So wet fish is now on holiday - again - he will actually have missed the whole month of August from what I can gather so it was down to the very nice registrar and special to field the questions. Cue lots of shocked looks and silences when Mark said no to the injections and questioned why he was having six rounds and why we hadn't been given the results of the bone marrow test which was done at the beginning of July and then I started...I sometimes think that these so call professionals would do well to walk around in the real world of caring and having cancer for a while before they start doling out meaningless platitudes and cliches by the bucket.
Up shot of it all was, the injections will continue but a reduced dose and every other day, treatment will happen on Friday but then will go to three week cycles not two week and the vincristine will be reduced by half and removed completely if needed.
I have an appointment tomorrow with the GP I like, to ask about a second opinion as I'm still not entirely convinced at the need for six rounds expecially as the bone marrow was clear.
'Special' had a bit a of a trip into reality when I asked her what she would like me to do with all the meds he's refused and what exactly I'm expected to do if he refuses the injections, lots of pity face and sucking in of breath and then she got the killer line, he's ready to withdraw consent so don't be surprised if Friday is the last they see of him in the treatment centre. I thought she was going to cry, especially after the usual, that must be hard for you comment and she then got the whole barrel load of what it's really like. The best line of all was when we were working out dates for the 3 week cycles and I mentioned that M would be OK for the 24th October (it's my birthday and we're going away for a couple of nights), Special started the usual 'oh it is something special that day?' so M said yes it's Helen's birthday, and then she said, have you made plans then for her? As if... he's been poisoned every fortnight for the past 2 months, there are days he can't keep awake and now he's in pain with injections that mean he can't move and he's on diazepam - of course he's done the planning!
So hopefully more answers tomorrow re second opinion but at least M's no longer quite so ready to stop treatment now, in all honestly, if he's going to have the same result from 4 as from 6 I'm behind him all the way but I think it would be wise to ask someone else unrelated to wet fish and special.
So that's us at the minute, a good week this week until Friday and then we'll deal with the side effects and at least have two weeks off for the last two (if they happen) and then we get to see if all this has worked, not something I'm prepared to think about right now, currently there is no if, it has worked end of story.
