23 August 2005
Today I was supposed to start my tenth cycle of chemo but now that won't be happening until at least Thursday.
After getting up I had the district nurse come around to tell me that after yesterday's blood test my white
blood cells have not risen high enough to start chemo for at least another two days. I had to have an
injection of Neupogen now and will have to have one tomorrow followed by a blood test. If the blood test
reveals my white blood are cells high enough to start chemo then I can start but not until 24 hours after
taking Neupogen making Thursday the earliest I can start chemo and if I can't start Thursday I will have
to wait until next week.
I explained to mum and the district nurse that we will have to make sure that I get Neupogen from now on
to make sure this doesn't happen again and the district nurses response was that patients get Neupogen
to prevent ending up in hospital not to make sure each treatment is given on time. I wasn't too happy to
be told this as I want to get this treatment finished as fast as possible and get back to normal as fast
as possible. I want this treatment over by Christmas.
I actually considered the option of going away for the weekend to Christchurch with Matt and Aimee if
my treatment didn't start until next week. This coming weekend was the Auto Salon car show.
This treatment has ruled my life for too long I think I should be allowed to get out from time to time
and have some fun.
24 August 2005
I had to get up in the morning to have the blood test and Neupogen from the district nurse. I decided to
stay up for the rest of the morning and it is interesting that when I get up in the morning I don't have
as greater appetite as what I do when I get up at lunchtime. I have decided I am going to try and get
myself up in the mornings on the week before chemo to try and get some more normality back in my life.
At the meeting with Kate I was given good news all around. The result of a CT scan I had last week have
come back and the mark on my lungs has not changed in size at all so this now suggests that the mark
is not cancerous. This suggests there is no evidence of any spread of cancer to any other parts of the body.
The results of the blood test taken this morning are back and my white blood cells are now high enough to
start chemo tomorrow. Kate has decided that I obviously need the Neupogen from here on, this is good
news as I don't want any further delays in my treatment.
Kate made the suggestion that during the week before chemo starts when I am feeling at my best I
should start going for walks to try and get the body moving again, since Matt and Aimee live near me now
I may just walk down to see them instead of driving.
25 August 2005
I started the first day of chemo today. In the morning I had Aimee and her friend Anita, visit me. I
spent the afternoon reading a magazine and the paper before going up to the ward. Robert and Stephen
came and visited in the afternoon and I spent most of the evening watching TV in the TV lounge.
Once again Angela is in hospital, unfortunately I was able to spend too much time talking to her
as she seems to be quite sick this time. I was unable to sleep in the Procedure Room or have a room to
myself and as a result had very little sleep all night as other patients kept me awake all night.
26 August 2005
I stayed in bed until it was time to go downstairs to the Oncology unit to start Chemo. After starting
chemo the nurse asked me if I ate breakfast this morning and this was enough to make me vomit quite
bad and I may I have vomited up the anti-nausea tablet I just took so I was given cyclizine which
is an anti-nausea drug that puts you to sleep. Within 5 minutes I was asleep and I stayed asleep for
most of the afternoon. While having chemo the nurses organised my discharge for tomorrow as there
will be no one around to discharge me on a Saturday. Back at the ward I spent the evening taking it
easy watching TV and for a short while I was able to sit down and catch up with Angela.
I spent the night again in the Procedure Room so I did end up getting a better sleep overnight.
27 August 2005
I slept in all morning to catch up on the lack of sleep I have had in the past week. After being discharged
from hospital I spent the afternoon at home taking it easy watching TV and in the evening I watched the
All Blacks beat South Africa.
During the rest of the cycle I once again managed to stay out of hospital but it seemed to take longer this time to start feeling better compared to the previous 3 cycles but still this cycle didn't knock me as much as the first 6 cycles. A week after treatment ended I started getting myself more active, during the week I have gone for walks to either visit Matt and Aimee or just around the area. One day I went for a walk through the park with Aimee and her friend Anita as well. Most of the time I have been on treatment I have been getting out of bed around midday, I have now pushed myself to get up between 10 and 11 each morning, there is no need for me to get up any earlier except on the days I have chemo and getting up at 10 should make it easier to get up on the days I have chemo.
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