Chemo - Round 1, Days 2 & 3

Days 2 and 3 were heavier going than day 1.  I felt tired, indeed, though sleeping a lot at night, I slept for 1 to 1.5 hours around midday each day.  I have been advised not to sleep in the afternoon because that can change my night sleeping patterns.  Light exercise is recommended.  So, the walk to and back from the hospital on Wednesday filled the bill on the third day.

My third and final round of chemo was contained within a balloon inside a well-sealed bottle.  As mentioned in my last update, there is a pump that operates through the warmth of the stomach.  It is fitted to the tube between the chemo bottle and the port-o-cath.  Mine worked really well as the balloon was empty when the bottle was removed.  The bottle and the tubing were all thrown away.  In fact only metal containers and metal items that can be sterilised to be re-used are re-cycled.  Thus, I am quite heavily adding to planet pollution now.  But no one wants to risk items infecting other people.

At night I am sleeping from around 8.30 to 6.30/7.30 but on Tuesday night I had to get up every hour or hour and a half and use the bathroom.  When I told the nurse Wednesday afternoon they took a urine sample to test for infection.  I rang today and found out there is no infection.  The nurse suggested I drink more before mid/late afternoon and less after that.  But it can be hard work drinking 2 to 3 litres on a chemo day and 2 litres other days.  I am hoping I will not be using the bathroom as much as time passes because it is a too much frequented room in my day and night!

At the moment it takes me till around 1.00 pm to feel energetic enough to do some work.  The tiredness is just with me all the time.

My appointment for removal of the chemo bottle, tube and pump was at 3.00 pm but I was not seen till after 4.00.  They see patients in chronological sequence of appointment times.  This time I read the parts of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Journal I was interested in and left it in the paper-recycling bin.  I had deliberately drunk less prior to going to the appointment but as time passed, I really needed some liquid and food – biscuits followed by a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich.  Some much needed energy returned.

Wednesday night I had the most amazing experience.  At about 9.30 pm I awoke and the bed felt really wet.  I went and used the bathroom and called Barbara.  Under the room light we could see that my side of the bedding was saturated and as Barbara removed it, so was the mattress protector, the top of the mattress and my pillow.  It was like someone had thrown a bucket of water.  I felt dry.  My body seemed to have flushed itself.  We checked my temperature, which was 37 degrees centigrade, just above normal.  Barbara put two towels on top of the mattress and a towel around the pillow and we made up the bed.  I went back to sleep pretty readily but with a light covering and halfway through the night I needed more covering.  So last night and today my world pollution contribution was lots of washing powder and water usage.  Overall it seemed to be a cleansing experience.  We are hoping it is a one-off situation.