styles for me I think to disguise this. The thought of loosing my beautiful hair is a very scary prospect, but my wonderful friend Aisha reminded me that 'every lion can afford to lose a bit of their mane in a fight', and thankfully I certainly have enough of a mane.
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