Feeling delighted to have entered the halfway stage. Once I have processed this one, it will be 12 weeks of Paclitaxel.
Also delighted that round 3 improved enormously after my last post. Once I had resolved the constipation, the rest of the cycle passed without any further bowel issues. Such a relief after the IBS issues of rounds 1 and 2. Unfortunately the impact to my taste lasted a day or two longer with even water tasting foul for a while. But overall probably the best cycle so far just based on coming out of it well.
Wednesday was infusion day for cycle 4. Blood tests all ok again, booking at 2pm. I arrived in reception about 1:45 and noticed it was unusually rammed with people. After about 30 minutes, the lady who usually collects patients appeared, and asked if there were any remaining patients with 11:30 or 12:00 appointments. Not good. She trooped off with a handful of patients, and 30 minutes later collected the 12:30s. At this point I had settled down with my book for the long haul. Fortunately it transpired they didn’t have 1pm or 1:30 bookings as it’s meant to give them a break, and I got in the unit around 3:15.
I had noticed the patient intranet had no internet connection, so was not surprised to find the backlog had been caused by IT issues. For a hospital that seems to operate mostly with 1990s technology (in the breast care unit they write appointments into a physical diary before putting them into their small number of desktop computers), onco is very tech oriented. The nurses have iPads and the records are on them. All observations are recorded on the iPad. So if the systems are down and they can’t access the records, it all grinds to a halt.
I was processed eventually, the nurses acting as ever with kindness and professionalism. I always do my best to be as nice as possible. I was again in one of the private rooms opposite the nurses desk so could hear various bits of pandemonium ensue. One poor woman, who had waited as long as me, had to be sent home because her consultant had failed to order her chemo and couldn’t be reached. One patient went into anaphylactic shock. Someone else was having major problems being cannulated (I remain so grateful for my portacath). I went to the loo trailing my drip stand and came back to find my door closed with 1 nurse in tears and another comforting her. It seems some patients were not being sympathetic about the delays.
First 3 days have been trouble free so far. No constipation this time. I am looking forward to clearing the 5 days of Filgrastim injections, getting my taste back (which has gone again), reaching the recovery phase, enjoying spending the last week of this cycle on a UK holiday, and returning for the second half to my treatment.
