Early Saturday morning , well midnight Friday I woke with severe stomach pains, this was due to constipation and no way can you sleep through it. Chemotherapy either gives you the runs or the opposite there never seems to be a middle road! I used the Nurse call as the pain was too much, the duty nurse attended quickly and said the Doctor would have to prescribe a laxative, only problem was he had been called to A and E for an emergency but said she would make sure once free he would be told. Unfortunately this did not happen till almost five in the morning, I was given paracetamol but it did not really do much. I was given the magic powder and half an hour later the first of several visits to the porcelain throne, by breakfast time things had calmed down and back to normal apart from the lack of sleep. Breakfast was very late as weekends are usually agency staff and things dont seem to run nowhere as well as when direct staff are on duty. Second dose of Chemo was given about 10.30 along with the usual flushing of the Hickman line, the usual day proceeded as before with the addition of the room cleaning team who came in and did a good room clean, I think this had not happened previously as I was down to swap rooms but due to delays in patients being discharged this was not going to happen quickly. The rest of the day passed without any new issues and after a small afternoon nap I was still very ready for bed straight after 9pm Observations.
After a tremendous sleep only interspersed by the usual four hour monitorings I felt a lot better Anne brought me in a lovely hot chocolate from the food concourse which started the day well. Another dose of Chemo was given in the morning, the day passed as normal with various small drips to adjust blood levels until just after supper the "alternative" runs hit. From previous experience the faster you let staff know the better as samples will need to be sent of to test for infections just in case it is not the treatment causing it. So a sample was provided but this does nothing to to stop the next few hours draining yourself on the throne. Later in the evening a senior charge nurse came in with an immodium, it had been discussed that the treatment was almost 90% the cause so this was given while test results which can take 3-4 days would be awaited. Thanking her like she was the guardian angel I toddled off to bed for an almost unconcious sleep indeed the 1.30 obs I could not even remember!
To be continued.
