Sunday morning; been home since about 1pm Saturday, hoorah to escape the hospital!
I DO love my bed!!
Actually, I nearly didn't get a bed!
Went in Monday morning with my bag, ready to have R in Windsor suite and then get admitted to ward upstairs as before. As the R was finished and they began to talk of getting paperwork done, the ward informed us that there was no bed now, and to try again tomorrow. Well, it HAD to start Tuesday as the timing was crucial to the stem cells being harvested on 24th! So, I called up my mother, asked her to come get me, messed up all her arrangements and confused Deri when she came in from school haha! I DID get an extra night in my bed, but still, they've known for weeks I needed a room, but, maybe an emergency came in, who knows :)
SO, back in at 10 am Tuesday. Had the chemo on W suite, which finished at about 1/2 pm. Waited until 5pm for ward to find a room. W suite nurses knock off at 4.30 usually so it was just me, Kay and Sarah twiddling our thumbs with me getting a bit cheesed off! They walked me up with my drip, and I was put in the assessment room until one of the 4 folk leaving could go. I had dinner in there - my family brought me food as unfortunately hossie dinner was crap, and they left about 7 ... about 8/8.30, after a nurse poked her head in and said I could have a bed on the 6 bed ward - and my face must have said all sorts - that a room appeared for me. Hurrah!
I was overtired then and stayed up til midnight reading, nearly getting an excited visit from an elderly fella called Brian who had escaped from his bed, obviously confused, trying to get the nurses to allow him his freedom and then being walked past my room he saw me sat up and nearly joined me haha!
The R and the IGEV went well, although I have been prone to lots of frequent hot flushes this time round, and a little bit of nausea yesterday and this morning. But otherwise the week was ok. Lumpy had started to stick out just a tiny bit before I went in, but was back down by Tuesday afternoon.
Not that the doctors could tell; the registrar made herself busy prodding my tummy only and listening to my lungs, and my poor consultant was not around as her father had died over xmas and funeral fell in the week I was in... :(
The regular registrar from Windsor suite poked her head around the door briefly and said 'bone marrow tests look fine' and disappeared. Well, that's great! But, erm, maybe someone could chat to me about it for 2 minutes?? Also my Hickman line dressing was not changed as they seemed to be headless chickens and I was too woozy to remind them, but have dressings at home and going back on Wednesday to Windsor suite for bloods etc.
So, overall, it went ok but was a bit chaotic! And should be the final IGEV, so no more chemo until I go in for the 'transplant'.
Had lots of lovely visitors, friends and family, and managed to finish one book (The Help), start and finish the one Meg bought me for xmas (Snuff - Terry Pratchett) and then start another one Friday night! I did get a bit of a headache at one point haha!
Twice I woke in the night feeling as though I wanted to cry; I think the SCT treatment is so much in the forefront of my mind - more so the not being around for 2/3 weeks!
So my stepdad is coming to pick us up to take us back there for lunch today. They are good, although still bonkers. They swapped two of my tables around in sitting room as kept bumping into the bigger one, although it folded up and was much less obtrusive then the short one! ? ! Haha!! I'll shuffle things round a bit in a week or so. And my cup I keep on kitchen windowsill has disappeared; doesn't it feel odd when folk move your stuff around?? Bless 'em.
So 3 days of harvesting to look forward to - I have asked hospital to book a taxi or something as mum away and have to be there by 9 and I can't drive coz it will make me tired etc. And then .. Vicky's birthday do, which us girls that all used to live in London for a while and be best buddies, use as an excuse to travel across/down/over etc to catch up with each other... this will be end of month, few days after harvesting. None of them have seen me without hair before ( we are scattered all over the country now), and usually Alex and I are the naughty ladies who hand out the back door smoking... she'll have to lurk on her own now! We all stay over for the one night - we leave kids and men behind, Vicky kicks her kids out to friends too! And I AM looking forward to some R&R as Alex will be driving me :)
Love and Hugs to all, and thank you for all the lovely messages, even if I couldn't respond whilst I was in, I read the posts - and they DO help! :)) xxxxxxxxxxxx
