So the Radiotherapy continues. Everyday, I wake up, leap out of bed and wonder what delights the day has in store for me...Oh yeh, it's Radiotherapy day. I've had 14 sessions so far. I've noticed that I've got a mouth ulcers and my neck is starting to look a bit sunburned. Why did no one tell me about these side effects ? Today also sees my 2nd Chemo session as well as the Radio..
My. Mouth and Neck are very sore, So I thought now is a good a time as any, to try out the Morphine. Hey, I forgot about the Codeine I took an hour ago..Where is that Janis Joplin LP....(Again, youngsters will need not only to Google Janis Joplin, but LP as well)...
It's the afternoon sometime and I'm going up the M6 on a Magic carpet. The silver unicorns are leaping in the fields. I arrive in the car park and appear to be sitting in my car. My wife has driven, which may explain the missing wing mirror. We are very early, So she very kindly fetches two coffees. She doesn't like me ordering at coffee outlets. I refuse to say latte or cappuccino.... It's coffee, white or black.That's it. Same as Fries are Chips.....I could mention Metres and Kg's, but I wont
I start drinking, but every sip is quite difficult.... Weird. I can't finish it. So I decided to book in early. I told my wife I would call her when I had finished. I go and get my Radiotherapy out of the way. After that, I stroll into the Chemo Unit and go for the obligatory temperature check. I'm asked the usual stuff..Have I had a cough, have any relatives had Covid symtoms, had I packed the case myself (sorry, morphine induced). As usual I say no, no and no. The nurse takes my temperature. "38.7" she says....(This means nothing to me. I only deal in Fahrenheit. If it's 104, call the doctor). She checks the other ear. "38.8" she says in an alarmed voice. Without a word, I'm taken to a side room. I have not got a clue what is going on.
A nurse then enters the room attired in the latest in PPE. She informs me that my temperature is very high. I said it's 65 below 104, but this just irritates her. I have to go for a X-ray. "Why", I ask.. "Because it's high", which meant bugger all to me. A porter comes and puts me in a Wheelchair. I'm taken to X-ray, by what I can only describe as the scenic route. The walls are bright white, there are no signs It must be the nuclear shelter. Eventually I get to X- day and a voice comes over the Intercom, a bit like the TV series The Prisoner (..Google). I stand hugging this machine and the necessary images are taken. I return to the side room having been wheeled back the same way I came. I open the door to speak to a nurse. She ushers me back inside, telling me that I must say in here. I've guessed that they think I have Covid. I'm told that they have seen an image in my lung and I'm to be treated for Pneumonia. Wow..Another one to add to my CV.
I phone my wife and tell her I've been abducted and not to fetch me yet. She asks why.. I'm not sure myself, but I do have this sinking feeling that I'm to be prosecuted for the theft of one green sock. After about an hour I'm taken to another room. This one has a bed, a tv, the works. I'm not going home it seems. A doctor and his little helper come and see me. I don't have Corona Virus, but I am to be treated for Pneumonia. I feel absolutely fine.
They tell me I can now go onto the main ward, which is a bit of a dissapointment, as I'd sets my sites on this private suite. Please don't let there be a snorer, a smart arse, or even worse, a golfer...........
Hi, just reading your blog and it’s great to find a bit of hummer still exists! Am just about to start a second round of chemo and all that goes with that, (unfortunately Esophageal cancer, terminal.) so what started last week as my 3 monthly CT Scan has gone to a PET Scan, planned chemo and a call form the oncologist and Macmillan nurse! But some of the highlights have been when Finnish having the CT Scan the the loverly lady says if I can’t see then not to drive! I did say if I can’t see how will I find my car! She then realised what she said and how it came out, you couldn’t write this stuff, but did make us laugh.
when went to have my PET Scan and being near the ward I was on when was first poorly it reminded me of a chap on the ward (could of been a golfer!! ) Anyway this chaps phone would start going off at all sort of times in the early hours, he then announces to the rest of us that he keeps telling this woman not to phone, so a quite burly chap kindly offers to put the said phone where the sun don’t shine if it goes off again! It didn’t go off again! one last thing, the Macmillan nurse phones (I love Macmillan by the way) anyway she telling me that she has my CT scan and can see things have moved on shall we say, and if there any questions about the forthcoming treatment, so I say know it’s ok as it’s all still fresh in my mind form the first round, but trying to stay positive I add that I have spoken to the kids (5 of them) and have told them am ok and we just reset and go again! Anyway the nurse says it’s all about quality of life and will need to keep an eye on me after each session, I thank her for her positivity and we decide to meet at my chemo session next week, maybe she wants to talk golf?
anyway hope all going as well as it can and keep up the humerus blogs as keeps us all smiling through the shit
Thanks for you comments. You seem to have succumbed to the Macmillan Site Spell Checker. It's a cracker. I've started to treble check each word as they seemed to get changed to something ridiculous..Some of the events in hospital are silly and that's what I've tried to focus on. Lying on your bed looking at the ceiling does not make for a great read. I can imagine the.guy with the guy with the phone. Ha.. I hope you keep up your positive attitude and I hope you encounter some "characters" during your treatment...
