The envy of Sisyphus

1 minute read time.

I'm sure things aren't meant to be quite this hard. I had to call the out of hours doctor again last night - I was sick and fever-y, and had very bad tummy pains. This time, by way of variety, they sent us along to an out of hours clinic in Oxford, which was, I suppose, preferable to waiting in the house for someone to (possibly) turn up. Preferable for me, anyway; maybe less so for Judy, who doesn't like driving in Oxford, especially at 1.00 in the morning. Anyway, the doctor there wrote me out a prescription for some new stuff. Hurrah!

Today we went out to get it filled. It took nearly four hours, five different chemists, a call to the Sobell House Hospice helpline on a mobile fast running out of charge, and a consultation between pharmacist #5 and the out of hours clinic - which, of course, had a different doctor on duty by then - to get it done. Actually, it still isn't the exact prescription, the pharmacist got the doctors to agree to let him dispense something similar. God bless Woodstock Road chemists for services above and beyond, but is it any wonder I get stressed?

On Tuesday, when everyone gets back to work, I'm going to phone the Macmillan nurses and see whether we can get a check done to see if I need ascites drained again. I hope not, because it really hurts, but then again, so does pretty much everything. I also want to see if they'll consider giving me my first dose of chemo on the ward in case of side-effects. I was fine last time, but I was also a lot healthier last time. Well, no, that's not true, I had the chest problems then, but my stomach wasn't so bad. Anyway: chances are they'll say no, but it's worth a shot.

I wonder how many people just give up and die of cancer because they're tired of having to bloody well fight all the time?

Anonymous
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Dear Hilary ..... it just doesn't seem right to me for them to leave you suffering in this way - and to add insult to injury, all this palaver you both had to go through for a prescription. Someone, somewhere should have had the drugs to hand ........ like the Hospice ? !

    Yes, I think that I would really push the issue with the Macmillan Nurse now and see if they will start your treatment on the Ward, which you prefer. Wishing you the all the best.

    Love and hugs, Joycee xxx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Good morning Hils, ditto to all the comments above and I hope the pills have kicked in to ease the pains a bit and that today will be a brighter day for you xxxxxx
  • Hi Hilary.Those Greek gods where certainly vengeful and jealous.Sisyphus was pushing that rock on his own you are not alone and as LM said if it was possible to smash that rock I think we all would or push it to the top of the hill and let it roll down on Mr Crab.I can't understand why everything is made so hard when it needn't be the help you need is there so why have the powers that be not put those things in place to save all this stress if it's to do with cost in the long run it would work out cheaper in human terms it would save a lot of fear,anxiety and chasing around for help when you are unwell and not at your strongest to do all those things.All this one step forward three steps back must be exhausting for both mind and body and I too wish that things were not so hard for you.I hope that you get a bed when you start chemo and that it has the desired effect on crabby it's time he buggered off he's not welcome here and never was. As LM said don't give up your not allowed unlike mr weedy crab you are loved and cared about and if you have to push that rock there are plenty of us here to help you and plenty of us with axes.bats,saws and big boots to smash it to pieces Huge hugs Cruton xxxxxx
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hils, it seems you've had so much support after this that all I need to do is send you love nad big welsh cwtches.

    Hope you are feeling better today,

    Odin xxx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hilary,

    I hope you are feeling better today and the meds have had a chance to work their little bit of magic, and you are not allowed to give in or up to Mr crabby! Send him packing with this next lot of chemo or I'll have to get the tins of haggis out to throw at him and send him on his way.

    Much love Roobs xxxxxx