Arrived Mon am with no room for me - was put in assessment room on a spare bed then given the rituximab, told to watch out for any possible side-effects which can happen first time. Quizzed Jodie on what name my lymphoma has now. T cell rich diffuse B cell. Not that common but responds well to treatment. Then BAm told I'd need to give a bone marrow sample in next day or so. ?!?!?!?!?! Nice. Well an hour later, my throat became instantly dry, scratchy and closing up. Ah that'll be my side effect then. Jodie turned off drip for half hour. Throat opened up. Drip on again. Cancer sucks I thought to myself!
At 3pm told I'd have to wait til next day for side ward so onto a 6 bed ward for the night with Utter Loons: strokes/dimentia etc. I turned nursy, finding slippers and stopping Ellen trying to sleep with a pillow over her face. By 2am they had stopped shouting or yelling or farting, and I could slumber.
7.30am next day Deri is on phone:upset I'm not at home & refusing to eat breakfast. I reassure her and gee her up and get her to eat. Get off phone and crumple. It's all too much but I can just about hold it together if my kids are ok. Natalie the lovely nurse closes curtains round my bed, cwtchs me and I have a good sob. I imagine having a punch bag like boxers have and we laugh but not before I nearly have HER crying!!
11am.... Side ward found, huzzah! Same room as before! Huzzah twice for own loo, a door I can shut people out if I wish, and quietness! G visits after lunch-bless her bringing choklit and mango! Deri n mum n bry turn up at 7! Yay! Much cwtching :-))
Today, 07/12 - whisked off at 9am for bone marrow thing. 3 attempts: OUCH. Then " oh you have dense bone, we need longer needle".
Oh great. Nurse says only when you get a feeling like toothache down your thigh for 30 seconds has it worked. Immense pressure and wiggling and pillow gripping then ow, toothache in leg. Thank fuck, I think, it's done. " Ok stay there whilst we get a bit of bone". I beg your fucking pardon? A feeling like a corkscrew drilling for oil, me bursting into tears, and - it's done. Fucking pissflapping bastard bollocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then up onto ward again and plugged into chemo and 'don't get dressing wet for 48 hours' and as I wheel into room, yay for G and LM are waiting for me!!! G brought books and more mango then has to go as off to her kids school play. LM has whittled/carved me a little deep wooden spoon for when I run out!!! :-)) AND a little mouse made of hugs :-)). How special do I feel?! And coffee and brownie and tangerines! Bloody hell I have amazing friends!!!!!
Deri n bry visit at 4 :-D cwtchs yay!!!
K visits in eve with cwtchs and delicious gifts (I won't get out of door on Sat!) them Broni n Megz n Ben!!! Whoop!
Now exhausted and going to flop out on pillows!
Love you all! Xxxxxxx
LM - I wonder WHO indeed?! :-).
The decor is somewhat drab and I'll see what I can do about it by next stay! No more Ouch's would be fab!! Deri thought Hugsy Mouse was very cute and had also brought in her monkey for me too so we call all hug each other!! Ta for being Fab. Xxxxxxxxx
Ah my fave Welsh Viking! I think a general anesthetic should be compulsory!! Anyway we'll DEFINITLEY have to think up cunning plans for LM yes! Aw those amazing cwtchs again - thank you!!! Xxx
Jinty - ooh lovely Scottish hugs too?! I am spoilt! And yes, that thread would run and run haha! Xxx
Janique- hope that headtilt was 90 degrees?? Hahaha! Thanks hun xxxxx
Massive squidgy hugs and spoons and love to you. Nasty doctors sticking hurty things into Ems! NO MORE do you hear me and if you must then give her an anaesthetic you swines!
Shame about the decor and open plan loo but better than being on a ward with 5 other people who don't sleep until the early hours of the morning me thinks.
Hurrah for fabulous friends bringing love, yummy things and cwtchs!
You should get a special medal for services to medicine above and beyond the whatever it is - you have single-handedly given those nurses & medics a unique training course, yet all they give in return are beige walls and a look-I'm-on-the loo! And they didn't even hit on the right diagnosis for months. Gordon Bennett, I say.
Anyway, not long now & you can have a bit of peace (peace? with all your family & friends arriving to help? well you know what I mean, no more beige walls and a loo with a door!).
Hang in there lovely lady, thinking of you lots. (TILT, TILT...)
Having bone marrow taken, with bone is no fun at all. Didn't want to tell you as sometimes its better not to know, as you wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Fab that Deri has another bed to sneak into for cuddles when you are away, and that all her friends are coming for giant cwtches.
Think LM is overdue for challenges.......hmmmmm!
Oh Ems, did I not tell you that if you are on ward you have to start moving furniture around, and move into another bed.....it worked for me :-D Mind you I had to have blue stuff that turned my wee funny colours (What colour wee are you going to produce today, Louise?) and my consultant kept coming into my room to ask me my name and date of birth. Stupid man should have known as he'd been treating me for a year!!!!
