Post date: 19-Jun-2012 08:11:14
Welcome to day 1 of cycle 2 of my chemo…
We were very efficient yesterday, we had the car already packed with all my stuff, even the exercise bike on the back seat. We turned up at the Macmillan day patient ward as instructed at 9:30 rather naively thinking my room would be ready and waiting for me after we had done some paperwork… no.
We were told to take a seat and after about 45 minutes a nurse changed the bandage on my Hickman line and took some blood. She did not know if there was a room for me… We decided it was best if Isabel went off to work as nothing appeared to be happening and I would call her if my room became available.
Lunch time came and went with no information about what was happening…
Then I though this is it as a doctor wanted to have a chat, she asked how I was during my week at home and listened to my chest. I asked about the test results - only the consultant could answer that, I asked about cycle 3 because it falls over the schools summer holidays - only the consultant could answer that. I asked about my room - she asked a nurse who said nobody was being discharged from ward 22. I think I probably knew less than before I spoke to the doctor.
Then at 2pm I got my first set of chemo for this cycle, same drugs as last time except this is an eight day cycle rather than the ten days (to be confirmed with the consultant) I had before.
- Cytarabine twice a day, every day for eight days
- Daunorubicin only three lots, Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week.
Isabel popped back in to see if there was any news… no… she had to take the exercise bike home and then collect James.
Then at 5pm I was taken up to ward 22, I think the way they work is to start the treatment in the Macmillan unit while somebody is being discharged, as we have seen the process of being discharged is not that fast. That actual saves one night stay in hospital - if they could not start the treatment until 5pm.
My room is not quite as good as the first one, I still have a window that looks out on the little courtyard with the fake grass. The bathroom is shared with the room next door - “Jack and Jill” style there is a fancy lock system that means only one person can enter at a time. No TV with DVD player and no PC…
On the plus side the internet connection appears to be better than the other room, although I may just have been lucky last night. It was good enough for skype calls to Mum and Isabel.
Because Isabel had James last night all I managed to check in with was a laptop and a change of cloths.
… Nothing done on the exercise bike yesterday due to the length of time taken to get checked in…