Not a good month for me...

30th September 2012:  I have not enjoyed this month at all!  My laryngitis and very bad cough returned within a few days of stopping the antibiotics a few weeks ago. I was getting headaches when I coughed, as well as some liver pain again. My gp sent me to be investigated at East Surrey Hospital, where they seemed quite concerned that I had had this cough for 9 months!

They were very thorough. I had lots of tests - bloods etc., ecg, chest x-ray, brain scan (at least I know that I do have a normal one!). I had some intravenous antibiotics as my temperature was slightly elevated.  I also had my PICC line flushed and the dressing changed. What a long day!

Eventually the consultant doctor came to see me with all the results. First, she thought my cough was caused by 'thrush' on the vocal cords from taking too many antibiotics over the 9 months! Never heard of it there before! Then the Good news or bad news. Good, that my brain scan and x-ray were normal. Bad, that my Hb was low, so I would need a blood transfusion. I had to wait for a bed to be available and bloods to be got ready (another sample!). I waited until about 6pm and then asked the consultant if I could go home, as I had been there since 8.15am! I had to return the next morning for the transfusion.

My cough started to clear within 24 hours of taking the treatment for thrush! Amazing!

The blood transfusion gave me a new lease of life - no wonder I was so tired!

The sputum samples were apparently tested for TB - obviously clear because I could not have been a nurse and midwife if I was not immune to that bacillus! So, clean bill of health. Now I just have to wait for the end of my chemo to feel healthy! My 6th and last cycle starts this week, so not now long until I finish treatment.

As you can gather from this lengthy medical report (!) I have not been out and about, nor particularly active this month at all.

The best evening was at a friend's 60's night, which I managed to get to, despite being only 3 days post chemo (dosed up with my steroids, anti-emetics and paracetamol!). We all dressed in 60's fashion, played 60's music, and ate some food recipes from that era - do you remember long frilly flowery frocks, lots of long beads, beatles music etc., prawn cocktail and tinned peaches and evaporated milk for cream?  Black Forest Gateau was not on the menu because some did not like it! However, the Babychamp went down well. It was a great evening, culminating in us dancing outside by the 'fire-pit'. See photos below.

Jo, Me, June Liz, Marie, Dolly, Ann and Helen

Liz looking very flower power!

Me by the fire-pit pretending to smoke a joint!

Spooky fire-pit dance!

The wind was blowing the smoke in our eyes and getting colder. It was probably the right time for everyone to go home, but we warmed up first with 60's style floater (liqueur!) coffees and chocolate mints! Brilliant!

August has gone in a blur of Olympics, chemo, heatwave and rain!

2nd September 2012: The Olympics, Start of Paralympics, Chemo and changeable weather - that was August! 

Apart from my sister, my son Philip, or my good friend Helen, I have hardly seen my friends or family - they have nearly all been too busy travelling on holiday, doing their gardens, watching the Olympics, watching grandchildren, or playing tennis! I have managed to watch some of the Olympics!

Unfortunately, as well as chemotherapy, I have still had with my chest infection, until I saw an emergency gp and started yet another course of antibiotics (Clarithromycin), which seemed to do the trick - after 8 months and four antibiotic courses!

I have just completed my 4th cycle of Carbo-Gemcitabine, which lucky for me seems to be working! My ca 125 (cancer marker) is down to 34, which is within the normal range. It was very busy on Tuesday (Monday was a Bank Holiday, so it was a double clinic), but Simon, my surgeon, was very happy to break away for a couple of minutes, to see my Olympic Torch and have a photo taken with me!

My bloods were normal, so my chemo prescription was ready early.  I had my infusion at 1.30 instead of 3pm and we were home by 3.30pm!

However, my liver does not like the treatment, as it has, for the last two days, been giving me some pain. Saw my gp, who gave me very strong pain killers and anti-inflammatories, which sent me to the moon and back! I have been really spaced out and feeling dreadful, but the cancer is being killed off and the pain has gone! I have resorted to safe paracetamol and ibuprofen, which are now controlling the pain without making me feel 'high'! Some people would pay a lot of money to feel like that!

Today, it is drizzling and cool, which is a shame, because I have a choice of two BBQ's to go to. I might not go to either of them if the weather continues like this! Ah well, there is always the Paralympics to watch on TV!