Well, here we are, my chemo started on Friday 8th June and we waited for all the side effects to kick in. Not knowing how you are going to be affected is very worrying. Started to get headaches on Sunday so started checking temperature like some doting new mother. 38 degrees is the "magic" figure, if you get to this you start to panic and contact the chemo dept.. Monday I had almost 38 for quite some time so phoned chemo dept. and they said it's far to early for white cells to be down but go and get an urgent blood test just in case. Got the bloods done and everything ok so told to carry on keeping an eye on things. Tuesday got high temp. again so told to go to GP, she gave me a good examination and said I probably had a virus that we should monitor. Nothing much happened Wednesday but then Thursday the fun starts !!! We were both feeling down in the dumps so decided to go to Canvey and sit by the sea wall to get some fresh air. For some reason I didn't want to be there and got very emotional for a while, we came home earlier than expected and I had to go to bed as I felt exhausted. After a little while I asked Val to take my temp. and it was 38, this was day 7 of the cycle so we were entering the critical part of the cycle. Phoned chemo at Southend and they told me to pack an overnight bag and present myself to A&E at Basildon. Arrived at Basildon at about 3.25 and by 3.35 was called in to triage, the nurse is putting in a cannula while she is talking and the Doctor is reading notes and giving instructions. She takes what seems like a pint of blood and calls for a side room for a chemo patient. I get taken into a side room in minors where I am given IV paracetamol and antibiotics by about 4.00. The requirement is for A&E to do all this within 1 hour so we were well within this, marvellous I thought but there the good stuff ends!! I then spend 7 hours in this room being seen by various junior doctors trying to look as if they know what they are doing but really not knowing, one tried to take a blood sample from the main artery in my wrist for a special test but after about 15 mins. of agony he decided to give up. I get told I am going to Orsett ward which is the only cancer care ward in Basildon but as I am neutropenic ( low white cells) I have to wait for a side room. I get taken to the medical assessment unit and put into a side room there which was more like an office. Being neutropenic, the patient is supposed to be kept in protective isolation due to the very high risk of catching bugs from other people. The staff on this unit are obviously completely untrained in this judging by what happened during the next few days. I was kept in this room for 2 days during which time my bedding was never changed, I had no toilet facilities, no proper washing facilities and staff wandering in & out at will. It took them 24 hours to put a notice on the door that I was in protective isolation. On Friday I was visited by my Oncologist who said I could go home if my temp. was ok but then the medics wrote me up for 5 days iv antibiotics so was told I had to stay. On Saturday night I was told I was being moved into another side room that has much better facilities but it needed deep cleaning before I could move in. At about 10.30 I get taken in there and it was a lovely room with en suite facilities, I have a wander around feeling quite pleased at last but THEN I find a bottle of urine sitting on the windowsill in the bathroom, absolutely disgusting !!!! The staff remove it quickly with an embarassed apology. Sunday & Monday were fairly uneventful although told several differing stories as to whether I will be sent home or transferred to Orsett ward, eventually after a fairly traumatic afternoon, I was discharged to home at about 6.00 with no more antibiotics needed. I feel pretty good this morning just glad to be home again with my darling. I am still at risk for the rest of this week so will have to be careful, all being well I will see the oncologist again on 27th and the next chemo on 29th when all the fun starts again.
